We’re filled with pride and hope as we commemorate International Day of Rural Women. This year’s theme, “Rural Women Sustaining Nature for Our Collective Future,” resonates with our mission at Kakenya’s Dream. Today, we honor rural women’s strength, resilience, and contributions, particularly with respect to agricultural development, food security, and environmental stewardship. It is equally important to highlight and address the challenges they face today.
In southwestern Kenya, we are witnessing the challenges rural women face firsthand, particularly in light of the worsening climate crisis. Kenya’s climate crisis disproportionately affects rural and indigenous women, including those we serve at Kakenya’s Dream, who are on the frontlines of environmental changes. Despite these challenges, these women are uniquely positioned as agents of change in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.
Our founder, Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya, grew up as a rural girl in Enoosaen, Kenya, daring to dream beyond traditional roles for girls and young women in her indigenous Maasai community. Her vision later blossomed into Kakenya’s Dream, where we empower rural girls through education, health, and skills development, transforming communities one girl at a time.
Education: A Key to Unlocking Rural Potential
At the heart of our mission are the Kakenya Centers for Excellence (KCE I and II), where rural girls rewrite their futures.
Our achievements:
- 968 rural girls have received scholarships and holistic support through our boarding schools.
- 100% of our students complete high school, compared to just 24% in our region.
- 420 alumnae receive continued support, from academic scholarships to mentorship and professional development, as they transition to high school, higher education, and the workforce.
A Holistic Approach to Rural Empowerment
Recognizing that education alone is not enough, we’ve developed a comprehensive support model that addresses multiple aspects and challenges in rural women’s lives. This holistic approach, which includes health and rights education and services, climate resilience education, economic empowerment, community engagement, and leadership development, ensures we make a lasting impact.
Health and Well-being: Our new Kakenya Health and Wellness Center offers free healthcare services to youth, including primary care, mental health support, and sexual and reproductive care.
Climate Resilience Education: We incorporate environmental education into our curriculum, teaching sustainable agriculture techniques and the importance of biodiversity conservation. We also organize climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies workshops, leveraging indigenous knowledge and practices.
Economic Empowerment: We provide a broad range of trainings, from financial literacy to entrepreneurship, to equip rural girls and young women with the knowledge and skills to secure stable employment and economic empowerment.
Community Engagement: Through community-led dialogue and sensitization workshops, we work with, rather than against, communities to address the social challenges rural women face in our region, including high rates of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage.
Leadership Development: We help girls develop the hard and soft skills to become leaders in anything they choose, from gender equality to climate change. We encourage them to claim seats at decision-making tables and participate in local and national movements they’re passionate about.
This comprehensive approach has led to a number of remarkable outcomes. Here are just a few examples:
- 100% of girls in our programs have avoided FGM and child marriage.
- Our students are leading community-based reforestation efforts.
- Graduates are becoming environmental advocates, bringing sustainable practices back to their communities.
Rural Women: Guardians of Nature
Rural women, particularly indigenous women, have been at the forefront of environmental conservation. They bring invaluable ancestral knowledge and practices to the table. Our programs aim to amplify these voices and promote their work as food providers and protectors of the environment. Our girls are learning about drought-resistant seeds, organic soil management and water storage techniques, alternative fuel sources, and the importance of biodiversity. They are becoming the environmental stewards their communities desperately need in the face of worsening climate change.
Join us to Empower Rural Women
As we celebrate this International Day of Rural Women, we invite you to join us in our mission. Your support can help us:
- Expand our education programming to reach more rural girls.
- Enhance our other important programming, from conservation to economic empowerment initiatives.
- Develop new initiatives for climate resilience in rural areas.
Every contribution helps write a new chapter in a rural girl’s life story and contributes to a more sustainable future for the global collective. Together, we can build a future in which rural women are recognized and supported both as vital guardians of nature and in other areas they wish to pursue. Will you stand with us in empowering rural women and protecting our planet?
