Episode 8: The Power to Become with Alice Naini

Guest Student Alice Naini

Alice Naini is one of Daraja Academy’s brilliant students. She grew up with her grandparents in Kenya, with often not enough resources to provide food and basic clothing as a kid, but this didn’t stop her from mustering the courage to pursue her dream of education. 

Now Alice actively leads her life as a college graduate from San Jose University with a major in mathematics, using her skills to teach math in highschool but also to head up multiple humanitarian programs, teaching students in her village the WISH program and helping local students gain skills for the real world. Today, Alice will tell us how she overcame the many mental and physical obstacles to become who she always wanted to be, and shares how that all began with a school named Daraja. 

In this episode you will learn:

What a young Kenyan girl’s daily chores and expectations are in the village and homeThe WISH program’s invaluable impact on the integrity and confidence of a young teenHow a shy Kenyan girl became head prefect of an academy

About Daraja Academy and the Podcast:

Jason and Jenni Doherty are the founders of Daraja Academy and parents to 115 current students and many alumni. Jenni comes from a family of eight children and is the first woman in her family to go to university. Jason comes from a family of five, and his passion is education.

When Jason and Jenni Doherty – educators from the Bay Area – visited Kenya in 2006, they were struck by the degree that gender determined opportunity. For families living in deep poverty, access to education was already limited, but sons were still far more likely to attend secondary school than daughters. Girls were being left behind. Thus, they started Daraja Academy.

Daraja Academy is a boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but without the means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare, and counseling services so students may focus on their academic and personal potential without the everyday barriers they would otherwise face. 

Their groundbreaking educational model has generated a community of students filled with intellectual curiosity and a hunger to learn. Through this podcast, we get to know the stories of the girls of Daraja, Daraja Academy, and all the incredible people that support and strengthen Daraja.

Connect with Daraja Means Bridge:

Website:https://www.daraja-academy.org/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/daraja-academy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-doherty-baa9735a/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DarajaAcademy

Twitter:https://twitter.com/darajaacademy

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/darajaacademy/

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQiWAdnakahyCnRlvWzoSA

Email:[email protected]

Be her bridge! Donate to girls' education in Kenya:

https://www.daraja-academy.org/donate/