Esila ('For Girls') Campaign
[Read more about this important initiative on the Lifeline Energy website.]
Project Aim
To enable Maasai girls in rural Kenya to continue learning when they stay home from school due to family responsibilities or their menstrual cycle.
Our excellent partners in this initiative are the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) and the Bethel Network. KBC, the country’s national broadcaster - with 14 local language stations in addition to English and Swahili, airs school lessons via radio. Lifeline Energy's radios provide access for the girls to listen and learn from home. The Bethel Network, a Kenyan NGO, provides menstrual hygiene products and related education and support for sanitation for rural schools across the country.
Challenge
In Kenya, Maasai schoolgirls have difficulties staying in school full-time. Nearly all Maasai girls stay back at least one grade because of the number of days they miss school. Fewer still will graduate high school. The main reasons for this are:
- Household responsibilities that keep them home (especially older girls)
- Their periods. Their parents cannot afford to buy sanitary pads and they often lack access to water. Menstruation remains a taboo topic.
Solution
Lifeline Energy distributes solar and wind-up radios so girls can listen to their school lessons and not fall behind. They also listen to life skills programs and practice their English skills and accent via the radio. The built-in light helps them study after dark.
We work closely with our partners KBC and the Bethel Network to ensure rural girls can continue to learn.
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