WISER International

WISER Girls Secondary School: WISER provided fully funded secondary education, safe housing,leadership opportunities, skills development, mentorship, & psychosocial support to 240 girls in2022, approximately 40% of whom are partial or total orphans, many due to HIV/AIDS-relatedillness. WISER provides girls with these opportunities as well as key resources that girlsneed to thrive, including clothes, books, mosquito nets, healthy meals, clean water, andessential health resources. All students are provided with access to a choice of menstrual products and menstrual hygiene education. WISER also completed a new junior secondary campus in preparation accepting grades 7 and 8 in the future.

Duke Engage Empowering Girls through Education and Health:While working for eight weeks in rural Kenya, students will assist WISER to create environments that produce exceptional young women that can drive change in their communities. WISER accomplishes this by a range of interventions that include health, education, and leadership development. Community partner interactions will include adolescent girls enrolled in the WISER secondary school, primary school communities, womens community development groups, youth church groups, community members accessing WISERs clean water system, and NGO staff. Opportunities for students may include expanding a sexual and reproductive health training program; working with youth STEM entrepreneurs; improving English essay writing skills; developing multimedia projects with youth to showcase their challenges and strengths; and researching the impact of clean water on health. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of global health challenges in a rural and underserved community.