Kakenya Center for Excellence

“There are no committees that have the authority to act on behalf of the governing body.”

“The federal form 990 was prepared in a draft format. This draft format was presented at a meeting of the board of directors. At this meeting the draft form 990 was reviewed in depth by the members of the board of directors. Questions on the return were discussed at this time. The members of the board of directors then had additional time after that meeting to review the draft form 990 and to suggest changes. After all the input from the members of the board of directors the form 990 was finalized and filed with the internal revenue service.”

“During 2011 kce adopted a conflict of interest policy. This policy was reviewed and signed by all members of the board of directors. This policy is reviewed and signed on an annual basis by all of the members of the board of directors.”

“Compensation of the founder and any other members of management is determined by the board of directors based upon the activities to be performed during the year under review.”

“Kce will provide copies of its federal form 990 to the general public upon request. The federal form 990 is also available to the general public on guidestar.”

“The kakenya center for excellence's mission is to advance the development of africa by creating transformational educational, health and leadership initiatives designed to equip rural girls to expand their horizons and realize their full potential. We envision a future in which african girls are valued and respected and have equal opportunity and ability to lead and engage their families, communities, and the world. Our three core programs (kce primary boarding school, jilinde health and leadership training, and network for excellence) operate in enoosaen, kenya, and are designed to empower and motivate vulnerable and marginalized young girls through education to become agents of change and to break the cycle of destructive cultural practices such as female genital mutilation (fgm) and early forced marriage. As in most villages in kenya, women and girls in enoosaen remain severely marginalized by cultural traditions. Girls in the maasai community regularly stop going to school and are married off at adolescence after undergoing fgm, a painful and dangerous practice that is considered a rite of passage to adulthood. When girls are not educated, the cycle of marginalization continues from one generation to the next, with men and tribal elders dictating a girl's present and future without considering her social, financial, physical, or emotional well-being. Around the globe, data clearly indicates that investing in a girl's education creates profound positive outcomes that impact not only the girl herself, but her family and community, as well. Kce's mission is to change this situation for rural communities by demonstrating the great value that comes from educating girls by providing srhr information and services and by eradicating gender-based violence, stigma and discrimination. When girls are educated, the oppressive cycle can be broken from one generation to the next. When cultural norms change, new opportunities open for the social, financial, physical, and emotional well-being of girls and boys as the next generation of adults. Kce's programs are demonstrating that there is a viable alternative to what has been practiced in the past, transforming the lives of adolescent girls and giving their community and nation the benefit of dedicated, educated, confident young women.”

“The kakenya center for excellence's mission is to advance the development of africa by creating transformational initiatives designed to equip rural girls to expand their horizons and realize their full potential. We envision a future in which african girls are valued and respected and have equal opportunity and ability to lead and engage their families, communities, and the world. Our three core programs (kce primary boarding school, jilinde health and leadership training, and network for excellence) operate in enoosaen, kenya, and are designed to empower and motivate young girls through education to become agents of change and to break the cycle of destructive cultural practices such as female genital mutilation (fgm) and early forced marriage. Kce was founded by dr. Kakenya ntaiya, a native of enoosaen who knows firsthand what a difference education can make in a girl's life. Engaged at age 5, dr. Ntaiya was to be married as soon as she underwent fgm, an event that would mark the end of her education and the beginning of preparations for marriage. But dr. Ntaiya had a different plan. First, she negotiated with her father that she would undergo fgm only if she would be allowed to finish secondary school. He agreed. A few years later, she negotiated with her village elders to attend college on a scholarship in the united states, something no girl from enoosaen had ever done. She promised to use her education to benefit her community, and the entire village collected money to pay for her journey. This promise led her to a vision of forever changing the traditional trajectory for girls in her community. Kce is dr. Ntaiya's way of using her education to benefit enoosaen by giving village girls a pathway toward excellence and leadership, and it is a powerful example of how girls give back to their communities when they have opportunities and education.”

“The process has not changed from the prior year.”