As we reflect on this year's amazing milestones, we can't help but go back to square one: What types of girls enter the Daraja gates? Who were they before they were freshmen at Daraja? Every girl seems to have her own story of absolute determination. We've highlighted Fatuma A, an approaching senior at the academy.
This is not a normal Daraja Academy update for me. In all honesty as the school has grown, I have written fewer and fewer updates for the website, even though it is something I truly love. However, after reflecting on the events of November 20th, 2012, I feel a deep need to do just that.
At 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 20, Daraja’s Form 4s sat for their business exam, the final of twenty exams. Two and a half hours later, Daraja’s teachers and administration convened outside Exam Room 5, and entered the room just as test administrators finished collecting the papers. “You’re done,” said the administrator, and a loud
Writing sponsor letters has been an important Daraja tradition for the last four years. At the end of each term, once the girls have finished their exams, they gather to prepare letters to send to their (mostly) U.S. sponsors. These letters usually include a piece of artwork created by each girl, and two photos with
A return to Daraja Academy, the unique boarding school in Kenya devoted to the education of exceptional girls living in poverty.
Girls at Daraja were understandably nervous before their first KCSE exam on October 26, because a student’s KCSE score determines whether she will be eligible to attend university or college, and whether or not she receives government sponsorship (i.e. loan eligibility). Without at least a B+, students are not likely to receive monetary support from
“This test defines the life of a person after school in Kenya. That is unfortunately how the system here is designed. You can be exceptionally smart, but if you cannot perform on [the KCSE], it means nothing.” - Charles Mbuto, Dean of Academics What are the KCSEs, and why are they so important? KCSE stands for
400 people gathered at Daraja Saturday to give Form 4s encouragement for their remaining 18 KCSE exams. All Daraja girls woke early and were preparing for the day by 8:00 a.m., chopping vegetables and meat, washing dishes, mopping floors, sweeping dirt paths, and setting up chairs. Guests began arriving at 9:00, and girls waited by the gate
“What is it about a fourteen-year-old educated girl that is so scary to a man with a gun?” asked Daraja Academy cofounder Jason Doherty Monday night when Daraja girls gathered to learn about and show their support for Malala Yousafzai. On October 9th, the Taliban attempted to assassinate fourteen-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala for promoting girls’
At 4 p.m. on October 11th, all 104 Daraja students met in the patio for a special forum in honor of International Day of the Girl. One student from each wrote a speech about a specific topic: Zaituna (F1) : Why are girls important? “Girls have a big role in their community,” she said. “The
The three Cross sisters finally experienced a dream come true. They visited the Daraja campus and met the amazing and talented girls they have grown to love. Several years ago, Molly Venable heard about Daraja from a fellow teacher of Jason Doherty’s. Molly and her two sisters, Cathie Dalstrom and Jennifer Cross, knew they wanted to take
Tuition Studies Concludes with River Fun and Form 1 and 2s Return to Campus Tuition Studies Concludes After two busy weeks of classes and studying, the Form 3 and 4s concluded Tuition Studies with a day of fun in the nearby river. It was a great break from school, especially for the Form 4s who
