Maya and I are racing 10 kilometers in support of girls' education. Any money we raise goes directly to Daraja Academy in Kenya and Maya's education. Thank you for your help! Or, as they say in Kenya, ASANTE SANA!
Maya is a 15-year-old Luo girl from Kibera in Nairobi County and will graduate from Daraja with the Class of 2028. She comes from a community where many people rely on informal jobs for survival. She lives with her mother and younger brother in a one-room mud house in the Kibera slums. On school days, she would wake up early to complete household chores, prepare her brother for school, and then attend school herself.
Despite the many responsibilities she carried at home, Maya became a class prefect, where she guided her classmates and set a positive example. In her free time, she enjoys reading storybooks, playing basketball, and helping out at home.
Maya dreams of becoming a doctor so she can earn a stable living and help others. She describes Daraja as a bridge between her past struggles and a future filled with opportunity and success. She shares that meeting other girls at Daraja, who welcomed her warmly, helped ease her fears about boarding school.