Our Impact
Empowering girls through education since 2008
Since 2008, we’ve been empowering girls in Kenya with access to the education they need to change the trajectory of their lives. Our vision is for every One Girl Can graduate to earn a meaningful living, so she can break the cycle of poverty and gender inequality, change her future, and live her potential.
In Kenya, high school is often unaffordable for families in poverty. So, girls go to school when their parents can afford it and stay home when they can’t. Keeping girls in school can literally change their future.
We Educate
Education opens doors to opportunity, but in Kenya, those opportunities aren’t just jobs: The World Bank estimates that universal secondary education for girls could virtually eliminate child marriage and reduce the risk of teen motherhood by up to 75%.* So, our work begins with keeping girls in school.
*worldbank.org: Missed Opportunities: The High Cost of Not Educating Girls
900+
High School Scholarships Awarded
500+
University Scholarships Awarded
130+
Schools Renovated and Built
In Kenya, one year of high school costs $600—more than half a household’s annual income. To lessen the financial burden of education on families, we fund high school scholarships, keeping girls in school and the doors to post-secondary opportunities open.
High school graduates can apply for university scholarships to continue their education and expand their opportunities. Our university scholarships include not just tuition, but room and board, a monthly stipend, laptop, and attendance at our leadership conference in Nairobi.
We partner with high schools across Kenya to deliver education and programming to scholarship recipients. When needed, we renovate our partner facilities—or build new facilities—to increase access to safe schools in rural Kenya, where education for girls is limited.
In her Words
“My sponsor’s belief in the power of education and willingness to invest in my future has left an indelible mark on my life. Thanks to their generosity, I was able to access resources, opportunities, and experiences I could have only dreamed of otherwise.”
Faith Kaswii
One Girl Can Graduate & Technical Machine Operator
WE TRAIN
Education isn’t enough—our vision is for every One Girl Can graduate to earn a meaningful living after she graduates. To prepare our girls for employment, we train them: From internship and job readiness training to our leadership conference, we empower them with the workplace skills they need to succeed.
1,675+
Students Trained
University students in Kenya participate in program-specific internships, empowering them with real-world work experience. To prepare them for their internships and workplace success, we provide internship training to our university students every year.
In Kenya, women with post-secondary education are more than twice as likely to be employed as women without any education.* To prepare them for employment and workplace success, we provide every One Girl Can graduate with practical job readiness training.
We host a leadership conference in Nairobi for our third- and fourth-year university students. Led by successful Kenyan businesswomen, the conference empowers students to become more employable, from resume writing to interviewing.
In her Words
“As One Girl Can’s motto says, ‘We educate, we train, we mentor,’ and I can confidently say I’ve experienced all of this. I’m now the Clinical Officer I once dreamt of and possess great skills compared to my peers, which has helped me navigate the job market.”
Felistas Nduku
One Girl Can Graduate & Clinical Officer
We Mentor
Mentorship bridges the gap between classroom and career, supporting young women in the transition from learning to earning. Beginning in high school and progressing with girls through their university education, our mentorship programs build connections and confidence in their career paths.
35,250+
Girls Mentored
In each year of high school, we deliver a series of workshops to every girl in the year, not just our scholarship recipients. The Empower Me workshop series progresses with girls from year to year, guiding them in how to envision their future—and achieve it with a practical plan.
Education opens the door to opportunity, but without career connections or guidance, next steps can feel uncertain. Leveraging a global network of successful businesswomen, we match university graduates with a mentor for six months of meaningful, one-on-one mentorship.
I Learn From Her is a weekend conference to inspire university graduates in the transition from classroom to career. With success stories from fellow graduates, keynote speakers, a career fair, and gala, we celebrate our graduates—and prepare them for the real world.
In her Words
“Just as I was once mentored, it’s now my turn to give back to the community, all thanks to the incredible support from the One Girl Can community. Women’s empowerment and youth advocacy aren’t just passions for me—they’re my mission.”
Pamela Karimi
One Girl Can Graduate & Medical Representative
Stories
Field Notes from Kenya
