Naserian
Girls Rising in Narok
What happens when girls, families, teachers, and communities move together to remove the barriers that hold girls back? In Narok County, we're finding out.
Naserian is a two-year pilot built on the simple belief that girls already have strength, ideas, and ambition. They need communities that stand with them, opening the pathways to stay in school and shape their futures.
A Whole-Community Approach
Naserian is the first programme to bring together RISE and the Girls First Institute, following our recent merger with She's the First.
This two-year pilot tests what's possible when we work with families, schools and communities to address the barriers to girls’ education and opportunities. Through Naserian, we work across classrooms, homes, and community spaces, all with the same shared goal: creating the conditions for every girl to learn, lead, and define her own future.
Wraparound programming — engaging girls alongside the people who shape their world is the most sustainable path to girls' agency. Not a shortcut. The path." Kate Kiama,
VP Global Programmes
Girls in Narok —
Strength Amidst Barriers
Narok County sits in Kenya's Rift Valley, home to predominantly Maasai pastoralist communities. Girls here face some of the steepest challenges to education and wellbeing in the country — not because of who they are, but because of systems that haven't yet caught up with their potential.
These challenges intersect: social norms that prioritise marriage over schooling, under-resourced schools, limited health services, and community organisations working with limited coordination and funding. Naserian responds to all of it — at once.
Narok is also a place full of committed people. Community leaders who want better for their daughters. Teachers who stay after hours. Mothers who've been waiting for a program like this. Local organisations are doing extraordinary work with almost nothing.
Girls thrive when the people around them are part of the change. That's what Naserian is designed to support — the ecosystem that already exists, strengthened and connected.
43.3%
teen pregnancy rate, driving school drop-out.
87.8%
FGM prevalence, constraining girls' futures.
Four Program Areas. One Shared Direction.
No single lever is enough. Naserian works in classrooms, in communities, in homes, and in the training room — because girls' lives don't happen in just one place.
1 — RISE: Building Skills and Shifting Attitudes in the Classroom A 24-week, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD)-endorsed curriculum delivered weekly in grades six and seven. Girls and boys watch real stories from the "Girl Rising" film, take part in group activities, and reflect on their own goals and aspirations. The curriculum helps students challenge gender stereotypes, build confidence, and strengthen their sense of who they want to become. Teachers are trained before delivery, and two rounds run per year. ↳ 2,000 in-school adolescents across 20 government schools
2 — Mentorship for Out-of-School Girls Using She's the First's community-based organisation mentorship model, 15 community organisations run sessions twice a month for two years — 48 sessions total. Mentors are women from the same communities who have navigated similar barriers. Sessions use practical tools: the What Would You Do? card game for decision-making and the Period Diary to build body literacy and reduce stigma. For adolescents who social and economic barriers have kept out of school, this is often the first space built entirely around their growth and leadership. ↳ 6,500 out-of-school girls, including teenage mothers
3 — Training Champions for Gender Equity: Teachers and community organisation mentors shape how young people see themselves and the world. We invest in them through three-day in-person workshops on social-emotional learning, recognising gender bias, and student-centred teaching. The learning doesn't stop there — monthly virtual learning circles and WhatsApp peer groups keep teachers and mentors connected, supported, and growing throughout the year. ↳ 15 teachers trained per year · 95%+ report improved gender understanding
4 — Engaging Families for Girls' Futures Girls thrive when the people around them are part of the journey. Parents and caregivers are among the most powerful forces for a girl's future — and Naserian builds that partnership deliberately. A six-session parent engagement module mirrors what students learn in class: gender, social-emotional learning, and the value of education. Sessions are held on Sundays for accessibility and include film screenings of "Girl Rising" to build empathy through real stories. Where possible, parents of in-school and out-of-school girls come together. ↳ 1,500 parents, caregivers and local leaders
95%
of teachers improved their ability to address bias in school
53%
of CBOs reported increased school retention of teen mothers
82%
of CBOs reported positive shifts in girls' knowledge
Proof It Works
Both programs bring a decade of third-party evaluation behind them. These aren't projections — they're what we've already seen happen. After participating in our programmes:
Four Goals. Two Years.
One Community Moving Together.
Stronger Girls' Agency — Adolescents build social-emotional skills, confidence in decision-making, and gender-equitable attitudes — the foundation for everything that follows.
Girls Back in School — Improve educational retention and re-enrollment, especially for teenage mothers who structural barriers have kept from school, and who deserve a clear path to re-enrollment.
Teachers and Mentors Who Champion Girls — Strengthen the capacity of educators and community organisation leaders to deliver inclusive, rights-based programming with consistency and care.
Families and Communities Showing Up — Engage parents, caregivers and local leaders as informed, active partners in girls' education and wellbeing.
Naserian February 2026 Kick-off workshops
Implementation is led by Murua Girl Child Education Program coordinating with 15 community-based organisations in Narok County. Each organisation receives a grant and ongoing technical support.
Naserian is made possible with generous funding from
The Stone Family Foundation