Schools in Kenya, depending on their status, have varying tuition rates – most of which are much more than the families of these girls can afford. This burden is further compounded by the strong-held belief among many families in Kenya that girls are not worth educating. They’re needed more in the home, to help with household tasks and caring for other children, and when they are older, they are married off to someone else’s family and are no longer an asset to their own family. So many do not see the benefit of spending great amounts of money on educating girls and having them out of the home for so much time each day.
St. Anne’s Girls School
A Growing Institution
Located in Kapkemich, Kenya, the St. Anne’s Girls School is a growing institution providing secondary education for girls in and around the community. For girls in Kenya, obtaining an education past primary school is a difficult path to follow, with obstacles that range from lack of financial assistance to deeply rooted cultural norms.
Worth Educating
Empowerment & Opportunity
Finding a solution that makes education more accessible to girls in Kenya is essential. To receive a quality education is to receive a priceless gift to these girls. It empowers them and gives them the opportunity to improve not only their own lives, but the lives of their families and their communities. They are given the power to make change happen, first within their villages and eventually within Kenya and beyond.
The Growth Continues
St. Anne’s Girls School was founded by Father Anthony Kiplagat, along with other community members, to be a place where girls could come to receive a quality education. Since its founding, the school has continued to grow its student base to 285 girls. Growth continues with an estimate of 400 girls by 2025. The girls attending the school share a spacious dormitory, which consists of bunk beds lined up, row after row in a large, one-room-building with an attached bathroom. The Friends of St. Anne’s are currently assisting the school with plans to build an even larger, more modern dormitory that will be able to house over 300 girls comfortably.
Adequate Housing
Adequate housing at the girls’ school makes a huge difference to these students and their education. Many would have long, arduous journeys to and from the school each day were they not living on campus. Then, after a long day of school, they must trek home, where they very likely will be put to work since they have been gone all day and will be allowed no time to study or work on schoolwork. Having a safe, comfortable dormitory on site gives the students an even greater chance at succeeding in school.