Westchester’s Mission to KEEP Kenyan Girls In School

Writing by Isabella Aranda Garcia

Photography by Justin Negard

It all began with a book.

In a small, seven-member book club meeting, the book on the table was “Half the Sky,” a nonfiction work by New York Times journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The book, which delves into the many hardships faced by women worldwide—such as sex trafficking, child marriage, and female genital mutilation (FGM)—left a lasting impression on the group.

“We were deeply moved by the stories in Half the Sky, which highlight the atrocities faced by women and girls worldwide,” says Ruthie Rosenberg, Katonah resident and president of KEEP, a Westchester-based nonprofit that partners with the Kakenya Center for Excellence (KCE). “We felt we had to do something.”

The group knew they couldn’t tackle every issue, but they were determined to find the best way to address as many problems as possible. They quickly realized that education was key. By investing in the education of girls and women, they realized they could create opportunities that would empower individuals and uplift entire communities—enabling them to earn income and reinvest in their futures.

“There’s this huge ripple effect that improves the economic status of the entire community, not just the girls,” Cynthia Braun, Katonah resident and one of the founders of KEEP, explains.

Kakenya’s story

With a clear mission to keep girls in school, they knew they needed to partner with an organization already doing meaningful work. From 2010 to 2014, KEEP funded programs run by Apne Aap, founded by journalist Ruchira Gupta, to fight sex trafficking. Yet the founders felt their mission wasn’t complete, and they were ready to build something else. That’s when they discovered Kakenya Ntaiya, a Kenyan educator, feminist, and social activist who founded the KCE.

Ntaiya’s own story was incredibly inspiring—she was engaged at the age of five and, in a deal with her father, endured FGM to delay marriage and complete her education. She became the first woman from her village to attend college, and she understood firsthand the transformative power of education for girls. Rosenberg saw Ntaiya share her story and was deeply moved by her resilience. “She’s magnetic; she’s passionate,” says Rosenberg. “She pulls you in, and she has the gift of just being who she really is.”

In regions like the Maasai village, where one in two girls are married before the age of 19, and 28 percent of girls aged 15-19 have had at least one pregnancy, the challenges are especially dire. In “Half the Sky,” there are heartbreaking stories of girls suffering from obstetric fistulas due to complications during childbirth, leaving them isolated from their communities. Families, unable to afford school fees, often expect girls to work at home instead of attending school. “As a result, less than 25 percent of girls in the region graduate high school,” Rosenberg explains.

In response to these challenges, Ntaiya built the first primary school in the Maasai village in 2009, where education for girls was virtually unheard of. The KEEP founders knew this was “their” institution. “The goal was to work with an organization that supported a community where it would make an enormous difference,” says Braun. They believed that Ntaiya, who was leading the way by empowering women in her village to pursue education and break free from poverty, embodied that mission.

From left to right: Cynthia Braun, Celeste Crosby, Elizabeth McGoldrick, Ruthie Rosenberg.

Humble beginnings

In late 2014, KEEP shifted to support the KCE by funding the tuition scholarships, which include mentorship, life skills education, and medical support. Their main goal was to keep young women in school and motivated to stay, helping them achieve a more prosperous future and the choice to further their careers.

When KEEP began its partnership with KCE, they supported a fourth-grade class, which they continued to support all the way through eighth grade (the last year of primary school). From 2018 through 2024, KEEP supported each eighth-grade class, with a tuition of $585 per student. Starting this year, KEEP will fund every girl in ninth grade because the Kenyan government recently made ninth grade the end of middle school. “We do our best to raise $23,000-$24,000 annually, which covers the scholarships for all the girls in one class,” says Braun.

To raise funding, KEEP members hold various fundraising events, including paddle tennis tournaments, raffles, 5K races, lectures, field trips and parties. They typically hold two large fundraising events each year, a paddle tennis tournament in the winter and a community celebration in the fall.

In 2024, KEEP received a video from a student they began supporting in 2014 when she was in fourth grade. Nancy Naini, now a college student, told them she’s pursuing a bachelor of laws degree at the University of Embu. Now in her second year, Naini hopes to become a role model for the Maasai community and girls around the world. Naini expressed her gratitude for the support she received from Kakenya and KEEP to make her education possible. This moving message reinforced the group’s dedication to their mission and reignited the sense of purpose for every member of KEEP.

A panel discussion at the Katonah Library with KCE founder Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya and students. Photo courtesy of KEEP.

Teens supporting teens

In 2012, KEEP expanded. A junior at John Jay High School was a KEEP pen pal but felt inspired to do more. After recruiting three classmates, she helped launch a school-based club called Students for KEEP. Advised by Noelle Maoriello, a social studies teacher, the 25-member club’s main focuses are on raising awareness, fundraising, and learning about social justice issues around the world. They hold bake sales on campus and provide baked goods for KEEP’s events, helping raise hundreds of dollars for tuition each year.

One of the most memorable moments for the student group occurred in 2016. Kakenya visited John Jay High School and spoke at an assembly, describing her life and the lives of her students in Kenya. The students were shocked and inspired by what the girls at the boarding school had to endure. Later, in 2018, KEEP’s adult and student groups arranged for Kakenya, two teachers and a group of students at KCE to return to JJHS. “They held a Q&A with high school students, members of Students for KEEP, and the community team,” says Braun. “The room was packed—standing room only—as everyone listened intently to the powerful stories the girls shared.”

Over the years, other schools have gotten involved as well. Students at St.Luke’s in New Canaan have launched student-led initiatives supporting KEEP through Bar/Bat Mitzvah projects and school club fundraisers. Additionally, a student in Ridgefield supported the organization for her Girl Scout Gold Award project.

Andrew Greene, a teacher at Whitby High School, heard about KEEP and reached out to invite the organization to speak to his Model UN Club. “After meeting with us, he mentioned that the Montessori Model UN Conference had never hosted African students to represent Africa,” says Braun. With KEEP’s support, Greene organized a return trip for the KCE students in early 2019, where they joined the Whitby High School Model UN Club in New York City; they represented Kenya at the conference.

Building lives

What began as a small boarding school for young girls has grown into an institution that now spans from kindergarten through college, thanks, in part, to funding from KEEP.  The KCE has built a strong, supportive community committed to helping these girls receive an education and break the cycle of poverty and oppression.

“It’s a boarding school for a reason,” says Braun. “If the girls were to stay in their villages and walk before the sun rises and after the sun sets, they’d be vulnerable to violence.” The school also feeds the girls three nutritious meals every day.

This summer, KEEP’s board members will visit KCE’s Kenyan campus to experience their impact firsthand and connect with the students. KEEP remains committed to breaking the cycle of poverty and gender-based violence. The women of KEEP envision a future where every girl grows up in a safe, supportive environment, free from violence and inequality.

This article was published in the May/June 2025 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.