With 2013 coming to a close, we’d like to take a walk down memory lane and look back on such a momentous year for Daraja Academy. January started off with a new school year - the 5th for Daraja. Second, third, and fourth-year students returned to campus excited for the upcoming year, eager to learn.
For much of the world, the November, December, and January months signify a time of celebration, quality time, and meaningful gift giving. In Kenya, holiday celebrations do not differ much from the United States. Right now, Daraja students are on break from classes and are home with their families. They are celebrating holidays, spending time
There’s a little thing we call “Daraja Fever,” that visitors and volunteers often catch and spread during and after visiting campus. Symptoms include sore cheeks from smiling, a full heart of love, and a plaguing desire to return once you’ve left. Experiencing campus and meeting the Daraja girls isn’t something that everyone is able to
In August of this year, Daraja celebrated our first graduating class of girls. After four years of secondary school classes and a five-month Transition Program, Lillian walked across the stage on Daraja’s campus and received Daraja’s equivalent of a diploma- a certificate of program completion- as well as her official “leaving documents,” standard for graduated
At the end of each term, Daraja students ritualistically sit down for one of their favorite activities and traditions on campus- writing sponsor letters. Because sponsors are truly the lifeblood of Daraja and the enablers for Daraja’s programs, the girls get excited to share their lives and stories with their sponsors time and time again.
At the end of each term, Daraja girls venture to their home communities for a short break for two weeks to over a month, depending on the time of year. Comparable to summer breaks and winter holidays in the United States, the girls always look forward to seeing their families and friends during their time
Thanks to a dedicated staff, life on campus runs smoothly each day. With sometimes over 200 mouths to feed, a farm to tend to, and the security of the campus to ensure, Daraja employs a large local staff in order to keep things up and running. Many of these staff members have been working on
When end of term exams ended on Thursday, November 14th, first, second, and third year students left campus for school break before the new 2014 school year begins in January. That is, except for three soon-to-be fourth year students, Moreen Kajuju, Mary S, and Mesret, who stayed behind to participate in a Youth Forum for
