WISER

WISER Plan

Problem

No girl who has completed her secondary education in the Muhuru Bay school district has ever qualified for college entrance, while a significant number of boys qualify every year. The Muhuru Bay region of Nyanza has some of the highest HIV and malaria infection rates in the country, as well as the greatest poverty.

Due to political isolation, Nyanza has not participated in the economic development that has occurred in other regions of Kenya. As is common around the world, girls suffer the most in impoverished communities. Of the girls who enter secondary school, many are forced into sexual relationships with their male teachers or the fishermen from Lake Victoria, leading to early pregnancies, HIV infection, and high drop out rates. There is an undeniable need to provide safe and effective education to the girls of Muhuru Bay to break the cycle of early marriage, HIV, and poverty.

Solution

Investing in women’s education in Muhuru Bay will ultimately increase the quality of life for both men and women in the region. Community members in Muhuru have partnered with Duke University to build the first girls’ secondary boarding school in the area, the Women’s Institute of Secondary Education and Research (WISER). Our school will include:

• 120 students, grades 9-12 with 70% receiving full scholarships
• A predominantly female staff to provide role models
• Teacher training and enhanced curriculum for an interactive learning experience
• Enhanced healthcare and health education for students and the surrounding community
• Computer lab with internet access powered by solar energy
• Water pumped from Lake Victoria with solar energy
• Utilizing Kenya’s trimester education system, WISER offers boys and girls of Muhuru Bay with three intensive intersession programs to ‘Grow WISER’ in the following areas:
• Grow WISER in Connections with Technology
• Grow WISER in Social Entrepreneurship with Kenyan Women Leaders
• Grow WISER at Camp WISER in Leadership, Gender, and Health

The WISER Objectives:

• Work to achieve gender parity in education
• Build a community of girls who, as alumni, will create a valuable social network of educated and motivated female leaders
• Foster international collaboration between US and Kenyan students through coeducational summer enrichment programs and research facilities, and web-based communications
• Enhance access to health education, health care, technology training, and microfinance for the surrounding community

Collaboration

WISER emerges from a five-year relationship between Duke University, Egerton University in Kenya, and the Muhuru Bay community. At Duke University, Sherryl Broverman, a professor of Biology, Andy Cunningham, a Robertson and Truman scholar, and a team of Duke students are spearheading the project.

Leading the project on the Kenyan side are Dr. Rose Odhiambo, originally from Muhuru Bay and now Director of the Institute for Women, Gender and Development Studies at Egerton University in Kenya, and a ground committee from Muhuru Bay. Dr. Odhiambo is the only woman from Muhuru Bay ever to go to university, although she did not attend secondary school in the district.

Timeline

• Summer 2007: Pilot programs on Leadership, Gender, and Health Education
• September 2008-June 2009: Construction of WISER facilities; buildings, water, electricity
• August 2008-September 2009: Teacher and Headmistress Recruitment in Kenya
• October 2008: Kenyan teachers and headmistress of WISER to participate in teacher training programs in the United States with US high school teachers in Durham, NC (dependent on funding)
• January 2010: Enrollment of first two WISER classes
• January 2011: Enrollment of third WISER class
• January 2012: Enrollment of fourth WISER class, graduation of first class

Financial Update

• Amount of funds already committed: $520,000
• Yearly Operating Budget for School: $125,000

Our Current Sponsors

Duke University Office of the President, Duke University Office of the Provost, DukeEngage, Duke Global Health Institute, Office of Chancellor of the Duke Medical Center, Johnson & Johnson, Goldman Sachs Global Leadership Seed-Funding Grant, 100 Projects for Peace, the Robertson Scholars Program, Claire Crowley Memorial Fund, and the WISER 100 Club Members including individuals, families, organizations, corporations and schools who have donated $1,000.