Established 2000

  • 500 female students
  • 21 teachers

2009

  • 550 female students
  • All female teachers

COE components

  • Bursaries for underprivileged students
  • Science, Mathematics&Technology programme
  • Tuseme youth empowerment programme
  • Counselling
  • Rescue centre for girls

Challenges

  • Poverty
  • Arid conditions
  • Cultural practices

Outcomes since creation

  • 5% improvement in performance in national exams
  • 10% improvement in performance in end of year school exams
  • 10% improvement in academic performance throughout the year
  • 32% improvement in enrolment rates for girls
  • 95% improvement in retention for girls
  • 10% improvement in completion rates for girls
  • 10% improvement in transition rates for girls
  • 60% reduction in school girl pregnancy rates
  • 100% of girls in school committees and other leadership roles

Girls are:

  • Confident
  • Able to speak out
  • Able to solve problems autonomously

“I want to study peace studies and human rights because of my experience: the fact that women and girls are victims of violence and their rights are suppressed. I want to be in a position to change things for them. At the age 9 I was a victim of early forced marriage. My parents were poor and illiterate and their only option was to give me away in marriage. My sister was supposed to get married before me but she refused. Dowry had already been paid for her (she was about 11) and once dowry has been paid, it cannot be returned. So my father decided I should get married in her place. My sister and I decided to run away from home. Our neighbour was a student at AIC Kajiado and told us about the rescue programme there. I have a dream – I want to go Harvard for my Masters. It’s associated with great achievers and I want to achieve. But I have my community in my mind. When you go and see the light, you have to go back and spread the light. Learned people have to go back and be part of the change.”

Faith Nenkai Meitiaki
20 years
Former AIC Girls’ Kajiado student

“I remember very clearly the night of 22nd November 2006. I was 12 years old. I was staying with my aunt because there was no school near my parents’ home. My mother called my aunt and informed her that I was to be taken home the next day. I was to be circumcised and married off. This was in exchange for three horned bulls. The only thing my aunt said was, ‘Pack your belongings, tomorrow your parents are coming to take you.’ It was my cousin who told me what was happening. I asked her to help me. The following morning, I woke up at dawn. My cousin gave me 250 shillings and directions to AIC Girls’ Kajiado. I am now working hard to be a lawyer to defend other girls who are forced into these hard cultural practices like FGM and those who cannot say ‘No’ to early marriage.”

Mercy Naserian
15 years
AIC Girls’ Kajiado