Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya meeting with the community elders
Lee-Ann Olwage
The indigenous Maasai are one of Kenya’s most marginalized communities. The majority of Maasai girls undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) and are married before the age of 19.
Founded in 2008 by Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya, Kakenya’s Dream began as a single school serving 30 vulnerable Maasai girls. Today, Kakenya’s Dream has evolved into a comprehensive, community-driven model that addresses the interconnected barriers preventing girls and women from reaching their full potential. Their work now spans four pillars: Education, Health and Well-Being, Economic Opportunity, and Climate Resilience, reaching more than 40,000 people annually. The evolution has been driven by what Kakenya’s Dream has learned from the communities they serve.
Dr. Ntaiya grew up in the Maasai community. After surviving FGM, escaping child marriage, and negotiating with her father and village elders to stay in school, she became the first woman from her village to attend university in the United States. She went on to receive a PhD in education and returned home, determined to provide a pathway to education and empowerment for every girl in her community and beyond.
Our partnership with Kakenya’s Dream is made possible by generous Population Connection donors who give to our Global Partners program. Want to learn more? Check out this inspiring video:
“Once marriage has been arranged (for me, that was at just five years old) and we have undergone FGM, our schooling ends because we’re expected to start families and become homemakers. Education for girls was only seen as a tool to socialize us for marriage. Without a formal education, professional development opportunities, and the resources and support to pursue these things, this path often locks girls and women into lifelong poverty. I knew that a different, more empowered life, free from forced marriage, FGM, and poverty was possible for girls and women in my community, and it became my dream to make it a reality. And so, Kakenya’s Dream was born.”
– Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya
Photo: Kakenya’s Dream pioneer class of college graduates. © Kakenya’s Dream
The Kakenya Centers for Excellence, two full-support girls’ boarding schools, provide high-quality education to the most vulnerable girls in rural Kenya. When students graduate from these, they enter the Network for Excellence program, which supports them as they make the critical transition to secondary school (high school) and tertiary education (college/university).
Kakenya’s Dream also provides its students, as well as boys and girls in partner schools across rural Kenya, with comprehensive sex education, information about the dangers of FGM and child marriage, knowledge of their legal rights, and life skills training.
Photo: Students enjoying a break from classes. © Kakenya’s Dream
In the region Kakenya’s Dream serves, only 58% of women complete primary school, 24% finish high school, and 13% transition to tertiary education. In contrast, 100% of Kakenya’s Dream primary students transition to secondary school, 100% graduate from high school, and 93% of high schoolers go on to tertiary education—all while remaining free from FGM and child marriage.
Their integrated community programs are also helping transform how girls are valued and supported. Nearly 36,000 boys and girls have gained critical knowledge about their sexual and reproductive health and rights, while community dialogues have engaged more than 25,000 people and encouraged fathers to support their daughters’ education, elders to challenge harmful practices, and women to seek care after years of silence. In communities with significant program exposure, nearly 70% of residents now believe girls should decide when and whom to marry, compared with fewer than half in communities not yet reached. This progress is reinforced by the Kakenya Health and Wellness Center, which has provided youth-friendly care to more than 20,000 patients, including survivors of FGM and gender-based violence.
Virtual Events with Kakenya’s Dream
We celebrated International Day of the Girl with our Global Partners in East Africa! Our partners, Kakenya’s Dream and Girl Up Initiative, work to empower women and girls in their communities. Their work addresses longstanding gender inequalities by improving young girls’ access to education and healthcare services.
Through our Global Partners program, Population Connection supports a growing number of grassroots organizations around the world working to increase access to education, public health and family planning services. Their…
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