Daraja Blog Post Two

We made it to Daraja on Monday afternoon after spending time at Twala! We were greeted by the founders of Daraja, Jenni and Jason, as well as the amazing staff. The buses arrived a few hours later and Jason led us in a song to welcome the girls to their new school building. We got to see them reunite with their friends and teachers and experience the emotions that come with seeing their Daraja family again. That afternoon was spent meeting all of the girls and creating friendships with the girls that we were assigned to shadow for the week, Eva, Aquila, and Cynthia! 

The first full day with the girls we toured the new campus, and got to see their faces light up as they saw each new building. The next morning we joined the girls as they watched The Biggest Little Farm, a movie about sustainable agriculture, and then we had a conversation about the ways in which they wanted to apply the things learned in the movie to the school’s future farm.  (Daraja had a farm and livestock at the old campus.  It’s part of their mission of leadership and sustainability.)  Later that day, we got to experience their current way of exercising with no field or track due to ongoing construction, and joined the girls while they ran along the gravel road just outside the school gates.  On Thursday, we practiced meditation, led by Jason, and learned that it is going to become one of their daily practices.  We also got an introduction to their Project Based Learning. In the future each grade is hoping to complete a hands-on project to better their school and the local towns and villages. Form 2 (grade 10) talked about the ways in which baking bread can be sustainable for Daraja, and also a way to help neighboring communities. Form 3 discussed what vegetables and fruits they would plant as a class to improve their farm, and to use in future meals. Form 4 was working on forming an essential question to guide their efforts in organic soap making, in hopes of creating a product that is eco-friendly and cost effective. After that, we went along with a Form 4 Daraja girl, Sofia, to visit her home near the Daraja campus to get a better sense of the living situations and family dynamics of Daraja girls. We were unsure what to expect going into the home visit, but we came out with a better understanding of the way Daraja impacts young women as well as their families and communities. 

In the coming days we will continue spending time with the girls, explore the town of Nanyuki, and visit different schools in the area to deepen our understanding of education in Kenya! 

Here are some of our individual highlights from Daraja so far:

One of my personal highlights so far has been learning about the W.I.S.H. program at Daraja. W.I.S.H. stands for Women of Integrity, Strength, and Hope, and is a class here at Daraja where the girls are able to learn about female empowerment, leadership, sex ed, and how to use their voices to better their communities and life beyond school at Daraja! 

One of my highlights here at Daraja has been spending time with Cynthia’s family group, getting to create close friendships with other Daraja girls and teachers! For every breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the girls meet up with their family groups to eat and talk with one another. The Daraja family groups consist of at least one girl from each form (grade), and 2 faculty/staff members. The family groups have created such deep connections to the point where they call each other sister, mother, and auntie, and this is something that has been so fun for us to be a part of. 

So far, one of my many highlights has been spending time with the girls and hearing them sing, and chant the Daraja anthem. It has been so rewarding to witness the various ways in which Daraja fosters community through songs in Swahili and English. In the school anthem, the girls express the meaning of Daraja and how they are the future of Daraja and Kenya. As we continue to spend more time with the girls, I am looking forward to hearing more singing and learning the Swahili song, Jambo Bwana!

Click here for blog post three.