Starehe Eighteen kilometres north of Nairobi’s city centre, in a rural pocket of Bustani Estate, young women of exceptional academic promise arrive at Starehe Girls Centre carrying both brilliance and burden. They come from economically fragile families – many from single-parent households, some total orphans – where poverty, food insecurity, and limited opportunity have long shaped daily life.
At Starehe, these students receive more than an education. They are given stability, nourishment, mentorship, and the restoration of self-confidence often wounded by earlier hardship. They graduate not only with academic excellence but with renewed dignity and leadership capacity.
Yet a new barrier emerges after secondary school. Rising university tuition fees and limited access to government-sponsored loans place many graduates at immediate risk of deferring or abandoning their post-secondary education. To bridge the gap, some take on physically demanding casual labour – housekeeping, market work, construction assistance – while attempting to keep pace with demanding academic schedules. The result is exhaustion, declining performance, and deep discouragement.
The SheLearns Human Development Program was designed to interrupt that pattern. Its vision is clear: young women who complete their education on time, enter the workforce confidently, support their families, and transform their communities. The goal is not temporary relief, but generational change – families no longer defined by vulnerability, but by vocation and leadership.
This six-month Impact Update reflects targeted tuition stabilization support for graduates currently enrolled in universities, colleges, and technical institutions across Kenya.
Through your partnership:
- 36 students received tuition support
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- 32 sponsored
- 4 non-sponsored
- 50,000 KES was applied toward each student’s outstanding fee balance
- 100% of funds were transferred directly to educational institutions
- All supported students remained enrolled during the funding period
This intervention directly reduced dropout and deferment risks caused by fee arrears. By covering tuition exclusively, the program ensured that students could focus on their studies rather than survival employment.
Starehe Site has maintained a Very Low Risk rating in Finance and Operations over the past three quarters, affirming strong governance and transparent stewardship.
Beyond tuition clearance, this initiative strengthens the community’s social infrastructure. Higher post-secondary retention increases long-term employability, professional certification, and household earning potential. Education becomes a stabilizing force not only for individuals, but for entire family systems.
Chalice’s human development approach recognizes a profound truth: empowering one young woman reshapes an entire network of relationships.
When a daughter graduates:
- Household income potential rises.
- Younger siblings are more likely to remain in school.
- Families invest more consistently in food, shelter, and healthcare.
- Communities witness visible examples of female leadership.
This is the multiplier effect in action.
The SheLearns intervention breaks the cycle of poverty at a critical transition point—between secondary success and professional adulthood. Without tuition stabilization, years of prior sponsorship and formation could be compromised. With it, those years bear fruit.
This is solidarity lived practically. It is stewardship exercised wisely. It affirms that each student’s dignity and potential are worthy of protection.
Sr. Jane Soita, Site Director, shares:
“One of our graduates, a young woman who lost both parents, had begun working before dawn each day to raise tuition. She attended lectures physically drained and emotionally discouraged. She feared she would need to defer.
When we informed her that her tuition balance would be reduced through donor support, she said quietly, ‘Now I can study with peace.’ Within weeks, her concentration and confidence returned.
This support did not simply pay fees—it restored hope.”
Her experience reflects that of many others. Financial strain often erodes academic performance and mental health. When tuition pressure is lifted, dignity is restored. Students return to learning with focus and renewed belief in their future.
Program Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Program Code: HDP- KSG0825
Budget in Canadian Funds: $22,632.83 CAD
DONATEPlease note that any donations that exceed the request will be used to fund other community projects that may arise.