At So They Can, our ultimate goal is to reduce poverty through access to quality education in Kenya and Tanzania. We have historically worked to achieve this goal through mobilising our Education Program in government primary schools.

However, as the number of children at So They Can supported schools has increased, and the number of children finishing primary school has surged, the need for well-resourced feeder secondary schools has also emerged as an urgent priority. The UN projects that within 10 years, the world’s largest workforce will be African. Access to quality secondary education will not only ensure that the rural children in the areas where we work have the opportunity to flourish beyond primary and continue to secondary school, but are also ready for gainful employment.

In turn, the result is low enrolment and high dropout rates over the course of secondary school education. Government statistics show that only 52% of secondary aged students in Kenya, and 44% in the Manyara Region of Tanzania, are enrolled in secondary school.

Qash Secondary School as an example for effective expansion to secondary education.

As we look to the future, it is clear that So They Can’s3-phase Sustainability Model can provide the investment required to develop these much-needed feeder secondary schools. In 2025 we made a start, and our support quickly increased the girls’ completion rate at Qash Secondary School in Tanzania.

In 2024, only 47 girls completed their secondary education at Qash Secondary School. Its remote location means that most students walk a 10-18 kilometre roundtrip every day. Prior to 2025, the student dropout rate over the four years of lower-level Secondary School was over 60%. However, in 2025, So They Can supported the construction and opening of Qash Secondary School’s first boarding facility. An 80-bed girls’ dormitory, with 40 double bunk beds, 5 toilets (including 1 accessible toilet) and 5 showers. The wider Qash community also played a vital role in the project, contributing 10% of the total project cost in the form of local materials and labour for the build.

When the doors officially opened in May 2025, it was a joyful occasion for everyone. What’s more? In 2025, the girls’ completion rate more than tripled (86%), and soared to 178.

“I am very grateful to [So They Can] for constructing this dormitory for us. Now, we will grow up in a safe place. In the past, we slept on the floor without beds and used the classroom as a hostel. However, we now have a comfortable environment to live and study at night.” Aisha, 18 year-old student from Qash Secondary School.

So They Can’s 3-phase sustainability model in secondary schools: Building the next generation.

From 2026 onwards, So They Can is pursuing an ambitious secondary school strategy, to educate the next generation of young people in Baringo and Babati. Over the next 6 years we plan to implement our Education Program in the 14 feeder secondary schools in our partner communities.

When this investment is secured, we estimate that our current secondary school populations – 6,300 students and 79 teachers – will increase by 20%. This increase will be primarily made up of low-income, rural school children who will now be able to access their right to education, transition from primary to a secondary school that delivers quality education, and build their futures.