Kakenya Ntaiya

Activist, Change Agent, Educator/Teacher, Global soul, Idea generator, Parent

Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya is the founder and CEO of Kakenya’s Dream, a nonprofit organization educating girls, ending harmful traditional practices, and uplifting communities in rural Kenya. Dr. Ntaiya was engaged at age 5 and raised with the expectation that she would undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) and marry as a teenager. Dr. Ntaiya had a different dream. She negotiated with her father to return to school after surviving FGM. When she was accepted to college in the United States, she promised to use her education to help the village in exchange for their support. Dr. Ntaiya went on to earn her PhD in education at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2009, the Kakenya Center for Excellence boarding school opened with 30 students. Today, Kakenya’s Dream empowers thousands of girls, boys, and community members each year. Dr. Ntaiya is a proud CNN Hero and National Geographic Emerging Explorer. She received the Feminist Majority Global Women’s Rights Award, was featured in Bill Gates’ Heroes in the Field series, and was featured in Melinda French Gates’ book The Moment of Lift.

Girls' Education, Social Change, Youth Empowerment,

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