Flying Kites

Why invest in girls?

Despite global progress, millions of girls are still being left behind.

Today:
» 119 million girls worldwide remain out of school (UNICEF)

» Only 49% of countries have achieved gender parity in primary education, and just 24% have achieved parity at the secondary level (UNICEF)

» The World Economic Forum reports that while educational gains have improved among wealthier urban households in parts of Africa, many rural communities continue to see persistent gender disparities

The potential is there. What’s missing is sustained investment and community-based support systems that help girls stay in school and succeed.

Why invest in girls?

Girls’ education transforms systems.

UNICEF reports that gender-equitable education systems:

🌟 Reduce inequality
🌟 Strengthen economies
🌟 Promote resilience
🌟 Build critical life skills like communication, leadership, negotiation and problem-solving

These investments strengthen communities for everyone — including boys and men.

Why invest in girls?

The benefits of investing in girls extend far beyond one child.

According to UNICEF, educated girls are less likely to marry early, and more likely to lead healthy, productive lives, earn higher incomes, and participate in decisions that shape their future.

That is what makes investing in girls so powerful: opportunity compounds.

A girl who is supported to learn, lead, and shape her own future can help transform what is possible for her children, her family and her community.

Why invest in girls?

Every additional year of school increases a girl’s future earning power.

Research shows:

🌟A single year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10–20%, while returns to secondary education can reach 15–25% (Population Reference Bureau)
🌟Universal secondary education for girls could generate between $15–30 trillion in lifetime productivity and earnings globally (World Bank / World Economic Forum, 2025)
🌟 Investments in education are directly responsible for roughly half of all economic growth over the last three decades (World Economic Forum, 2025)

When girls are educated, they become entrepreneurs, leaders, teachers, healthcare workers, and changemakers who strengthen entire economies.

Why invest in girls?

Because when a girl has the education, confidence, and support to shape her own future, the impact reaches far beyond one life.

It can influence her health and earning potential, expand opportunities for the next generation, and strengthen her wider community.

In this short series, we’re exploring why investing in girls is one of the most powerful ways to advance lasting social and economic change - and why creating opportunity requires more than simply getting girls into classrooms.

Every girl deserves the chance to learn, lead, and thrive.

At our Girls United Clubs, trained female teachers create spaces where girls build confidence, speak up, and step into leadership. They gain real knowledge and support around their health, well-being, and futures.

But this work only happens with a strong, steady community behind it. That’s where you come in.

For $25 a month, you help make sure more girls have the resources and support to shape their own futures, month after month.

Ready to grow something lasting? Join Roots today.

Visit www.flyingkites.org/donate

Uniform Distribution Days 🎉

Thanks to our longtime partner Tailored for Education , 4,811 students across our 10 newest Network Schools received new uniforms and school shoes this year!

Uniform distribution days are always full of excitement across our Network. One student shared “I feel most confident when I am in my uniform and with my friends.”

Since our first year of partnership in 2014, Tailored for Education has provided more than 33,000 uniforms to students across South Kinangop.

Together, we are removing barriers to education and ensuring that every child knows that they belong in the classroom.

At Flying Kites, we believe that when teachers are empowered, entire communities thrive.

Thanks to the generous support of the Addax Oryx Foundation , we are expanding teacher training and capacity-building programs across rural Kenya to support girls’ education, health, and opportunity. Together, we are equipping educators with the tools, technology, and confidence to address barriers to learning — including sexual and reproductive health education, menstrual hygiene management, gender equity, and gender-based violence prevention.

Since the start of our partnership, we have:
✨ Trained and supported 620+ teachers across 29 schools
✨ Equipped 165 Girls United Club Leaders to guide and mentor adolescent girls
✨ Expanded access to digital learning resources and technology tools for educators
✨ Reached more than 15,000 students across the Flying Kites School Network

This work is about more than training. It’s about creating safe, informed, and equitable learning environments where girls can thrive — and where teachers become catalysts for lasting change in their communities.

As one teacher in our School Network shared: “Teaching with technology has made my lessons more lively, and it has helped me give my learners a richer learning experience.”

We are deeply grateful to the Addax & Oryx Foundation for investing in educators, students, and the future of rural Kenya. Together, we are building sustainable systems of support that will continue creating impact for years to come.

People often ask why Flying Kites focuses on primary schools.

The answer is simple: because by the time many girls reach adolescence, the beliefs, experiences, and expectations that shape their futures are already taking root.

That’s why we believe the greatest opportunity isn’t waiting until girls are already at risk of falling behind. It’s investing earlier - when confidence is still growing, beliefs are still forming, and possibility is still wide open.

Program Spotlight: Gender-Based Violence Prevention

In a baseline evaluation of primary schools joining our Network in 2025, only 20% of students demonstrated knowledge of how and to whom they should report instances of gender-based violence.

To address this urgent need in our community, we strengthen school and government systems to prevent and respond to gender-based violence by training primary school teachers and Child Protection Volunteers. Through monthly capacity-building trainings covering gender-based violence prevention and response, survivor-centered case management, legal frameworks, community engagement, and links between economic vulnerability and gender-based violence, we equip teachers and Child Protection Volunteers to:

➡️Conduct school and community awareness sessions for students, teachers, and parents.
➡️Promote gender-equitable classrooms and learner protection.
➡️Monitor behavior change and community impact.
➡️Strengthen connections with formal child protection and justice systems.

To learn more about our Gender-Based Violence Prevention Program, visit www.flyingkites.org/programs/gender-based-violence-prevention/