Kakenya’s Dream is a grassroots organization which seeks to promote a world that recognizes girls for their full potential, implementing initiatives focused on education, health, and leadership. The organization operates a boarding school which serves girls starting in the fourth grade and then supports them over the course of their development from adolescence through adulthood. This support includes scholarships, sexual and reproductive health education, and professional development opportunities.
In 2024, Kakenya’s Dream opened the first youth-friendly health clinic in Southwestern Kenya, providing essential services such as mental health counseling and reproductive healthcare.
Kakenya’s Dream works in Narok and Kisii counties, rural areas of Southwest Kenya. Female genital mutilation is prevalent due to local norms which consider the practice as a “rite of passage” before marriage. Girls are often married shortly after, and the majority of girls in Narok are married before the age of 19, more than double the national average. As a result, girls experience significant disruptions to their education. Only 58 percent of girls finish primary school and less than 25 percent complete high school. Against this backdrop, girls’ face increased risk for other harms, including early pregnancies, adverse health outcomes, and gender-based violence.
The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund will support the boarding schools operated by Kakenya’s Dream. Specifically, the organization will train additional teachers and expand technology-based learning for girls in Narok. Girls will learn digital literacy skills, gaining the knowledge required to succeed in a rapidly changing world. GOA’s support will enable the organization to maintain a low teacher-to-student ratio, providing a personalized learning environment tailored to girls’ unique needs. Kakenya’s Dream will also provide girls with school uniforms, personal products, three nutritious meals, and preventative healthcare.
Kakenya’s Dream will reach 395 girls through its project, providing a holistic educational experience to address the range of challenges girls face in rural Kenya. The organization’s goals are to increase school retention and academic achievement among girls, enabling them to realize their full potential as agents of change. In the process, the organization hopes to promote social change, working to eradicate harmful norms which undermine girls’ safety and worth. To learn more about Kakenya’s Dream, please visit the organization’s website and social media pages: