When Zarika, a 14-year-old girl from Kibera, walks into her classroom, she carries more than just books. She carries the weight of growing up in one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, where access to quality education is often scarce, and opportunities are hard-won. Despite these challenges, Zarika has emerged with resilience, aspiration and impressive leadership skills, fostered in part through her participation in Sunflower Trust’s and Girl Rising’s programs. Her determination to excel academically, coupled with her enthusiasm for science has ignited her desire for a career in STEM, breaking barriers for herself and her community.
Last week, Zarika stood confidently with Girl Rising Kenya Program Manager Debbie Odenyi in front of a room full of education leaders, nonprofit partners, and representatives from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) at Girl Rising’s event celebrating the KICD’s endorsement of RISE, Girl Rising’s life skills and gender rights education curriculum.
Zarika shared her journey, saying, “When I joined Sunflower Trust in grade five, I couldn’t read and was very shy. After attending Girl Rising sessions at Sunflower, I am now in junior high school, confident, able to read, and aspiring to become a lawyer.”
Girl Rising has achieved a significant breakthrough with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development’s endorsement, marking the beginning of a new chapter for growth and impact. With this approval we can bring our research-proven curriculum to far more students like Zarika students, equipping them with skills and support systems to navigate their futures.
RISE, rooted in storytelling, helps students explore complex topics, discover new ideas, and build critical skills. It teaches them about their rights, the importance of equity, and how to recognize and rely on allies in their lives. Through its lessons, students develop social-emotional and leadership skills, so that they can become agents of change. It also encourages them to examine gender norms and actively address the biases that hold girls back, fostering a generation committed to building a more equitable future.
According to Debbie, “This accreditation is a game-changer. It ensures that more children, both girls and boys, stay in school and develop the agency to set and achieve their goals. With over 10 million children enrolled in Kenya’s primary schools, this program has the potential to transform lives on an incredible scale.”
The curriculum’s implementation, which began in January, will be led by a coalition of 11 nonprofit partners, including Sunflower Trust, Big Picture Learning Kenya, and Drawing Dreams Initiative. At the launch event in Nairobi, key stakeholders, including government officials, educators, and community leaders, came together to celebrate this achievement.
"This landmark moment opens up a tremendous opportunity for young people to develop new and vital skills, and to challenge some of the biases that hold them back,” says Girl Rising President Nidhi Shukla, “The ability to scale RISE Kenya sets a positive trajectory for transformative change, not only within the nation but also as a model for advancing global education and gender equity. With this validation from the Kenyan government, we are one step closer to our vision of a world where all children can learn, rise and thrive."
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