Loropio girls senior high school
Helping girls in Turkana, Kenya, access quality secondary education and digital skills
Turkana is the Kenyan district with the highest level of poverty: 95% of its population lives on less than $1 a day. The region’s challenges, including low-productivity agriculture, a high disease burden, lacking education system and high transport costs, render local communities vulnerable to persistent poverty. Girls are particularly disadvantaged by unequal gender norms: in 2017, just 23.7% of girls were enrolled in secondary school in Turkana, compared with 40.8% of boys
In response to these challenges, Loropio Girls Senior High School aims to bring a new model of secondary education to girls in the region. It will be the first fully digital girl school in Northern Kenya, with every desk and classroom equipped with a networked computer and a large variety of extracurricular activities focused on I.T. skills.
The first cohort of 140 girls started at the school in January 2024. The school operates as a public-private partnership with the Kenyan Ministry of Education, using the full Kenyan curriculum but modifying the teaching approach with technology to create a paperless and more interactive system.
105 of the girls, chosen based on economic need and academic merit, were offered scholarships, with the girls’ families contributing 10% of the scholarship costs, the Kenyan government 27-31% (increasing year-on-year) and the rest covered by BTG.
The school's extra curriculum focuses on a wide range of subjects, including computer science, basics in coding, graphic design, and entrepreneurship. By integrating digital skills into traditional academic disciplines, the school ensures that girls receive a well-rounded education that prepares them for the future job market. In addition to technical skills, the school places great emphasis on leadership development. It offers mentorship programs, workshops, and extracurricular activities that foster self-confidence, communication skills, and critical thinking abilities. The school’s goal is to form a generation of skilled young women who can break barriers, achieve their dreams, and contribute to the progress of their community and beyond.
Key facts
MAIN GOALS
Support girls from underprivileged families to complete upper secondary education in dignified and stable conditions;
Equip students with I.T. skills to help them access employment opportunity in the digital economy;
Achieve 80% graduation rate, compared to <40% average in Turkana.
MAIN SELECTION CRITERIA:
Economic Need: the scholarship targets those who face significant economic challenges and lack the means to afford educational expenses.
Refugee Status: at least 20% of the scholarship recipients will be reserved for girls who are recognized refugees in Kukuma camp. Wakanda aims to provide a nurturing space for refugee girls to pursue their education and rebuild their lives.
Academic Performance: while the scholarship program prioritizes vulnerable girls, it also seeks to support those with promising academic potential. Applicants should demonstrate a high level of commitment to their studies and show promise in their academic achievements, based on previous academic records and assessments conducted during the selection process.
