Flying Kites

Please help Flying Kites raise $50,000 for Girls United, an innovative extra-curricular program which addresses barriers to education for girls in rural Kenya.

Flying Kites operates an education hub in rural Kenya and partners with under-resourced schools to improve student outcomes and build a more equitable world. Girls in rural Kenya continue to face systemic barriers to education and are at a significant risk for dropping out of school due to early pregnancy and gender-based violence. Without resources and services which address these problems, girls in rural Kenya are vulnerable at a critical point of their lives.

Flying Kites empowers girls through educational programs, trains teachers, and supports under-resourced primary schools by investing in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene infrastructure (WASH) and school lunches. The organization was founded on the idea that education is a path out of poverty and aims to position girls and young women as agents of change for themselves and their communities.

This project supports Flying Kite’s “Girls United Clubs.” Girls United Clubs (GU) are extracurricular programs led by female teachers across rural Kenya which focus on Guidance, Information, Resources, Leadership, and Skill-Building (G-I-R-L-S). Girls United Clubs were launched to address the biggest barriers to learning for girls and are framed by a curriculum contextualized for girls' lived experiences. Ages 10-16 are pivotal years for a girl in rural Kenya, not only for her academic career, but also for how she will think about her body, agency, rights, and place in the world. The program curriculum is designed to equip adolescent girls with the knowledge they need to make healthy and informed choices about their bodies, their education, and their future. The objectives of the curriculum are:

1. Development of knowledge & skills in core curricular focus areas

2. Access to assets & resources

3. Demonstration of bodily integrity

4. Demonstration of increased self-efficacy and agency

5. Development of leadership skills

Girls who previously participated in the Girls United Clubs demonstrated improved confidence about menstrual health management, decision-making related to sexual and reproductive health, and identifying gender-based violence. 94% of surveyed GU girls reported that they could manage their periods and that “girls should always try to attend school, even during their period,” a significant increase from just 48% of girls at baseline. 80% of girls in Girls United Clubs reported feeling confident responding to instances of GBV, an increase from 30% of girls who reported feeling confident responding to GBV prior to joining GU.

One 16-year old participant stated, “Before [GU] I did not know I was allowed to tell someone about being abused and that it is not a fault of my own. I learned some strategies to protect myself now, and I must help other girls to report being abused.”

Another 15-year old student reported, “After learning more about [SRH and] pregnancy at GU, I set a goal to wait until I’m older to have a sexual relationship. When my boyfriend pressured me, I found the words to tell him no.”

With your support, Flying Kites aims to reach over four thousand girls and thirty-thousand community members. By funding this project to scale teacher-led Girls United Clubs, your support will enable girls to thrive in school and transform their communities for the better.

Instagram

Facebook

Vimeo

This project is supported by the Girls Opportunity Alliance .

Your donation to benefit this campaign/project will be allocated to the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund (“GOA Fund”), a project of GoFundMe.org (a U.S. public charity). The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund may grant a refund in limited circumstances at its sole and absolute discretion, however, donations are not refundable after the GoFundMe payment platform has transferred your donation to the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund. Transfers from GoFundMe to Girls Opportunity Alliance fund typically occur once monthly. All donations are subject to the variance power of GoFundMe.org, as stated in the applicable GoFundMe.org policies (https://www.gofundme.org/policies/). Subject to applicable law, donations may be tax-deductible.

The GOA Fund is restricted to supporting girls' education and your donation is made for the support of the above described project. Notwithstanding that the campaign description may name a specific organization that is anticipated to engage in the projects, GoFundMe.org retains variance power, that is, discretion and control over how funds are disbursed within the purposes of the GOA Fund generally, and within the purpose of the project specifically. For example, if the project does not reach its minimum fundraising goal, GoFundMe.org may re-assign money raised to another campaign within the GOA Fund.

As of April 11, 2019, the Direct Impact Fund operates as GoFundMe.org.