Akili Dada is a nonprofit organization committed to cultivating leadership among girls from underserved communities in Kenya. Its mission is to empower these future leaders to overcome cultural, economic, and geographic barriers and to build a generation of young women who will drive meaningful change. Since its founding, Akili Dada has positively impacted girls across Kenya by providing mentorship, educational support, and leadership development programs. The organization also engages families and communities, working to challenge harmful norms which prevent girls from receiving the opportunities they deserve.
In Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) regions, adolescent girls face extreme challenges due to factors such as poverty, patriarchal norms, and limited access to education. Girls from these areas are often compelled to leave school at a young age. In ASAL counties like Samburu, for example, nearly 50 percent of girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49 have had no formal education, compared to 6 percent nationally. Consequently, many girls marry at an early age and are likely to become pregnant in their teenage years. They are also at a high risk for experiencing gender-based violence in their homes and communities. Without targeted support, girls in these areas remain vulnerable, with limited options for a better future.
With support from The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund, Akili Dada will expand its Manyatta Homeschooling Project, which initially launched in 2023. The project aims to improve literacy among girls while incorporating other important topics that are central to informed decisionmaking. The Manyatta Homeschooling curriculum includes lessons on civic engagement and mental health, as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights education. The project’s holistic approach provides girls with a range of tools so they are able to advocate for themselves, their rights, and their future. Akili Dada will also connect girls with mentors and collaborate with community leaders, shifting attitudes toward gender equality and working to end harmful practices such as early marriage and female genital mutilation.
Akili Dada will directly support 150 girls through this project, recruiting girls from the Baragoi Sub-County of Samburu who have never received formal education. The first iteration of the project saw commendable results, with girls gaining foundational learning skills. Akili Dada hopes to build on this success and provide girls with a pathway for future academic success as well as personal growth and empowerment. The organization also hopes to change social norms within communities, facilitating long-term change so that girls are able to pursue their dreams without harmful practices and attitudes holding them back. To learn more about Akili Dada, please visit the organization’s website and social media pages:
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