Ashley and I are racing 10 kilometers in support of girls' education. Any money we raise goes directly to Daraja Academy in Kenya and Ashley's education. Thank you for your help! Or, as they say in Kenya, ASANTE SANA!
Ashley is a 15-year-old Meru girl from Nkubu town and will graduate from Daraja with the Class of 2028. She lives with her younger brother and both parents in a two-room timber and iron sheet house. She explains that her parents are away a lot due to their alcohol abuse, leaving Ashley responsible to care for herself and her brother. This has made the accessibility to clothes and food become increasingly difficult, while simultaneously managing her studies. Neither of her parents completed high school.
Nonetheless, Ashley took on responsibilities at school by ensuring that all students completed their homework and listened to their teachers. She loves singing and dancing because they help her find happiness even during difficult times, and reading storybooks makes her feel brave.
Ashley describes Daraja as the bridge from a difficult past to a brighter future, one where she becomes a surgeon and saves lives, just as she says Daraja saved hers.