Center of Worth

  • P Project/Program

A Active

Key Information

WomenOne has established a center-based program to support the education and empowerment of at-risk children, especially adolescent girls, in Nanyuki, Kenya. The development of this program, the Center of Worth (CoW), was informed by previous WomenOne research and contextualized with input from our local partners. Two primary offerings of the CoW include: (1) social-emotional and academic counseling opportunities, and (2) life-skills and voc /tech education modules delivered to students during their academic breaks.

WomenOne will pilot a 14-month center-based program to support the education and empowerment of approximately 150 at-risk adolescent girls in Nanyuki, Kenya. This center will be called the Center of Worth (CoW), the development of which will be informed by previous WomenOne research and contextualized with input from local partners. 

The 2 primary offerings of the CoW will include: (1) after-school tutoring and counseling opportunities, and 2) life-skills and vocational education modules delivered to students during their academic breaks.

Why focus on breaks? Two high-risk populations, street kids and adolescent girls, need extra supports to keep them on-track for personal and professional empowerment. Kenyan schools are unable to meet these needs with their limited resources. In non-school hours and during the 3 months of mandatory breaks in the Kenyan academic calendar,these students become particularly vulnerable. They have no safe space where they can study and they lack positive peer or adult influences. They become particularly susceptible to early pregnancy, forced marriage, substance abuse and illegal activity.


Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Kenya

Government Affiliation

Non-governmental program

Years

2015 - 2030

Partner(s)

The Simama Project, George Washington University, the Karibu Center in Thika, Kenya

Ministry Affiliation

Unknown

Funder(s)

Not applicable or unknown

COVID-19 Response

Unknown

Geographic Scope

Sub-national

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Other

  • Early childhood development
  • Other

Other skills

  • Life skills/sexuality education
  • Social and emotional learning
  • Vocational training

Skills

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Other academic performance-related

Cross-cutting areas

  • Adolescent pregnancy/childbearing
  • Digital literacy
  • Early/child marriage
  • Empowerment
  • Other aspects of sexual and reproductive health

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Girls (both in school and out of school), Youth

Age

10 - 19

School Enrolment Status

Some in school

School Level

  • Lower primary
  • Upper primary
  • Lower secondary
  • Upper secondary
  • Vocational

Other populations reached

  • Fathers
  • Mothers
  • Other community members - female
  • Other community members - male

Participants include

  • Adolescent mothers (pregnant or parenting)
  • Homeless/street children
  • Orphans and vulnerable children

Program Approaches Back to Top

Access to school

  • Alternative learning centers/mobile schools/home schools

Community engagement/advocacy/sensitization

  • General awareness-raising/community engagement

Educational Technology

  • Digital skills/literacy (including coding)

Health and childcare services

  • HIV treatment and care

Learning while working

  • Vocational training

Life skills education

  • Sexual and reproductive health (including puberty education)
  • Social and emotional learning (SEL) skills building

Reducing economic barriers

  • Financial literacy training

Social/gender norms change

  • Engaging parents/caregivers of students or school-age children/adolescents
  • Group activities with students or school-age children/adolescents

Women's empowerment programs

  • Self-help groups (non-financial)

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Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Improved academic skills (literacy and numeracy)
  • Increased years of schooling

Cross-cutting goals

  • Improved maternal, newborn, and/or child health (MNCH)
  • Reduced adolescent pregnancy/childbearing
  • Reduced child marriage