2008 Woodie Awards
WISER takes Duke to Kenya, U.N.
By: Kristen Davis
Issue date: 9/10/07 Section: News
Last update: 9/10/07 at 7:04 AM EST
Last update: 9/10/07 at 7:04 AM EST
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The cost per student per year is $700, which includes all costs and a monthly stipend. WISER will accept 70 percent of its students from Muhuru Bay and 30 percent from outside the village, as determined by the community members, he added.
Even though WISER will be an all-girl secondary school, the facility will be used between school sessions to run a co-educational camp in order to promote positive gender relations in the region.
The pilot program for the camp was launched by the 12 students this summer.
"The Duke students led three classes they developed-Gender in Everyday Life, Learning to Lead and Adolescent Health-in addition to other community-building activities such as poetry slams, computer training, nightly skits and more," Cunningham said.
Junior Chetan Jhaveri, who travelled to Kenya and planned the camp curriculum in an independent study with Broverman last Spring, said 36 students from a local co-ed secondary school attended the two-week camp.
"The kids were nervous at first because the teaching style was different than what they were used to because it was really interactive," he said. "I think they really enjoyed that, [though]. We were exhausted by the end of each day, but it was worth it."
Jhaveri also said it was rewarding for him to witness the students' changing perceptions of themselves and the opposite gender.
"Boys said they would help their wives in the kitchen because they realized [performing domestic work] is not a biological trait," he said. "One girl, Milkah, said, 'I really enjoyed [the activity] because now I understand that I can be the head of my family if I want to.'"
During the six weeks the students spent in Muhuru Bay, they also brought solar panels to the area, led computer training classes with 10 Duke-donated laptops, met with community members to discuss the curriculum and trained the school's teachers. They distributed sanitary pads to community women so that girls do not have to stay out of school while they are menstruating.
"Three Duke students also traveled by bike each day to complete a microfinance survey to determine strategies for increasing income and utilizing skills and assets already existing in this small fishing village off the Coast of Lake Victoria," Cunningham said.
He added that now he is in the process of forming the Duke WISER Club.
"Students will have the chance to help organize events on campus that will fundraise for girls' scholarships and coordinate knowledge sharing from different disciplines," Cunningham said.
Even though WISER will be an all-girl secondary school, the facility will be used between school sessions to run a co-educational camp in order to promote positive gender relations in the region.
The pilot program for the camp was launched by the 12 students this summer.
"The Duke students led three classes they developed-Gender in Everyday Life, Learning to Lead and Adolescent Health-in addition to other community-building activities such as poetry slams, computer training, nightly skits and more," Cunningham said.
Junior Chetan Jhaveri, who travelled to Kenya and planned the camp curriculum in an independent study with Broverman last Spring, said 36 students from a local co-ed secondary school attended the two-week camp.
"The kids were nervous at first because the teaching style was different than what they were used to because it was really interactive," he said. "I think they really enjoyed that, [though]. We were exhausted by the end of each day, but it was worth it."
Jhaveri also said it was rewarding for him to witness the students' changing perceptions of themselves and the opposite gender.
"Boys said they would help their wives in the kitchen because they realized [performing domestic work] is not a biological trait," he said. "One girl, Milkah, said, 'I really enjoyed [the activity] because now I understand that I can be the head of my family if I want to.'"
During the six weeks the students spent in Muhuru Bay, they also brought solar panels to the area, led computer training classes with 10 Duke-donated laptops, met with community members to discuss the curriculum and trained the school's teachers. They distributed sanitary pads to community women so that girls do not have to stay out of school while they are menstruating.
"Three Duke students also traveled by bike each day to complete a microfinance survey to determine strategies for increasing income and utilizing skills and assets already existing in this small fishing village off the Coast of Lake Victoria," Cunningham said.
He added that now he is in the process of forming the Duke WISER Club.
"Students will have the chance to help organize events on campus that will fundraise for girls' scholarships and coordinate knowledge sharing from different disciplines," Cunningham said.
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