FALL 2023 UPDATE FROM THE FIELD

 A SECOND DAY SCHOOL COMPLETED IN KENYA!

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
- Dr. Jane Goodall

In August, we were able to celebrate the completion of a second high school in Kenya, this time in the village of Olmesutie. These schools are built through 50-50% partnerships with existing primary schools and local communities: The community sets a goal to collectively fundraise for, and then we match their efforts 100%, offering additional support to communities experiencing extra hardships. We remain mindful, every day, that our ability to support these schools – and do all our work in Kenya – is only possible thanks to the generosity of countless people who decide to make a difference in the lives of a lot of hopeful girls across the world. A handful of people whose support was especially critical to Olmesutie's new classrooms were able to join us for the school's opening day celebration; you can read more about that beautiful school dedication day here. Our third partner community, Enairebuk, also broke ground on their new school and has now nearly completed two classrooms!

NAIKARRA: WE ARE EXPANDING – PLUS, A WEDDING!

In August we were also able to join in the joyful wedding celebration of our Intern Coordinator, Christine Mpoe, to her childhood friend, Joseph Shura. Christine is originally from the Naikarra region, which borders the Loita Hills, and returned there with Joseph after their marriage. Naikarra is also the region where we began to expand our programs to earlier this year. Christine's own incredible journey as a child there affords her deep insight into the profound challenges that girls face in this region, and she will be well situated to guide our needs assessment there and train and onboard new Team Angaza interns.

PARTNERS IN CONSERVATION AND GIRLS' EDUCATION

Founder Kayce Anderson was once again able to attend the Women in Nature Network (WINN)'s annual conference, which took place in Nairobi this year. The awareness of the ways that women and girls' involvement in conservation is vital to creating real, equitable and lasting solutions to our world's most pressing challenges is growing among conservation organizations around the world. We were incredibly grateful and humbled to have several women from the conference join us on our August trip to Kenya. Learn more about the vital work that some of these women and indigenous conservationists are doing and why investing in girls is a vital conservation solution through organizations like Daughters For Earth, Rewild, and The Nature Conservancy.

AND FINALLY, ONE MORE ORGANIZATION FOR GOOD (AND A GOOD READ....)

Recently we were introduced to the powerful work that Together Women Rise is doing to achieve global gender equity. Comprised of hundreds of chapters across the U.S., Rise members meet monthly to potluck and learn more about gender equity issues. Their collective efforts are also making a big difference for women and girls around the world through the grants they offer to different organizations working to empower women and girls in low-income countries. Find a chapter near you – or start one! – if you're interested in creating meaningful connections with others who are also passionate about global gender issues. Their fall "Big Read" book is Maasai activist Nice L'engete's powerful memoir The Girls in the Wild Fig Tree, which is a poignant, ultimately hopeful story that shares the challenges and life experiences of countless young Maasai and Muslim girls we work with in Kenya.