For years, communities living along the shores of Lake Victoria have been known for battling the ‘triple threat’ of HIV/AIDS, early pregnancies, and child marriages. Girls are usually the most affected, which informed the establishment of the Women’s Institute for Secondary Education and Research (WISER) Girls Secondary School in Nyatike, Migori county along Muhuru Bay. It has been over 14 years since the school was opened, and it continues to give hope to young girls from families who would have struggled to raise school fees. Who founded WISER Girls? The school was founded in 2010 by Rose Ogwang, a daughter of the land, to champion girls’ empowerment.
“When I see or talk about WISER, I picture myself sitting under a tree with my kinsmen enlightening them on the importance of girl child education,” Rose told TUKO.co.ke. The presence of Wiser Girls has brought light and hope to the long-forgotten people of Muhuru Bay. On many occasions, the school has provided a place for a mother and her daughter to learn. How many girls have been through Wiser Secondary School According to Wiser Girls Principal Violet Sing’oei, for the over ten years they have been in existence, 418 girls have been through the school, with 54 per cent of them transitioning to university. “Almost every household in Muhuru Bay has a beneficiary of Wiser Girls,” the principal proudly said. Initially, the school admitted only 30 students per year but it has since increased the number to 45.
“We have been admitting every bright and less fortunate girl scoring 350 marks or above and giving them a full sponsorship program. We are covering all expenses from Form One to Form Four,” she added. For the students who secure university entry grades, the school supports them with KSh 50,00O. This holistic support system has made Wiser Girls a lifeline for orphans and girls from impoverished backgrounds. Has Wiser Girls stopped supporting needy students? However, the school was forced to stop the KSh 50,000 support for students joining the university in 2023 due to financial constraints. “As of now, we are struggling with the girls and we can’t ask them to pay anything due to their humble backgrounds,” the principal said. Despite the financial challenges they have been facing, the school remains steadfast in pushing ahead with its agenda of supporting the needy girls in the community to pursue their dreams.
In the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination, Wiser Girls registered an impressive mean grade of 8.04, a huge improvement compared to the 6.5 that they had in the previous year. “We had 48 out of 52 of our girls get university entry in last year’s KCSE and we are hoping for an improvement this year,” the school head said. Meanwhile, as they push to ensure girls in Nyatike get the best education, the school is asking well-wishers and Kenyans of goodwill to support it financially
by Sarah Zadock Joshua Cheloti
