Daraja 12th grader Jackie and school founder Jason Doherty had the honor of sitting down with Jane Goodall; primatologist, anthropologist, UN Messenger of Peace and member of the World Future Council. Listen as Jane shares her story of following her dream to Africa, studying the chimps at Gombe Stream, the importance of girls' education and so much more. Jane also makes a request of Jackie and plants a seed that could impact Kenya and the world at large.


About Daraja Academy and the Podcast:

Jason and Jenni Doherty are the founders of Daraja Academy and parents to 115 current students and many alumni. Jenni comes from a family of eight children and is the first woman in her family to go to university. Jason comes from a family of five, and his passion is education.

When Jason and Jenni Doherty – educators from the Bay Area – visited Kenya in 2006, they were struck by the degree that gender determined opportunity. For families living in deep poverty, access to education was already limited, but sons were still far more likely to attend secondary school than daughters. Girls were being left behind. Thus, they started Daraja Academy.

Daraja Academy is a boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but without the means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare, and counseling services so students may focus on their academic and personal potential without the everyday barriers they would otherwise face. 

Their groundbreaking educational model has generated a community of students filled with intellectual curiosity and a hunger to learn. Through this podcast, we get to know the stories of the girls of Daraja, Daraja Academy, and all the incredible people that support and strengthen Daraja.

Connect with Daraja Means Bridge:

Website:https://www.daraja-academy.org/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/daraja-academy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-doherty-baa9735a/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DarajaAcademy

Twitter:https://twitter.com/darajaacademy

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/darajaacademy/

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQiWAdnakahyCnRlvWzoSA

Email:[email protected]

Be her bridge! Donate to girls' education in Kenya:

https://www.daraja-academy.org/donate/

Only at Daraja would girls be so at ease 24 hours before Kenya's 12th grade national examinations. Listen as 12th graders Sharon and Farhia discuss growing up in the Kenyan school system and the KCSE, a three week examination that determines whether they can go to university, what they can study once they are there and why they feel so at ease the day before it all starts.


Special Thanks to Salvador Santana for the use of his song, “Rise Up,” in our podcast!


About Daraja Academy and the Podcast:

Jason and Jenni Doherty are the founders of Daraja Academy and parents to 115 current students and many alumni. Jenni comes from a family of eight children and is the first woman in her family to go to university. Jason comes from a family of five, and his passion is education.

When Jason and Jenni Doherty – educators from the Bay Area – visited Kenya in 2006, they were struck by the degree that gender determined opportunity. For families living in deep poverty, access to education was already limited, but sons were still far more likely to attend secondary school than daughters. Girls were being left behind. Thus, they started Daraja Academy.

Daraja Academy is a boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but without the means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare, and counseling services so students may focus on their academic and personal potential without the everyday barriers they would otherwise face. 

Their groundbreaking educational model has generated a community of students filled with intellectual curiosity and a hunger to learn. Through this podcast, we get to know the stories of the girls of Daraja, Daraja Academy, and all the incredible people that support and strengthen Daraja.

Connect with Daraja Means Bridge:

Website:https://www.daraja-academy.org/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/daraja-academy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-doherty-baa9735a/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DarajaAcademy

Twitter:https://twitter.com/darajaacademy

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/darajaacademy/

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQiWAdnakahyCnRlvWzoSA

Email:[email protected]

Be her bridge! Donate to girls' education in Kenya:

https://www.daraja-academy.org/donate/

Only in her first year at Daraja, Faith speaks eloquently and with confidence about the struggles she has overcome in her life. For several years her family survived on the free lunch she would bring home from primary school. She tells us about her families struggles growing up in Dandora, in her words, “a slum right on the edge of the Nairobi dump” and how at times she had to negotiate its dangers to collect metals and plastics to sell.


Special Thanks to Salvador Santana for the use of his song, “Rise Up,” in our podcast!


About Daraja Academy and the Podcast:

Jason and Jenni Doherty are the founders of Daraja Academy and parents to 115 current students and many alumni. Jenni comes from a family of eight children and is the first woman in her family to go to university. Jason comes from a family of five, and his passion is education.

When Jason and Jenni Doherty – educators from the Bay Area – visited Kenya in 2006, they were struck by the degree that gender determined opportunity. For families living in deep poverty, access to education was already limited, but sons were still far more likely to attend secondary school than daughters. Girls were being left behind. Thus, they started Daraja Academy.

Daraja Academy is a boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but without the means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare, and counseling services so students may focus on their academic and personal potential without the everyday barriers they would otherwise face. 

Their groundbreaking educational model has generated a community of students filled with intellectual curiosity and a hunger to learn. Through this podcast, we get to know the stories of the girls of Daraja, Daraja Academy, and all the incredible people that support and strengthen Daraja.

Connect with Daraja Means Bridge:

Website:https://www.daraja-academy.org/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/daraja-academy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-doherty-baa9735a/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DarajaAcademy

Twitter:https://twitter.com/darajaacademy

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/darajaacademy/

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQiWAdnakahyCnRlvWzoSA

Email:[email protected]

Be her bridge! Donate to girls' education in Kenya:

https://www.daraja-academy.org/donate/

Anzel has A LOT to say… and she does! Just listen to her confident flow after our host invites her to, “say hi.” She shares about growing up in Garrissa county, how its border with Somalia can make life difficult and her struggles with the patriarchal culture. As a 12th grader, Anzel explains about the valuable lessons she has learned while at Daraja. She concludes by interviewing the our host and Daraja founder Jason Doherty and asks some very pointed questions. Enjoy!


Special Thanks to Salvador Santana for the use of his song, “Rise Up,” in our podcast!


About Daraja Academy and the Podcast:

 Jason and Jenni Doherty are the founders of Daraja Academy and parents to 115 current students and many alumni. Jenni comes from a family of eight children and is the first woman in her family to go to university. Jason comes from a family of five, and his passion is education.

When Jason and Jenni Doherty – educators from the Bay Area – visited Kenya in 2006, they were struck by the degree that gender determined opportunity. For families living in deep poverty, access to education was already limited, but sons were still far more likely to attend secondary school than daughters. Girls were being left behind. Thus, they started Daraja Academy.

Daraja Academy is a boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but without the means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare, and counseling services so students may focus on their academic and personal potential without the everyday barriers they would otherwise face. 

Their groundbreaking educational model has generated a community of students filled with intellectual curiosity and a hunger to learn. Through this podcast, we get to know the stories of the girls of Daraja, Daraja Academy, and all the incredible people that support and strengthen Daraja.

Connect with Daraja Means Bridge:

 
Website:https://www.daraja-academy.org/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/daraja-academy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-doherty-baa9735a/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DarajaAcademy

Twitter:https://twitter.com/darajaacademy

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/darajaacademy/

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQiWAdnakahyCnRlvWzoSA

Email:[email protected]

Be her bridge! Donate to girls' education in Kenya:

https://www.daraja-academy.org/donate/

Stacy is a remarkable 12-grade student at Daraja who hopes to be an architectural engineer one day. She tells how she believes in destiny and that she was meant to do great things and change her small community where girls like her are still forced into early marriages. In fact, Stacy's father had already received the dowry payment for her arranged wedding to an older man when she ran away from home. Soon after she heard of Daraja, applied and her life has never been the same. Destiny?

3 key take-aways

• How much some of our girls sacrifice to go to school
• How are our girls sharing what they have learned when they go home 
• What makes our school different from others

Special Thanks to Salvador Santana for the use of his song, “Rise Up,” in our podcast!

About Daraja Academy and the Podcast:

Jason and Jenni Doherty are the founders of Daraja Academy and parents to 115 current students and many alumni. Jenni comes from a family of eight children and is the first woman in her family to go to university. Jason comes from a family of five, and his passion is education.

When Jason and Jenni Doherty – educators from the Bay Area – visited Kenya in 2006, they were struck by the degree that gender determined opportunity. For families living in deep poverty, access to education was already limited, but sons were still far more likely to attend secondary school than daughters. Girls were being left behind. Thus, they started Daraja Academy.

Daraja Academy is a boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but without the means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare, and counseling services so students may focus on their academic and personal potential without the everyday barriers they would otherwise face. 

Their groundbreaking educational model has generated a community of students filled with intellectual curiosity and a hunger to learn. Through this podcast, we get to know the stories of the girls of Daraja, Daraja Academy, and all the incredible people that support and strengthen Daraja.

Connect with Daraja Means Bridge:

Website:https://www.daraja-academy.org/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/daraja-academy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-doherty-baa9735a/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DarajaAcademy

Twitter:https://twitter.com/darajaacademy

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/darajaacademy/

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQiWAdnakahyCnRlvWzoSA

Email:[email protected]

Be her bridge! Donate to girls' education in Kenya:

https://www.daraja-academy.org/donate/

Brenda shares the difficulties of growing up with a single mother who never got the education she needed and the pain of being unable to go to high school. She talks about how great women like Toni Morrison and Wangari Maathai have roused something in her heart and how a National Geographic article inspired her to look beyond her small world. She concludes with a beautiful testimony of what Daraja is to her.

3 key take-aways

• How educating women can impact our world in a positive way
• What education can do for small communities 
• How the snowball effect can change the world

Special Thanks to Salvador Santana for the use of his song, “Rise Up,” in our podcast!

About Daraja Academy and the Podcast:

Jason and Jenni Doherty are the founders of Daraja Academy and parents to 115 current students and many alumni. Jenni comes from a family of eight children and is the first woman in her family to go to university. Jason comes from a family of five, and his passion is education.

When Jason and Jenni Doherty – educators from the Bay Area – visited Kenya in 2006, they were struck by the degree that gender determined opportunity. For families living in deep poverty, access to education was already limited, but sons were still far more likely to attend secondary school than daughters. Girls were being left behind. Thus, they started Daraja Academy.

Daraja Academy is a boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but without the means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare, and counseling services so students may focus on their academic and personal potential without the everyday barriers they would otherwise face. 

Their groundbreaking educational model has generated a community of students filled with intellectual curiosity and a hunger to learn. Through this podcast, we get to know the stories of the girls of Daraja, Daraja Academy, and all the incredible people that support and strengthen Daraja.

Connect with Daraja Means Bridge:

Website:https://www.daraja-academy.org/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/daraja-academy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-doherty-baa9735a/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DarajaAcademy

Twitter:https://twitter.com/darajaacademy

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/darajaacademy/

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQiWAdnakahyCnRlvWzoSA

Email:[email protected]

Be her bridge! Donate to girls' education in Kenya:

https://www.daraja-academy.org/donate/

Today's guest on Daraja Means Bridge is Joan Wairimu, the chairwoman of the Daraja Kenya Initiative, a team of dedicated professionals that support Daraja Academy. A successful businesswoman, Joan explains how she learned about and fell in love with the school, its mission, and the girls. 

Listen as Joan talks about her experiences empowering and mentoring the Daraja girls. You can hear the compassion in her voice when she speaks about the students. But she is very clear with her advice to them, "Don't let anyone put you in a box!"

3 Key Takeaways: 

• How Joan's education raises Daraja to new heights
• Joan's experience's with gender oppression while working leadership positions 
• The power of Daraja’s WISH class to young women who are used to being suppressed

Special Thanks to Salvador Santana for the use of his song, “Rise Up,” in our podcast!

About Daraja Academy and the Podcast:

Jason and Jenni Doherty are the founders of Daraja Academy and parents to 115 current students and many alumni. Jenni comes from a family of eight children and is the first woman in her family to go to university. Jason comes from a family of five, and his passion is education.

When Jason and Jenni Doherty – educators from the Bay Area – visited Kenya in 2006, they were struck by the degree that gender determined opportunity. For families living in deep poverty, access to education was already limited, but sons were still far more likely to attend secondary school than daughters. Girls were being left behind. Thus, they started Daraja Academy.

Daraja Academy is a boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but without the means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare, and counseling services so students may focus on their academic and personal potential without the everyday barriers they would otherwise face. 

Their groundbreaking educational model has generated a community of students filled with intellectual curiosity and a hunger to learn. Through this podcast, we get to know the stories of the girls of Daraja, Daraja Academy, and all the incredible people that support and strengthen Daraja.

Connect with Daraja Means Bridge:

Website:https://www.daraja-academy.org/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/daraja-academy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-doherty-baa9735a/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DarajaAcademy

Twitter:https://twitter.com/darajaacademy

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/darajaacademy/

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQiWAdnakahyCnRlvWzoSA

Email:[email protected]

Be her bridge! Donate to girls' education in Kenya:

https://www.daraja-academy.org/donate/

SUPPORT MARTHA'S EDUCATION

Today’s guest on Daraja Means Bridge is a Darja Academy original; she began her journey alongside host Jason Doherty in the first pioneer class at the academy, she as a student and he as an educator. Now, Marylene holds a university degree and has returned to the school as a history educator. She takes pride in bolstering the courage of new interviewees and students each year, actively participating in their difficult but deeply rewarding seasonal interviews. 

Join them in their discussion today about how one girl’s desire to have a better life has now affected highschool girls for years, the power of Daraja’s WISH program, and about why Jason swears in all honesty that Marylene is one of his favorite people

3 Key Takeaways: 

• How Marylene’s education at Daraja created a domino effect as she returned with a degree to the school
• The power of Daraja’s WISH class to young women who are used to being suppressed
• Marylene’s most impactful memory of student interviews

Special Thanks to Salvador Santana for the use of his song, “Rise Up,” in our podcast!

About Daraja Academy and the Podcast:

Jason and Jenni Doherty are the founders of Daraja Academy and parents to 115 current students and many alumni. Jenni comes from a family of eight children and is the first woman in her family to go to university. Jason comes from a family of five, and his passion is education.

When Jason and Jenni Doherty – educators from the Bay Area – visited Kenya in 2006, they were struck by the degree that gender determined opportunity. For families living in deep poverty, access to education was already limited, but sons were still far more likely to attend secondary school than daughters. Girls were being left behind. Thus, they started Daraja Academy.

Daraja Academy is a boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but without the means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare, and counseling services so students may focus on their academic and personal potential without the everyday barriers they would otherwise face. 

Their groundbreaking educational model has generated a community of students filled with intellectual curiosity and a hunger to learn. Through this podcast, we get to know the stories of the girls of Daraja, Daraja Academy, and all the incredible people that support and strengthen Daraja.

Connect with Daraja Means Bridge:

Website:https://www.daraja-academy.org/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/daraja-academy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-doherty-baa9735a/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DarajaAcademy

Twitter:https://twitter.com/darajaacademy

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/darajaacademy/

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQiWAdnakahyCnRlvWzoSA

Email:[email protected]

Be her bridge! Donate to girls' education in Kenya:

https://www.daraja-academy.org/donate/

SUPPORT MARTHA'S EDUCATION

Do

Daraja 11th Grader Jackline 

Jason Doherty begins this episode of the Daraja Means Bridge Podcast with his conviction that one day all of us will know about today’s interviewee--in Hollywood. Jackline is an 11th grader at Daraja Academy, and though she is still learning, she is already taking great measures to be a changemaker. She is a leader for girls in her school, an orphanage far away from school, and hopes to change the world with her unique goal of being an actress. 

Listen today and learn why the stripes on her uniform tie not only signify her position but encompass the core of her personality, and see why this tough and charismatic young Kenyan girl has brought Jason to tears on multiple occasions.

3 Key Takeaways

• Why being admitted into Daraja was a dream come true to this young Kenyan girl
• Why Jason walked out during the middle of Jackline’s admission interview
• Why you should imagine taking part in educating a life-long change maker

Special Thanks to Salvador Santana for the use of his song, “Rise Up,” in our podcast!

About Daraja Academy and the Podcast:

Jason and Jenni Doherty are the founders of Daraja Academy and parents to 115 current students and many alumni. Jenni comes from a family of eight children and is the first woman in her family to go to university. Jason comes from a family of five, and his passion is education.

When Jason and Jenni Doherty – educators from the Bay Area – visited Kenya in 2006, they were struck by the degree that gender determined opportunity. For families living in deep poverty, access to education was already limited, but sons were still far more likely to attend secondary school than daughters. Girls were being left behind. Thus, they started Daraja Academy.

Daraja Academy is a boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but without the means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare, and counseling services so students may focus on their academic and personal potential without the everyday barriers they would otherwise face. 

Their groundbreaking educational model has generated a community of students filled with intellectual curiosity and a hunger to learn. Through this podcast, we get to know the stories of the girls of Daraja, Daraja Academy, and all the incredible people that support and strengthen Daraja.

Connect with Daraja Means Bridge:

Website:https://www.daraja-academy.org/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/daraja-academy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-doherty-baa9735a/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DarajaAcademy

Twitter:https://twitter.com/darajaacademy

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/darajaacademy/

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQiWAdnakahyCnRlvWzoSA

Email:[email protected]

Be her bridge! Donate to girls' education in Kenya:

https://www.daraja-academy.org/donate/

Help Martha

Guest Julian Hayes

Jason Doherty, host of Daraja Means Bridge Podcast, and Julian Hayes, guest entrepreneur, become fast friends in this episode as they discuss their similar experiences caring for a sick father and dealing with the negative changes that experiences like COVID-19 brought on. Join them and learn about Julian’s life growing up in Nashville: how his experience reading and developing a wide vocabulary shifted his paradigm and how meeting people from all walks of life shaped him into the health and fitness expert he is today, using cutting-edge data and lab testing to improve the physical health of individuals across the full age spectrum. 

In this episode you will learn:

• Why the 6th most effective way to create climate change is to educate girls
• The best way to address issues in a cover letter by asking interviewees one question
• How to turn your anger into a strength

About Daraja Academy and the Podcast:

Jason and Jenni Doherty are the founders of Daraja Academy and parents to 115 current students and many alumni. Jenni comes from a family of eight children and is the first woman in her family to go to university. Jason comes from a family of five, and his passion is education.

When Jason and Jenni Doherty – educators from the Bay Area – visited Kenya in 2006, they were struck by the degree that gender determined opportunity. For families living in deep poverty, access to education was already limited, but sons were still far more likely to attend secondary school than daughters. Girls were being left behind. Thus, they started Daraja Academy.

Daraja Academy is a boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but without the means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare, and counseling services so students may focus on their academic and personal potential without the everyday barriers they would otherwise face. 

Their groundbreaking educational model has generated a community of students filled with intellectual curiosity and a hunger to learn. Through this podcast, we get to know the stories of the girls of Daraja, Daraja Academy, and all the incredible people that support and strengthen Daraja.

Connect with Daraja Means Bridge:

Website:https://www.daraja-academy.org/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/daraja-academy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-doherty-baa9735a/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DarajaAcademy

Twitter:https://twitter.com/darajaacademy

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/darajaacademy/

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQiWAdnakahyCnRlvWzoSA

Email:[email protected]

Be her bridge! Donate to girls' education in Kenya:

https://www.daraja-academy.org/donate/