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In Kenya, 19.1 million people  live below the poverty line, with urban poverty rates hitting in informal settlements such as Kibera, Africa’s largest slum. Approximately 200,000  people call Kibera home, with thousands of children living in households earning less than KES 5,000 to 10,000 per month. These children face significant challenges in accessing quality education, which remains their primary pathway out of poverty. Yet, the barriers to achieving this are immense, from overcrowded classrooms to underqualified and underpaid teachers, to the lack of parental engagement. Understanding and addressing these barriers is central to unlocking real change—not only in Kibera but in marginalized urban communities worldwide. Education remains one of the most powerful tools for improving the socioeconomic trajectory of families in Kibera. However, the education system in Kenya has shifted from a community-driven approach, where parents and the broader society played an active role, to a more formalized system where classrooms and teachers are viewed as the sole providers of knowledge. At Metis, we recognize the critical importance of restoring this shared responsibility. To that end, we recently brought together local education leaders—educators, NGO heads, and community organizers—working in Kibera. Our objective was to discuss the challenges they face and explore collective solutions. These conversations were dynamic. By fostering collaboration and exchanging ideas, these leaders are not only identifying practical, actionable pathways to improving education in Kibera but also changing the narrative for their communities. Here are some of the key insights from this meeting: Challenges Faced by Educators One of the central issues is the quality and capacity of teachers in low-income areas like Kibera. While pay for teachers in public schools is very standardized, these schools can only uptake some of the kids in Kibera. Currently, Olympic Primary School  has over 5000 students, with each class holding up to 100 learners. To mitigate this, local leaders have come in to build private and community schools. Many children in Kibera attend low-cost private schools, often run by local leaders or community groups. However, these schools are largely unregulated, and teachers are poorly compensated—sometimes earning as little as KES 5,000 a month. The disparities between teachers in different schools—some earning up to KES 60,000—create vast differences in motivation and quality of education delivered. Despite the introduction of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in Kenya, many teachers in Kibera still lack the qualifications and professional development required to implement it effectively. Many of these teachers are high school graduates who scored low grades in their KCPE exams and have no training in how to teach. With a national and global teacher shortage, slums are often more marginalized in the number and quality of teachers they get. This highlights the need for targeted interventions to build teacher capacity. Professional development programs, tailored to the unique challenges teachers face in urban informal settlements, are crucial. These programs should focus on pedagogical skills, classroom management, and student engagement, with additional support from structured mentorship and coaching provided by school leaders. Strengthening low-fee-paying schools, which serve a significant portion of Kibera’s children, is vital to improving access to quality education. One key strategy is offering professional development during school holidays, addressing specific gaps identified through a participatory process involving teachers. By empowering teachers with the right skills, schools can foster a more effective learning environment. In addition to enhancing teacher capacity, school leadership—headteachers and deputies—must be equipped to offer ongoing support. Their involvement in structured mentorship ensures that teachers can apply newly acquired skills effectively. Collaborating with government bodies to ensure that schools meet policy standards is equally important. This can only be achieved through stronger partnerships and a mindset shift that values the contributions of low-cost schools to the broader education system. Moreover, teachers in these settings often assume roles beyond the classroom—acting as caregivers and counselors—due to limited parental involvement. This exacerbates the pressures on educators and further underscores the need for greater parental engagement in children's education. Addressing this issue will not only relieve teachers but also create a more holistic support system for learners. Parental Engagement: The Missing Link Over the years, a major shift in parental involvement has taken place. Historically, parents, elders, and community members were deeply involved in children’s education outside the classroom—engaging them through storytelling, sharing knowledge, and nurturing moral and social development. Today, however, many parents in Kibera, overwhelmed by the demands of survival, have transferred their educational responsibilities entirely to schools. This leaves teachers not only responsible for academic instruction but also for addressing the emotional and social needs of their students. Research consistently shows that parental engagement plays a pivotal role in children’s academic success. For example, a recent study by USAWA found that children whose mothers have tertiary education are 68% more likely to excel in English and 47% more likely in numeracy than children whose mothers have only primary education. In Kibera, however, many households are led by single parents or guardians with limited education and resources. Despite these challenges, these parents can still play a valuable role in their children’s education if given the right support. Without such engagement, children miss the reinforcement of learning at home, and teachers are left to shoulder the entire responsibility. To address this, community-based programs are essential to raise awareness among parents about the significance of their involvement and to equip them with practical tools to support their children’s education. Initiatives such as workshops, home-school collaborations, and community-led activities can foster a culture of learning that extends beyond the classroom. Parental engagement is also crucial in addressing deeper issues like child abuse and fostering learner well-being. With 56% of children in Kibera exposed to abuse and 50% of young adults  in Kenya reporting some form of abuse, the home becomes a critical space for intervention. Most cases of abuse occur at home, making it essential to educate parents on child protection and to actively involve them in their children’s holistic development. By empowering parents through community programs and workshops focused on safeguarding practices, they can create safer, more nurturing environments. This engagement will not only prevent abuse but also enhance collaboration between schools and families to address trauma and promote student well-being. Prioritizing parental involvement allows us to move from reacting to abuse to preventing it, ensuring every child has a safe, supportive environment to learn and grow. Freely In Hope  works actively in slums in Kenya to support schools and caregivers with child protection. Collaborating for Systemic Change Kibera has over 500  NGOs operating across various sectors, but the oversaturation of organizations, often working in silos, limits systemic change. The fragmentation of efforts leads to duplication rather than a unified approach to solving education challenges. To achieve meaningful, long-term impact, stakeholders must come together under a shared vision. NGOs, community leaders, and government agencies should align their efforts, pool resources, and leverage each other’s strengths to create cohesive and sustainable solutions. An example of successful collaboration is Dignitas, an education development organization that empowers schools in Nairobi’s informal settlements through leadership training and infrastructure support. They partner with different schools and organizations and drive a collective approach to their impact. This kind of partnership can play a vital role in bolstering local schools, but we must go further—encouraging local innovation, fostering resourcefulness, and reducing dependency on external aid. Resources vs. Resourcefulness Another significant barrier to quality education in Kibera is the lack of resources. Schools in low-income areas often lack basic supplies, and many households face food insecurity, which means that education sometimes takes a back seat to survival needs. Yet, true transformation will not come from relying on external donations alone. Communities must be empowered to solve their challenges creatively using the resources they have. For instance, schools could repurpose available spaces to create gardens, providing food for school meals and reducing the cost of education for families. This not only addresses an immediate need but also fosters self-sufficiency and resilience within the community. Partnerships with organizations that can provide essential supplies or training are still important, but local leaders must drive the solutions for sustainable change. The challenges facing education in Kibera are complex and multifaceted, but they are not insurmountable. Through collective action, innovative solutions, and a relentless focus on equity, we can transform education for children in informal settlements. The future of Kibera’s children should not be determined by the income bracket they were born into. Every child deserves access to quality education that equips them with the tools to break the cycle of poverty and build a better future. At Metis, we remain committed to driving this change, empowering local leaders, and fostering collaboration to create a brighter future for all. Contributed by: Mary Asiko, Geoffrey Ooko, Frederick Magige (Becky School), Francis Odhiambo (Chezacheza Dance Foundation), Duncan Masiru (Little Rock ECD), June Omune (Dignitas), Lydia Matioli (Freely in Hope), Victor Odhiambo (Garden Of Hope), Keith Obiero, and Muthoni Gakwa, Naftaly Muroki, Alvin Kiiru (Metis Collective). Becky School:   Mary Asiko  (Founder), Geoffrey Ooko (Teacher) and Frederick Magige (Teacher). Chezacheza Dance Foundation :  Francis Odhiambo  (Founder). Little Rock Inclusive ECD Centre : Dan Masiru  (Teacher). Dignitas Project:  June Omune  (Development Director). Freely in Hope Kenya:   Lydia Matioli  (Program & Partnerships Director). Garden of Hope : Victor Odhiambo  (Founder). Carolina for Kibera (CFK Africa) :Keith Obiero (Program Lead, Youth Leadership & Education). Metis Collective : Muthoni Gakwa  (Executive Director), Naftaly Muroki  (Senior Community & Advocacy Manager) and  Alvin Kiiru  (Alumni Consultant).

Written by Muthoni Gakwa — Executive Director, Metis Teachers and innovators at the Metis Teacher Conference on EdTech, August 22, 2024 This blog post represents the voices of 40 teachers from across Kenya—each representing a diverse range of perspectives, from rural areas with limited internet access to urban slums and well-resourced schools. Our goal was clear: to explore how to integrate both low-tech and high-tech interventions into classrooms while keeping the focus on meaningful learning outcomes. In our gathering, we didn’t just discuss tools and technologies. We delved into the broader implications of tech in education, exploring how it can empower teachers, foster inclusion, and ultimately, transform students' lives. Here’s what we learned, organized around key thematic areas. 1. Teacher Empowerment and Training Empowering teachers is foundational to the successful integration of technology in education. Continuous support and professional development ensure that teachers can confidently use tech to enhance learning outcomes, making it a seamless part of their teaching practice. Many educators arrived feeling unsure about their ability to integrate technology into their teaching. Through collaborative learning and hands-on training, they left the session with newfound confidence. This empowerment is not a one-time event—it requires continuous professional learning, equipping teachers to handle tech effectively and adapt to new tools as they emerge. 2. Inclusion and Accessibility Developing inclusive tech solutions is essential. These solutions must cater to students with different abilities and backgrounds, ensuring that technology bridges gaps and promotes equity in education rather than exacerbating existing disparities. One of the most pressing challenges discussed was ensuring that technology in education is inclusive and accessible to all students, regardless of their background or abilities. Whether from underserved rural areas or well-resourced urban schools, the teachers emphasized the need for tech solutions that cater to varying levels of access and special needs. 3. Policy and Governance Aligning educational policies with technological advancements creates a sustainable environment for tech integration. Clear governance and strong leadership are key to driving these changes and ensuring that technology enhances the curriculum and pedagogy. For technology to be effectively integrated into education, alignment with educational policies and governance structures is crucial. Our discussions highlighted the need for policies that support tech integration and curriculum harmonization. Leadership at all levels must understand and advocate for these changes to create a supportive environment for educators. 4. Pedagogy and Curriculum Development Technology should complement, not overshadow, pedagogy. It’s vital to ensure that digital content is aligned with educational goals and enhances the learning process, making education more relevant and engaging for students. Technology should not be an end in itself; it must support and enhance sound pedagogical practices. We explored how to digitize content in a way that remains relevant and accessible, ensuring that technology serves as a tool to enhance, not replace, effective teaching methods. 5. Infrastructure and Technology Integration A strong infrastructure—comprising devices, connectivity, and safety measures—is essential for successful tech integration. Schools must embrace both high-tech and low-tech solutions, ensuring that all students benefit from technological advancements. The success of tech in education depends heavily on infrastructure—access to devices, connectivity, and safe learning environments. The teachers explored both low-tech and high-tech solutions, recognizing that while some schools may have advanced resources, others may rely on simpler tools. Safety and privacy were also significant concerns, with a focus on protecting students in a digital world. 6. Parental and Community Engagement Parental and community engagement is vital for the successful integration of technology in education. Strong partnerships and active involvement ensure that students receive the support they need both at school and at home, making the learning experience more holistic and impactful. The integration of technology in education is most successful when parents and the broader community are actively involved. Teachers emphasized the importance of parental empowerment and community partnerships in supporting educational technology. Engaging parents helps bridge the gap between school and home, ensuring that learning continues outside the classroom. 7. Collaboration and Networking Collaboration and trust are crucial for the successful integration of technology in education. By sharing resources and experiences, educators can develop more effective strategies and solutions that benefit all learners.Collaboration emerged as a critical factor in successfully integrating technology. The gathering provided a platform for teachers to network, share experiences, and learn from one another. This spirit of collaboration is essential for driving innovation and ensuring that best practices are shared and adopted widely. 8. Safety and Privacy Safety and privacy must be prioritized in the integration of educational technology. Implementing strong protocols and ensuring safe environments for students is essential for fostering trust and enabling effective learning. As technology becomes more prevalent in education, ensuring the safety and privacy of students is paramount. Discussions covered both online and offline safety, emphasizing the need for robust protocols to protect students while they engage with digital tools. Conclusion The lessons learned from this gathering highlight the importance of a holistic approach to integrating technology in education. At Metis, we are committed to ensuring that technology is a means to an end—not the end itself. By focusing on empowering teachers, fostering inclusion, aligning policies, integrating technology with pedagogy, building strong infrastructure, engaging parents and communities, fostering collaboration, and prioritizing safety, we can create an educational environment where every learner thrives. As we look to the future, these lessons will guide our efforts to innovate and improve education in Kenya and beyond.

Written by Mercy Wambui — Metis Fellow Mercy Wambui presenting videos on innovative climate change solutions to learners in Siaya. The first World Environment Day was celebrated on 5th June, 1973 with the theme "One Earth" —  a noble celebration with a most appropriate theme. This is our only home, and if we do not care for it, it will not sustain us. For fifty years, we have celebrated this day each year and as I wake up today, I ask myself, what more can we do for our home? In the past few years, we have experienced such harsh weather, from extended droughts to flooding. What better theme to suit this 51st World Environment Day than "Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience," remembering that we only have one earth — our only home. Land restoration is critical in combating the severe impacts of desertification and drought. By restoring degraded lands, we can improve biodiversity, enhance water retention, and increase the resilience of ecosystems and communities. Desertification, often caused by human activities and climate change, threatens the livelihoods of millions, making it essential to adopt sustainable land management practices. Building drought resilience not only mitigates the adverse effects of climate change but also ensures food security and sustainable development for future generations. At  Angaza Africa, we understand the urgency of these environmental challenges. Founded in 2012 as a Self-Awareness program to prepare teenagers and youth for life and career success, Angaza has evolved significantly. After 2020, we expanded our focus to include environmental awareness, realising the urgent need to involve children in the environment conversation and our collective responsibility to keep our home — the earth, clean and balanced for all living beings. Our value-based programs integrate environmental awareness with key life skills in self-awareness. As students plant and grow kitchen gardens, they learn the value of work ethics, responsibility, persistence, and grit. They also learn how to grow healthy organic food, promote biodiversity, and maintain ecological balance, supporting all life forms, from soil organisms to pollinators like bees. At Gatina Primary School, learners were involved in a three-month process of planting and growing a vegetable garden. From garden preparations to plantings and caring for the vegetables, the students were actively engaged. Gatina Primary School learners engaging in garden preparation By the end of the term, the garden was flourishing, and they could harvest fresh produce. This hands-on experience not only instilled in them the value of hard work, responsibility, and perseverance but also taught them crucial lessons about sustainable food production and the importance of biodiversity. The vegetable garden at Gatina Primary School Angaza Africa has always prided itself on ensuring that every learning activity is fun, learner-led, thought-provoking, and enhances creativity and imagination. We believe that everyone is full of potential; we just need to discover, nurture, and utilise it to our highest purpose. As an educator by passion and by choice, I believe that teachers make history and create the future every day. Therefore, educators are a crucial part of this journey. My life purpose is to empower educators with the resources, knowledge, and skills to nurture and groom the learners they interact with daily. Supporting educators is essential because, in turn, they support and inspire their learners. By providing educators with the resources and training they need, we ensure they can effectively impart knowledge and foster environmental stewardship among the learners. We hope to partner with more organisations as implementing partners in climate education and share our impactful collaboration stories. I also serve as the Africa Education Liaison for Climate Advocates Voces Unidas (CAVU), providing a free international STEAM curriculum, Climate Innovation Challenge, designed to help learners create climate change innovative solutions while enhancing learners' storytelling and video-making skills. As we celebrate World Environment Day today, aiming to raise awareness about the environmental problems faced by our planet and promote sustainable practices, let us not leave any learner behind. Let us teach our children why they need to care for the environment. Let us show them alternatives to single-use plastic by training them to use recyclable water bottles, demonstrate waste segregation, plant trees and engage them in other activities that promote environmental conservation. We can restore our earth and home; we only need to start from our home, our classroom, our office, and our neighbourhood. As we mark this significant day, let us recommit to restoring our lands and strengthening our resilience against the growing challenges of desertification and drought. Learn more about our work here.

When 6-year-old Louie is asked what his mother does, he says, “ My mother started an organization that really cares about children and young people. They care about them so much, that they support them in the things they love doing.” Through the eyes of Louie, one can step back and really see the “Big Picture”. Louie's mother, Carol Owala, Metis Cohort 6 fellow and a long-time educator founded Big Picture Learning Kenya in 2018. Having grown up in Kibera, the biggest slum in Africa, she witnessed first-hand how learners in marginalized communities struggled with poverty, a lack of resources, and zero empowerment. “ The Kenyan education system is so exam-oriented. When you are a student in a community high school, chances are that you have already failed in your KCPE. You are constantly reminded that you are a failure, and that affects your self-esteem. You walk around knowing that you are a failure,” she relates. Carol’s mission is to change that narrative for all learners affected in this way. She explains, “At Big Picture Learning, we help learners believe that authentic learning comes from the pedagogy of confidence”. Simply put, the pedagogy of confidence is focused on recognizing and amplifying the strengths of underserved students. By helping them build confidence and self-efficacy, they begin to see themselves as agents of change within their own communities. Take Vyetty for example, he comes from a very humble background and has for the longest time, been struggling with his identity as a young person. He lied about himself to his peers, got expelled from two schools, and was suspended a few too many times as well. Big Picture Learning met Vyetty while he was in his last high school, and at that time, he didn’t believe he was going to make it to his KCSE. All this was happening at the peak of Covid 19, he had suffered some losses and was struggling with his overall mental health. Vyetty was then enrolled in the Big Picture Learning program where he took on a mental health project. During this process, he was able to identify fellow youth, who also suffered from mental health challenges. He found his gusto. He came up with a proposal, powered through research, interviewed young people within his community, and with the goal of helping them, developed a project based on understanding mental health, and how young ones would find support for it. A manual was created, and he also partnered with an organization that had previously trained him on website development, to develop a website that will help young people in marginalized communities access mental health support. He is currently exploring the possibility of using animal therapy. Through the agency facilitated by Big Picture Learning Kenya, Vyetty is now a solid anchor in his community to many of his peers. He knows that he has what it takes to change things for himself and for his community and is determined to be one of the fine details that creates life’s big picture. Vyetty will be featured on our youth panel at ReimaginED 2022. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from him and other learners as they discuss “Our dream for Kenya!" BPLK Impact Since 2018, with the support of Metis, Girl Rising and other committed partners, BPLK has reached 213 teachers and school leaders from 6 schools, which is expected to increase the quality of education for 3704 students. BPLK staff provided 141 hours of training, mentoring and ongoing feedback sessions and celebrated the graduation of 12 youths from its flagship students’ Leadership Academy(LA) program. The organization also sponsored 5 students (3 girls & 2 boys), to attend colleges and universities. In addition, BPLK has continued to refine its model by launching internal innovations including the compilation of the completion of a student leadership pilot program (Kuna Nuru) to inform its work and impact the broader education field.

"If not now then now now" This was one of the inspiring quotes that came up during the Community innovations for gender equity event that took place on the 29th of September 2022. This quote speaks deeply about the urgency to change the reality we currently live in. There are huge gaps in gender equality. The main goal for this event was to sensitize the participants on these gaps, and the community-based innovations that have been set up to bridge them. Girl Rising. The first to speak was Richa Hingorani the global program manager of Girl Rising. She first addressed some of the gaps we are currently facing post the COVID-19 pandemic which are: According to the global gender gap index, 2022 gender parity is not recovering. During the pandemic's peak, more than 11 million girls were at risk of never going back to school, with some studies showing this number as high as 20 million. More and more women and girls managed caregiving responsibilities, had reduced access to sexual and reproductive health rights, and had poorer ability/skillset to navigate challenges and adversities. What is their resolve? To “put girls at the centre and harness stories as the change agent” and: Use their story-based curriculum to help adolescents build voice, agency, and confidence. Use their story-based training, workshops and collaborations with educators to build more inclusive, equitable, aspirational learning environments. Create a community Environment and use their stories to build empathy and understanding, empowering parents and community members to be strong advocates for girls' education. Create a structural environment by collaborating with governments and the support of local organizations to advance local efforts to educate and empower girls. Create a cultural environment by running media campaigns that use these stories to raise awareness with the broad public and change harmful social norms. Girl Rising's mission is to use the power of storytelling to change the way the world values girls, their education and opportunities by: Creating films, media content and educational resources that tell girls' stories and how educating girls' ripple effects transform families, communities and entire nations. Collaborating with organizations around the world to support locally-led change that accelerates and strengthens quality education and greater opportunity for girls. Activating change by inspiring individuals, from parents to presidents, to support action for girls' education. Their work builds voice, agency and confidence in girls so that they can persist in their education; fosters a more inclusive learning environment that leads to improved education outcomes for girls, and changes attitudes and social norms. Nairobi Metropolitan Service Next Brenda Imali Psychosocial support, gender mainstreaming in government at Nairobi Metropolitan Service spoke about “Gender mainstreaming in government”. Gender mainstreaming is a strategy for developing policies, legislation, programs, projects, society and community's development plans from a gender equality perspective to benefit both women and men. It may also be defined as the process of ensuring that gender is taken into account in all policies, processes and practices. She addressed three levels of Gender mainstreaming: At the legislation, policies, and strategies level At the organization/department level At the household/family level She highlighted the approaches by the government to gender mainstreaming: The NMS has come up with a youth-friendly service that deals with youth issues of both genders. They make special arrangements in service delivery that will address the unique needs of either gender They create employment for both genders in the youth-friendly centres. They provide training for healthcare workers and professionals on dealing with both genders. Another approach she highlighted was engaging stakeholders in gender mainstreaming. She explained that mainstreaming gender requires service providers in government agencies to : Assist young people in correctly understanding the true meaning and differentiating Gender, sex, gender roles and norms. Using adopting a supportive behaviour and attitude towards gender sensitivity, responsiveness, equity, and equality and easily identifying gender needs. Integrate gender issues into government facilities. Yazua Africa Our third speaker was Eric Mungai Founder and CEO, of Yazua Africa who addressed their approach to “Raising boys for leadership”. He posed this thought-provoking question : “How might we support young men to strengthen their leadership and entrepreneurial potential while innovating solutions for their communities?” Their approach provides a viable answer to this question. They create spaces where young men can learn, be challenged, and grow in their leaders! How do they do this? By using experiential activities and processes like Outdoor challenges Factory/ industry visits Group work Mentorship/coaching sessions by diverse mentors What is the impact of their work? Their first cohort has produced leaders in different fields: Accountants, Political, leaders, Police Officers, Footballers, Teachers, Talent Managers, Engineers, Doctors, Artists, Mechanics, Financial Investment Advisers, HR Directors and Acclaimed chefs. Any society that thrives must have a strong social development sector that caters to the well-being of its youth. Kenya's youth development agenda must be more than school enrolment; it must cater to the socio-eco development of young males especially. He concludes with this powerful message: “We are faced with a silent pandemic that continues to ravage our young bo: churn out angry, aimless, and dangerous boy. Our communities must have spaces for the positive development of boys. If we don’t do something for the boy child, we will have done NOTHING for the girl child; and NO ONE WILL BE SAFE.” The Malkia Initiative Our concluding speaker was Jedidiah Lemaron Founder and Executive Director, of The Malkia Initiative who had this big-picture question: “What if Maasai girls had power over their bodies and their futures?” The mission at Malkia Initiative is to contribute towards enhancing equity in education by reducing barriers to transition and increasing engagement and well-being of adolescent girls and youth through: Menstrual health and hygiene management Anti-FGM and child marriage campaigns AYSRHR information and education Referrals for SRHR counselling and services Advocacy for SRHR education reforms and inclusion Advocacy for meaningful youth participation What impact have they made so far? Over the past 6 years, they have reached and supported over 20,00 girls across the county and beyond with Menstrual products and education. Trained over 100 MHM ToTs in the county. Supported and carried Campaigns against Harmful Practices. Referred over 500 youths to healthcare facilities for SRHR services through social media. EAC reproductive health bill. East and Southern African Ministerial commitment to CSE Bill and SRHR(2021) to safeguard adolescents and Young people’s health and Future. MYEP training. Their goals for the future are: To develop a mentorship manual for Pastoral communities. To plant more Pad Banks across Kajiado Education scholarship fund for adolescent girls. Commission the first social enterprise for girls and women. The event proved to be a success as many in attendance expressed that they had learnt a lot more about current gaps and were inspired by the impact shared by the organizations that took part in presenting. We look forward to more conversations and innovations about gender equity that will be showcased at our ReimagiED event in December!

Let’s take a short journey together through the eyes and shoes of Naserian, a 9-year-old girl with a future as wide as the earth ahead of her. Naserian is in grade 2, eager to learn, pass her exams and hopes to become a doctor. Unfortunately, this may only remain a dream for Naserian. She is among the majority of Maasai women in Kenya destined to live a life of poverty and cultural oppression. Even with free primary school education in Kenya, only 48 per cent of Maasai girls enrol, and only 10 per cent of these make it to secondary school. By the time Naserian is 13, she might be circumcised and soon afterwards married off to a man chosen by her father in exchange for cattle and cash. Her world of possibility has sadly been reduced to the confines of her culture. But, What if Maasai girls like Naserian had power over their bodies and their future? What if Boys and Girls had equal opportunities in Education? Can we build a national movement of girls' clubs that leverage storytelling to ensure girls have the community and safe spaces they need to thrive? These are a few bold questions that our fellows dared to ask. Just like Naserian, Jedidah Lemaron witnessed first-hand the inequality and gaps in her community from lack of basic infrastructure to gender discrimination against women and girls. As a result, she founded The Malkia Initiative in 2015 to bridge the gap. Judy Munene developed a passion for supporting girls’ education which was birthed by an unfortunate incident when she was in class seven (7). A group of girls dropped out of her class because they felt too big to learn with the small girl that she was. They became teenage mothers soon after and engaged in casual labour to cater for their children. Lillian Wamuyu is passionate about community development with over 15 years of experience in community-based programmes. Her vision is to build a transformative and integrative social enterprise, especially for the benefit of marginalized families. Metis had facilitated the common ground in which these grassroots leaders stand and has made it possible for collective conversations and impactful collaborations to take place to make it possible for girls like Naserian to have a different outcome. Since 2018, Metis has enabled 4 million learners like Naserian, across Kenya to access quality education by equipping education leaders like Jedidah, Judy and Lilian to create contextualized innovations for their communities. Our knowledge-sharing opportunities have enabled leaders to problem-solve, learn, and collaborate for collective impact. You too can be part of this. ReimaginED our annual learning summit, will take place on the 9th of December 2022. We have the privilege of bringing together changemakers to reimagine education in Kenya. This event provides a platform for innovators to showcase their work while showing #OurDreamForKenya. We aim to bring to life the possibility of “Accelerating competency-based learning” by taking a journey through the “What is” “What if” and, “What now” in education. This journey is a step toward our vision of A world where leaders and learners thrive. Will you be part of it?

What skills and mindsets do Kenyan learners need to thrive in the 21st century–and who gets to answer this question? Over the past 10 weeks, our team has been hard at work exploring these questions. At Metis, our focus to date has been on Fellows and the growth of their leadership and ventures. We deeply believe that collective leadership is an essential lever for improving learning outcomes for students. But what are the outcomes towards which we collectively strive? What is our shared vision for education? Who gets to decide? Our Collective enjoyed the process of co-creating this vision with youth, caregivers, policymakers, and practitioners, situating it within our local context, and thinking about how we can each orient our efforts towards shared outcomes. Through a design-thinking inspired approach and conversations with ~120 people across the education ecosystem, from educators to learners to parents to community members to funders to partners, Metis has co-created a vision for these requisite skills and mindsets that will serve as our North Star, orienting our work and all we do. These internal skills and mindsets are supplemented by external factors that have been flagged as critical to enabling the inculcation and strengthening of these skills and mindsets. How did we do it? We created outlines for workshops and conversations designed to source large amounts of raw data. We deliberately designed questions to be creative and open-ended, to optimise for accuracy in the stories we heard. An example of this was asking participants to draw pictures before and after they saw a positive change in a learner. When conducting these workshops and conversations, we aimed to solve for the diversity of participants, which took us to locations around Kenya like Kibera, Magadi, and Mombasa, as well as to virtual rooms with leading education thinkers relevant to Metis. We designed these conversations to be inclusive of all voices who’re affected by education because we strongly believe that learners’ and caregivers’ input is just as important as that of education experts. Then came codifying this output. We typed up all the raw output that we solicited from the first stage and analysed each piece of text critically. For each distinct piece of text, we identified as many themes as we possibly could, distinguishing between internal (e.g., confidence, problem-solving, community-centred) and external (e.g., safe space, access to resources) themes. This resulted in an output of ~35 internal themes and ~25 external themes. We next focused on grouping related themes. For each theme, we evaluated it against every other theme to ask ourselves if they were related. We also counted how many times each theme came up as a way to guide prioritisation. Using both these steps, we then identified five major internal themes (chosen by priority and encompassing related ‘smaller’ themes) and four major external themes. As we did this, we also ensured that our themes complemented frameworks such as Kenya’s CBC–think of the double helix of a DNA strand that’s connected. In parallel, as we worked to identify these themes, i.e., relevant skills and mindsets, we realised that communicating these would need to be supplemented with further storytelling from within our Collective. We, therefore, designed open-ended questions to allow Fellows and alumni to tell stories around these themes–how did their programmes and organisations work on these skills and mindsets, and what examples did they have of learners displaying these? Once our themes were finalised, we then set out to source these stories so that we could capture what our North Star was–not just defining the important skills and mindsets, but bolstering these definitions with stories sourced from our community. Stay tuned for future blog posts, where we share the themes we came up with and related stories from our Collective! Metis Team.

By Cherrelle Druppers and Francis Odhiambo For this guest blog, we are joined by Cherrelle Druppers and Francula Odhiambo from ChezaCheza Dance. We were lucky to have them join us at our retreat in May. ChezaCheza empowers youth in underprivileged neighborhoods through dance. Their classes incorporate life skills and capacity building in order to empower the children within the community and create a safe and creative space where children can express themselves. At ChezaCheza, we believe that dance and movement can be an excellent tool for learning so when Metis asked us to create an alternative learning experience for their Fellows, we used what we do best, dance! Usually, we work with young children and adolescent, providing life skills education through dance. We got nervous and thought hard about which approach to take with these adults. Should we change our curriculum? What music should we use? Can they even dance? We decided to shake it all off and do what we know: creating a safe, fun, and an interactive environment to dance. As the class began, we explained who we were and what we do. Immediately some people got excited, while doubt covered other faces. In some whispers you could hear, “But I can’t dance”. As the sweet beats of the Kenyan afro music started playing, you could see shoulders relax and bodies swinging side to side. “Oh, this is not so hard after all” you could hear one Fellow say. Familiarity with the music and moves started to grow, and people felt comfortable enough to express themselves through movement. We asked everybody how they felt and not to tell us, but show it in a move. Every move, by every fellow, showed a unique expression of how that person was feeling. You felt the doubt and reservations people initially had just melted away, and a feeling of complete joy started to arise. Even a short dance routine did not seem to scare anyone any more, and there was an absolute focus on getting the steps right as a group. A performance at the end created a sense of accomplishment and community, with fellows cheering and applauding for the moves of their peers. Most importantly, we did a debrief and asked the Fellows what they learned from this experience. They told us they felt safe, creative, and challenged. It showed that sitting behind a desk is not the only way to learn something. They saw that you could learn by doing, using body language to communicate, and lead by example. So, is there a difference between teaching adults and teaching children? Well, adults might have more reservations and constraints at learning something new than children. However, if you create a learning environment where people feel safe, encouraged, accepted, and that mistakes are part of the learning process, then you see that adults are just big children longing for the same feeling of safety and security. So if we as adults want this, why not create such environments for the children we work with every day?

By Amber McMunn Christine Owinyi, of the government’s Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI), shares her perspective at last week’s education meet-up. Education across Africa is improving. Do you agree or disagree? This was one of the statements posited to the attendees at the education ecosystem event Metis co-hosted withEdTech Nairobiand theAL Group. Over 100 attendees were challenged to engage in discussion and debate around a variety of education-based topics. The room filled with shuffles and chatter as people moved to stand on the side of the room for either disagree or agree to the statement. While few people were willing to stand with disagree to the concept that education is improving, attendees were challenged in their perceptions when a woman who positioned herself with disagree gave her view. She argued that until education was taking place in an African context, and not a British or French or other colonial background, and students are learning about themselves and their history, education is not improving. She further explained, “[School] doesn’t teach me about myself, it doesn’t ground me in my identity. And yet you tell me that our education system is getting better?! I don’t think so.” As the room filled with clapping and cheers, it was clear that with only the first statement asked, people began to question their viewpoint and open themselves up to their ideas being challenged. The room was more evenly split with the second statement: everyone should learn to code. With polite and respectful but passionate discussion back and forth, both sides shared their view with cheers and claps of encouragement from the people around them. As the statements progressed and debate was sparked, people moved back and forth across the room for standing with agree or disagree. When the prompting questions came to an end, attendees were encouraged to carry on the discussions on their own. The room remained lively as people introduced themselves, heard about new organizations throughout Nairobi and the work they’re doing, and then continued to engage in conversations we so rarely open-up to. People moved about the room entering into conversations and starting discussions with people that were previously strangers. The opening statements had given the room points to start conversations on and it was clear they were anxious to continue. These are questions we do not need to wait for a networking event to ask. Talk to the people around you about if they think schools should focus on social/emotional learning as much as academics. Ask your coworkers where they stand on the view that vocational training is more valuable than a university degree. These conversations might be hard as they force us to reflect on why we have taken certain positions, and we must be open to other perspectives but changes within the education sector can only occur when people are willing to talk about their views, why they hold them, and are willing to have them challenged.

By Rukia Sebit Photos by Rebecca Crook Rukia is a Metis Fellow in Cohort II. She is a change maker who believes in improving lives of the economically disadvantaged by providing literacy among children. She is passionate about using technology as a force for social change, empowerment, literacy, and the education of young women and girls. What does it take to support children to believe in themselves and become who they want to be? Learn from Sunflower’s approach in Kibera, Nairobi. Students head home after an afternoon at Sunflower full of learning, laughter and growth. Joyce* is a grade six pupil at a local private school in Kibera slum. She was born and raised in Kibera and lives with both parents and four other siblings in a two roomed house. She has been in and out of school for the better part of her school years because of either school fees arrears that her parents could not raise or learning resources that were never there. These factors make Joyce and other girls and boys from the same environment lag behind academically and branded as low performing children. This means that any academic opportunity will be given to the ones who are top in their class. Joyce was one of our first beneficiaries at Sunflower Trust. She joined Sunflower with an aim of being linked to a scholarship or sponsor who would enable her to smoothly finish her primary education. At Sunflower, instead of finances, we provided her with a space and an environment where she can be heard, where she expresses herself without any fear of victimization, and somewhere she can interact with learners like her who are facing similar challenges. She also has access to learning resources and people she can see as role models. These are people who have stories similar to hers and are now successful. Through Sunflowers after school program, Joyce has not only improved academically, but also her attitude has improved, mental health, behavioral change, and most importantly she has people around her who listen. A young girl peaks over a car window as she leaves Sunflower to go home at the end of the day. Sunflower believes in its LEADership principles which are the guiding force behind all programming; we are building LEADers through the active cultivation of Love, Education, Action, and Discipline. Every day, we challenge our Fellows to demonstrate our LEAD principles through their actions towards themselves and one another. We celebrate and track when they do! When children demonstrate a LEAD principle they receive a bead: red for love, blue for education, green for action, and yellow for discipline. They wear the resulting bracelets with pride! Literacy as leadership and a form of justice is at the core of our programming. Free literacy is not simply the ability to read and write fluently, but the ability to freely express oneself through reading, writing, discussion, and arts. While there are many literate youth in the world, there are few who are truly freely literate; whose voices are heard, whose opinions and beliefs are listened to and taken into account, and who have the ability to fully express themselves and be who they want to be. The Pathways to Alternative Learning and Education (PALE) is an alternative primary school program for vulnerable girls at risk of ending their education early due to a myriad of different challenges. Our PALE program begins in fifth grade. We work to identify girls at risk of ending their education early and transition them to the PALE program. PALE changes the trajectory of a girl’s life. PALE students receive a holistic, high-quality education from our highly trained educators. We strive to provide Sunflower Fellows with a world-class curriculum emphasizing critical thinking and reasoning, as well as opportunities for collaboration and enrichment activities at our partner schools. A robust after-school program with supplemental art, literacy, technology, and reproductive health programs provides daily enrichment to our PALE students. Bright, driven, and enthusiastic, our PALE students are the future leaders of their community and the world. This young student is as excited to attend Sunflower as we are to have everyone there! Joyce is in her second year at Sunflower and the improvement has been tremendous both academically and character wise. We are working with her until her final grade of primary school and we hope to make her dream come true by linking her to a scholarship that will see her through her secondary education. There are many young boys and girls like Joyce who haven’t gotten a chance to explore their capabilities which enable them to shine academically. Only if we come together can we identify and support these boys and girls to believe in themselves and become who they want to be.

ByClifford Oluoch A meal time at the inception of the organization Shule Mtaani in Deep Sea slums. The boys cook for themselves and eat as a family. Clifford is a Metis Fellow in Cohort II. A dynamic, fun-filled, and creative teacher, with a mentoring and writing career path spanning almost 30 years in local and international curriculum is what defines the “Odijo”, as fondly referred to by his street children. Education is at the heart of everything he dreams of. Junior was 18 years old when he passed away in the streets of Nairobi in early February 2019. He had been living on and off the streets of Westlands for the last twelve years, having dropped out of school twice, first when he was 7 years old and barely into standard 2. He had joined up with a group of other street boys with similar dispensation to eke out a living on the plush street of Westlands where revelers would part with generous amounts of money or leftovers of sophisticated foods. Junior became addicted to the street life and did not see a reason to go back to school, after all he was making as much as the housegirls in Westlands. But one thing that Junior did not contend with was that he would grow up and lose his childhood charm that made people part with money so easily. The older he grew, the scarcer the money became leading to frustration and possible foray into petty crime. At 15, Junior got his second shot at formal schooling when he met sponsors eager to get him back to mainstream schooling. He did not last a month, mainly because at 15, his Literacy and Numeracy skills were too rudimentary and he was put in a class with much younger and sharper students than him. He dropped out of school. Shule Mtaani session with one of the many volunteers. The focus being on basic literacy and numeracy skills but coloring and painting do play a big role in the therapy sessions. The final attempt to help Junior was to get him into rehabilitation. The urge to change was there, but Junior lacked the resilience and staying power to see him through whatever he got involved in, a common trait among street people. It came as no surprise when Junior and four other street boys walked out of rehab after only a week, citing rigidity in rules and hard work. But two teenagers stayed back and went through the six month course, graduating with some basic vocational skills and a renewed vigour in life, thus making Junior regret his decision to stay out of rehab. As Junior hurtled dangerously towards full time crime, a script well followed by those before him, one wonders what would have made Junior and his street family prefer the unpredictable streets to a structured system. Firstly, there is freedom of movement and a fairly loose code of conduct in the streets: you sleep when and where you want, eat at your convenience (when you get food). Secondly, there is the monetary side where, like businessmen, money comes in daily. During club days, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, the stakes are high and on average, a street boy/girl can make as much as ksh.1000 per night. Thirdly, there is the comradeship where they hang around each other waiting for the next phase of their lives to kick in. Below the veneer of a dirty street person, is a well calculated and thriving drug/alcohol business where the street people are used as mules to transport the drugs/alcohol from one point to another at a ridiculous low fee of about ksh.50 per trip giving a blind eye to the risks. Worse is the peddlers selling the drugs to the street people on credit to permanently keep them hooked and in debt, leading to a vicious cycle of petty thieving to sustain the habit. It becomes harder to break out of this rut. We have a big problem on our hands. Mlango Kubwa in Mathare slums hold their Shule Mtaani sessions every Saturday. With a population of almost 300 street families, this proves to be one of the most challenging sessions that volunteers go through Junior was one of the 250 000 street youth in Kenyan and 60 000 in Nairobi. Whereas street boys and girls have always been part of the society, though mainly around slums, the explosion of street families in Kenya happened from 1992 as a result of highly politicized land clashes starting off initially in Rift Valley province. From then on, every election year saw the number of street children and families increasing exponentially to reach a dizzy and maddening 600 000 Internally Displaced Persons in 2007 Post Election Violence. As the number of street families spiral out of control, and a central and county governments look the other way, as a society we can do more. Much more. The begging question emerges of whether religious organisations can play a larger role than the one offs that leave the street families hungering for more. For example, Westlands / Parklands region is home to almost 20 religious centres, none of which have a structured program for street families. Against a background of almost 500 street families, each religious centre has the capacity to take in 25 street families and turn around their lives. Last year, a volunteer from India had a chance to share with the street families how he had teamed up with a few lawyers to compel the Indian government to allow public schools to be used as feeding centres in the evenings. He also talked of how, after work, people have volunteered their time to teach street children. Kenya can borrow a leaf. Public schools can introduce evening classes/vocational training for street children. This can also double up as feeding centres where those willing to donate food/clothing can do so. Many companies have a Make A Difference Day (MADD) where their employees engage in mentorship programs for the underprivileged. This can, and has, been extended to include private, local, and international schools to partner/adopt many of the slum schools. They can initiate feeding programs that will enable many of the slum students to stay in school and keep off the streets.

By Wanjira Mathai Wanjira is a Metis Fellow in Cohort II who is an inspiring leader, with over 20 years of experience on both local and international platforms. She is currently leading the development of the Wangari Maathai Foundation’s programs to advance the legacy of Prof. Wangari Maathai by nurturing a culture of purpose and integrity through curriculum for students and teacher training that inspires courageous leadership In January 2016, the East Africa Institute released the results of the East African Youth Survey. About Kenya we learnt that 80 percent of our population is under the age of 35! So we have a very youthful population into whose future the delivery of countless development goals rests. We also learnt from the survey that youth in Kenya (and East Africa) are optimistic about the future, they believe corruption is a legitimate way of doing business, and a large percentage of them reported that they are afraid to stand up for what they believe in for fear of retribution. How is this possible in a country that produced one of the boldest activists in the world (Professor Wangari Maathai) who went on to win the most coveted prize in the world, the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize? There has never been a time so critical in our history to inspire courageous leadership in our young people. A somewhat fearful and optimistic population that believes in corruption as a tool for progress, will not get us there. We must do something to change this and do it fast! And we must start early in their lives. The Wangari Maathai Foundation (WMF) recently collaborated with Crossing Thresholds to bring over 100 children from Kibera’s Mobjap and FAFU Schools, and some of their teachers, to Karura Forest. It was magical in many ways. None of these children had ever been to the forest, and some had never left Kibera. But thanks to both organizations, we made it possible through the Green Jeneration (J is for ‘Junior’). The Green Jeneration is an initiative created by children, for children who told us they want to be part of “making the world a better place”. This movement, supported by the WMF, creates beautiful learning environments by greening schools, improving the learning environment, and developing the value of responsible stewardship. The Green Jeneration creates opportunities for children of all walks of life to spend time in nature at the Karura Forest under the stewardship of the Karura Forest Environmental Education Trust. According to Six Seconds research, the climate in a school determines the success of the school and is linked to the level of engagement of the school community - teachers, students, governors, and parents. That the more conducive the climate in a school, the more engaged the school community will be. In the process of engaging with the Green Jeneration, children will also enrich their environmental awareness as they care and nurture the plants in their school. Education should be about building life skills for a future we know little about. Children need to be prepared for jobs that do not currently exist. But what we know is that whatever those jobs will be, they will need people of character to staff them. So as we pursue our various missions, let us do so knowing that the great work is laying the foundation for the future. Winter Wheat by Anita Roderick captures the essence of the slow deep work we are all engaged in. We must persist because it’s worth it: When I was young I thought that failure was impossible All wrongs would be righted in my time. Now I am old I see that failure IS impossible I pass the torch to you. Will you hold it high? For we are sowing winter wheat That other hands will harvest That they might have enough to eat After we are gone. We will plant shade trees that we will not sit under We will light candles that others can see their way We’ll struggle for justice though we’ll never see it flower Our children’s children will live in peace one day. As a Metis Fellow, I was inspired by the articles we read at the beginning of this journey. By far my favorite was one by Fred Swaniker, about Moments of Obligation. I loved it because it confirmed that the challenges we face pursuing purpose are meant to be hard. It’s hard work pursuing purpose, but when we are addressing what seem like massive challenges, drawing on our passion, and knowing that we are uniquely equipped to tackle them is all we really need. The rest is heart. Stick with it for the long haul.