Introducing the internship initiative 🎉
We are thrilled to announce the new Alumni and Internship initiative!
As of this year, we have had two alumni who have graduated from the Kurandza Educational Program return as interns! They will be joined by three other Kurandza program girls who have shown leadership potential. All the girls are participating in a year-long internship, where they have been receiving facilitator training through assisting in the Literacy Program, and have had their first mentorship sessions.
We are excited to share all the details with you! Read on to learn why we started the Alumni Program, who it is for, and the impact it will have in the Kurandza girls’ futures.
Why an alumni initiative?
At Kurandza we believe that every girl deserves the highest opportunity to pursue dignified employment opportunities and reach her dreams. That means reaching beyond her school years into a college education!
We don’t want education to stop after 12th grade, but for it to serve as a foundation to build on for both her college career, and the career path of her choice. The goal of this program is to support girls who may not have the opportunity to pursue a further education, and to set them up for the greatest future success.
Who is the initiative for?
The program exists for girls like Esmenia who returned as an alumni this year who have completed twelfth grade but are unable to immediately apply for college due factors such as having not passed the college entrance exam, have the immediate means to cover tuition fees, or face other challenges such as having a baby at home with no available safe childcare options. It also exists to support girls like Filista who joined as an intern this year. Filista has shown great academic and leadership skills while facing similar challenges which have made it difficult to continue attending school. Through the internship she is provided a safe childcare option for her baby, the ability to finish school, and save towards her college tuition.
How the initiative works:
Our approach to supporting the girls who are spending this year as interns is to create an environment for them to gain invaluable work experience while learning important skills. The girls will be participating in trainings on topics such as how to write a resume. The field team will also be providing safe childcare support for the girls who otherwise wouldn’t be able to participate without it. The girls in the Alumni and Internship Program will:
Receive facilitator training where they will assist in Literacy Sessions with the younger girls. This will equip the alumni girls with teaching experience and at the end of the program they will be certified to facilitate Literacy Sessions too. This will have a great impact on the girls in the Literacy Program who get to interact with the older girls who have been through the Kurandza Education Program and come from similar backgrounds, inspiring them in their studies and dreams about their future! If you would like to learn more about our Literacy Program you can read about it here The kickoff of our new literacy initiative.
Participate in “The Club”. The Club is an activity where the girls receive mentorship sessions once a month. These mentorship sessions center around preparation for the college entrance exam at the end of the year. They will also get to explore available college courses, have university visits to decide on the best option for what they would like to study, and be fully equipped to make a dignified employment choice. It’s also a fun time where the girls can sing, dance, play games and get to know each other in an interactive setting.
Have the opportunity to participate in the Kurandza Trainee groups where they help in mobilizing the girls for activities, assist the field team in facilitating the literacy sessions for the girls, assist in administrative tasks, and play a vital role in keeping track of the girls’ progress in our program.
Receive a stipend every month to help with monthly expenses. Additionally, the Alumni will have their stipends matched and saved up for them in a special college fund set up for them. At the end of their internship, they will receive all the funds saved up from the year for them to use for university.
Our goal
At the end of the program our goal is for the girls who have participated in an internship year to not only be ready to enter a college course, but to have gained confidence in communicating with their leaders, peers and those they lead. Through facilitator training they are further developing their leadership skills providing the best possible outcome in setting them up for their future college education and into their careers!
Because of you!
We want to thank you, our supporters! Without you, the girls in the Alumni & Internship Program would not have the foundational education they now have to pursue a further education and dignified employment opportunities.
If you would like to know how you can help build a foundation for a girl's future, click here.