In too many societies in Kenya, girls still face the double discrimination of being young and being female. They are pulled out of school, married off early, and are more likely to be subjected to violence.
Girls also have fewer opportunities to be educated, are more at risk of gender-based violence and female genital mutilation, and face greater risks of economic and sexual exploitation. These challenges and other inhibitive cultural practices continue to negatively affect admission and retention of girls in schools.
The girl child empowerment and development programme seeks to address these challenges encountered by girls in Kenya through our grant-making efforts and by working with other partners who are passionate about these issues and seek to give girls an equal chance to compete and lead a fulfilled life.
KCDF in collaboration with other partners have continued to increase the number of girls transiting successfully to higher levels of education through provision of education scholarships and life skills acquisition under the programme.
We also advocate for policy changes towards greater protection of girls from violence and discrimination in school and at home. We involve men and boys as key players in acting as allies for girls’ rights by enhancing their capacity on the same.
The process provides Kenyan girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of them orphans, the opportunity to acquire quality education, life skills, mentorship, work readiness exposure and financial support to escape the cycle of poverty and empower the next generation by recipient girls giving back to their societies.
The process also focuses on the transition of post-secondary school graduates to college or university education through to societal launch.
