The Butterfly Project offers vulnerable girls an education who face human rights abuses

I CAN FLY International’s Butterfly Project in Machakos, Kenya works to eradicate and reduce the number of girls ages 13-18 years old within the region who are unable to attend secondary school due to harmful cultural practices and/or economic challenges which pose a problem to girls seeking educational endeavors. The girls are survivors of female genital mutilation, forced marriages, tribal war, abandonment, orphans and children affected by extreme poverty.

We offer them free education, boarding (shelter), enrichment, life-skills and hope. Our Secondary education program through I Can Fly High School takes place six days per week from 7:30am-4:30pm with an emphasis in language arts, Christian education, history, math, chemistry, and physics courses for youth in Forms 1-4 (equivalent grades 9-12). A team of credentialed teachers provide level appropriate coursework in the subject areas required by Kenya’s Ministry of Education.

The Enrichment activities are held year round. The activities include individualized tutoring for students experiencing difficulties in a particular subject as well as those seeking better performance. Students are encouraged to participate in various regional competitions in the areas of science, math, and thought provoking debates where students discuss solutions to the most controversial issues of our time. Through the enrichment they are also given tools to help combat low self-esteem, acquire ethical thought patterns and adopt leadership skills in their efforts to grow into productive adults.

All Butterfly Project boarding students reside in the 3,500 square foot dormitory facility called the Butterfly House which also serves as a rescue center for girls with the most sensitive rescue cases. Most girls in our care with emergency rescue cases do not have contact with family members due to the nature of abuse they endured or unfulfilled promises of marriage after dowry payments were paid to family members.

Due to the large number of girls who are unable to pay High School fees in Kenya after elementary school, an alarming amount of students from rural communities are married off, undergo female genital mutilation, join the labor force as illegal house-maids, become low-wage farming assistants, or stay at home after the 8th grade. Once a rescued girl is admitted into the Butterfly Project at I Can Fly High School an evaluation of her academic, emotional, and physical needs are assessed. Once the assessment is complete the leadership team, which consists of teachers, counselors and administrators and clergy put together a success plan that includes tutoring, mentoring, counseling, life-skills and leadership development. Each activity is designed to progressively restore the student's confidence and ability to hope again. Through these strategies, each beneficiary will raise her academic mean score by at least one grade point each year. The outcome of her academic ability will consist of a 100% success rate of students admitted to four year Universities, colleges and business or trade schools in preparation for professional careers and entrepreneurial endeavors. Each girl will ultimately complete four years of High School with high grades upon graduation that will allow her access to higher institutions of learning. In addition, we expect each student to give-back to their community by later becoming mentors and role-models to girls in the upcoming generation. We expect a full circle experience for each girl by using the leadership skills learned through the Butterfly Project to educate rural communities on the effects and disadvantages of forced marriages, Female genital mutilation, sexual abuse and child labor.

The request funds will be used to further our cause by purchasing books for required academic subjects, desks that are needed due to a lack of desks for the number of students we serve and funds for extra tutoring sessions with trained professionals.