#StrongWomenWednesday: Kakenya Ntaiya

Photo credit: Phillip Andrew Scott, National Geographic Creative
A motivated scholar through and through, Kakenya went on to earn a Doctorate degree in Education from the University of Pittsburgh after her studies at Randolph-Macon. Afterward and staying true to her word, she founded Kakenya’s Dream to “educate girls, end harmful traditional practices, and uplift her community.” Following the success of her first endeavor, Kakenya established the Kakenya Center for Excellence (KCE) boarding school, which first opened in 2009 with a class of 30 girls. The school requires that parents agree not to subject their enrolled daughters to forced marriages or to the terrible practice of female genital mutilation (a “rite of passage” tradition in many cultures around the world, unfortunately). Today, through KCE and other outreach programs, Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya supports thousands of girls each year by providing and encouraging education, creativity, safety, community and parent engagement, health, Maasai cultural awareness, and empowerment. Beyond empowering girls themselves, Kakenya has empowered parents and an entire community. In an article for National Geographic, she says, “Parents now see that their girls have another future—to have different lives than them, to have good jobs, and a way out of poverty.”
Kakenya’s story is truly inspirational from the beginning to today, and we’re certain that she’s not finished yet! To read more about Kakenya’s work, find out about her foundation and her accolades, and to read about some of the Girls Empowered who attend KCE, check out this website.
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