As most teachers do, when it comes to essays I am forever goading my students to answer the “5 W’s”. This time tested method of answering who, what, when, why, where and how can bring a once hazy subject into a much clearer focus, including a student’s grade.
I believe that most of Daraja Academy’s “5 W’s” have been answered by the web site, our newsletter or in this blog, however, here’s a quick review:

WHAT? – Daraja Academy is a girl’s secondary school; similar to a high school in the U.S. Daraja is a boarding school, where Kenyan girls of poverty are provided with full room and board.
WHEN? – Though the dream of Daraja Academy has been germinating in my heart since the late ‘80s, the formal process began only a few years ago. The Carr Educational Foundation (CEF) was created and became an incorporated non-profit organization in early 2007. CEF’s mission was to provide an opportunity for children who where driven and genuinely desired the chance to further their educations but were unable to due to a lack of resources. The Daraja Academy of Kenya is the CEF’s first project and it will begin educating its first class of students in February 2009.
WHY? – As stated above, those who support the Daraja cause believe that all children deserve access to education. After two trips and much research, the Carr Educational Foundation determined that in Kenya, it was girls of poverty who where the most underserved group when it came to progressing from primary school to secondary school. CEF’s research also determined that educating girls of poverty at Daraja Academy would have far reaching effects on those girl’s families, villages and tribes; if not their countries as a whole.
WHERE? – The Daraja Academy campus lies on a beautiful swath of land 20 kilometers northwest of Nanyuki, in the east African nation of Kenya. The equator runs directly through Nanyuki town, which is nestled on the northwestern slopes of Mt. Kenya, Africa’s second highest peak. The campus rests at an elevation of just over 7,000 feet, putting it above the malaria line and keeping its climate fairly temperate.
HOW? – Daraja Academy is fortunate to be supported by generous individuals, organizations, universities and corporations in the U.S., Kenya and abroad. It has also received support and funding from foundations, and continues to research and foster these avenues. However, a collaborative relationship has been stuck between Daraja Academy and the Danish volunteer organization M.S. Kenya. This relationship allows M.S. Kenya a home base on a portion of the Daraja campus to train its volunteers before they leave to other parts of the African continent. Daraja Academy benefits from the attention paid to its students by the Danish volunteers, while a portion of its expenses are covered by the mutually beneficial partnerships, thus making Daraja Academy more financially sustainable.