African Women Lead.
20 years of betting on her
A girl gets deep, patient support, not a one-time handout,
and grows into the leader her community has been waiting for.
Girls and Young Women Mentored
Fund the next 20 years
resourcemobilization[@]akilidada.org
Twenty years ago, Akili Dada made a bet: give a girl deep, patient support, not a one-time handout, and she’ll grow into the leader her community has been waiting for. Twenty years and thousands of girls later, we’ve never lost that bet.
Community members whose lives have changed because one girl got a chance.
Girls’ education fully funded through high school since 2006.
Young women & girls mentored into leadership.
Grassroots organisations strengthened from the ground up.
“I started Akili Dada in 2005 as a way to pay it forward. From painful personal experience, I have insight into African women’s challenges in the quest for education as well as the difference that thoughtfully structured scholarships, compassionate mentoring, and purposeful leadership training can make.”
Angaza is Swahili for Illuminate. This program offers four years of fully funded high school education, plus mentors, counsellors, and family support that turn a scholarship into a high school diploma, and a diploma into a future.
Washa is Swahili for Ignite. This program supports young women already leading change in their communities; we provide the training, networks, and advocacy skills to help them lead louder.
Urithi is Swahili for Legacy. This program offers leadership programs for teenage girls in Kilifi, Kwale, Samburu, and Turkana, some of the most marginalised and disparate communities in Kenya, building the confidence and know-how to rewrite what’s expected of them.
Dr Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg was deep in her PhD research, chasing a stubborn question: why do so few African women rise to lead?
She found three answers: not enough education, not enough support, and cultures that teach girls to shrink instead of grow. So she built Akili Dada — ‘wise sister’ in Kiswahili — to take on all three, one girl at a time.
Our flagship program, Angaza, welcomes its first cohort of girls from rural and low-income communities.
Not a single payment. Four full years of high school, with mentors, counsellors, and people in her corner the whole way.
A scholarship alone was never the whole answer. Akili Dada grows into three interlocking programs, reaching girls and young leaders across Kenya.
Including the counties where the odds are steepest — Angaza, Washa, and Urithi, each built for a different stage of a girl’s journey.
Under Executive Director Joy Zawadi, our alumnae now lead NGOs, grassroots movements, and public institutions across the region.
Our motto says it best: once a dada, always a dada. Nobody ages out of this family.
Twenty years of results, not promises, and a tested pipeline of leaders to show for it.
Not just a check. Mentors, counselling, and family support for as long as she needs them.
A homegrown solution built by women, for girls, and open to anyone who believes in it.
A major gift. A multi-year pledge. A corporate partnership. Or simply reconnecting after time away. However you want to be part of the next twenty years, we want to talk: major gift & individual donors, long-time partners ready to go deeper, lapsed donors coming back, corporate & CSR partners, foundations & institutional funders, alumnae, champions & ambassadors.
Girls’ education fully funded through high school since 2006
Grassroots organisations strengthened from the ground up
Keeping your community clean and green, one pickup at a time for a healthier tomorrow for a clean earth & clear future.
