Leah once fought to stay in school. Today, she works as a Community Resource Person, supporting savings groups that help families and communities keep girls in education.
“I refused to get married. I stood firm in my decision that I wanted to go to school.”
Leah
Leah is 35. She grew up in a farming family with limited income. She completed primary school, but her education stopped when she was selected to join secondary school and her father refused.
“I passed to go to secondary school, but my father said no. I was only 12 years old. I felt like my dreams had ended,” she says.
At the same time, her younger brother continued with school.
“My parents supported my brother to continue with his education, but for me, it was different,” she recalls.
Leah made a decision to continue, even without support from her family.
“I refused to get married. I stood firm in my decision that I wanted to go to school,” she says.
Continuing school despite challenges
With no support from home, she began working small jobs, anything that would help her save enough to return to class. Later, she found a modest teaching opportunity at an early childhood level, teaching younger children, and used every shilling she earned to support her education.
“I used the little money I was earning to pay for my school needs. I knew if I waited for support, I would not go back,” she says.
Her journey was not easy. While she was in school, her father destroyed the materials she was using to study and took away the crops she had grown to support herself. She was also sent away from home.
“I remember when my father burned all my exercise books and sold the beans I had grown for school fees. That same year, he chased me away from home.”
Leah
“I remember when my father burned all my exercise books and sold the beans I had grown for school fees. That same year, he chased me away from home,” she recalls.
She found support within her community and used it to continue her studies.
“I met someone who helped me with school materials so I could continue. That support helped me move forward,” she says.
Leah completed secondary school and qualified to join college, but she was not able to continue due to financial challenges.
Building her life through work and savings
After completing her studies, Leah continued working. She taught at early childhood level and later trained and worked in a pharmacy.
“I did not stop working. I kept looking for ways to support myself and move forward,” she says.
Over time, she saved money and began to build her life. She supported her parents, improved their home, and invested in small assets.
“I used my income to build a better home for my parents and to support them. I also wanted them to see the importance of educating girls,” she says.
She later bought land, built a house that now provides rental income, and invested in livestock as a form of savings.
“I started small, but I kept going. Now I have my own house, land, and other investments,” she says.
Supporting her community by keeping girls in school
In 2022, Leah joined the Keeping Adolescent Girls (KAGIS) In School project as a Community Resource Person. Through the project, she received training on how to facilitate community groups, support adolescents, and manage village savings and loan associations.
“The training gave me knowledge and confidence. I learned how to guide groups and how to support others in my community,” she says.
Leah now leads 4 savings groups, each with 30 members. The groups meet regularly, save money, and manage a social fund that supports vulnerable households.
Through her leadership, these groups are not only saving money but also making decisions that directly support children to stay in school.
Savings groups supporting children to stay in school
Through the groups she leads, Leah is helping families keep children in school. So far, the groups she supports have helped 789 girls and 845 boys with school materials and basic needs.
“We agreed as groups that we must support children who are struggling. When a child is at risk of dropping out, we come together and help.”
Leah
“We agreed as groups that we must support children who are struggling. When a child is at risk of dropping out, we come together and help,” she says.
Leah plays a key role in guiding how the groups identify vulnerable children, mobilise support, and follow up to ensure they remain in school.
This reflects the wider Keeping Adolescent Girls In School project approach, where 280 savings groups with 7,686 members were supported to become more financially secure and reduce financial barriers to education.
Leah explains that the groups are organised and consistent.
“These groups are committed. They plan together, they save together, and they support children together,” she says.
Sharing knowledge with adolescent girls
Alongside her work with savings groups, Leah spends time with adolescent girls in her community. She shares information and guidance on health, relationships, and decision-making.
“I sit with girls and talk to them openly. I want them to understand their health and their future so they can make informed decisions,” she says.
Through her role in KAGIS, Leah supports adolescents with life skills and sexual and reproductive health education through structured sessions and ongoing engagement.
“When girls understand themselves and their choices, they are more confident to continue with their education,” she explains.
Community systems that continue to support education
Leah’s work connects different parts of the community. Savings groups support families, girls receive guidance, and children are able to continue with school.
The groups she supports continue to operate and use their own resources to assist children, even beyond direct project support.
“The groups continue to operate independently, using their own resources to keep children in school,” she says.
What started as individual effort has grown into a system where communities organise themselves, mobilise resources, and take responsibility for keeping children in school.
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