Binti Shupavu

About Binti Shupavu

Binti Shupavu, meaning "Courageous Daughters" in Swahili, is a transformative girls' mentorship and leadership programme that equips adolescent girls with the knowledge, confidence, resilience, and life skills they need to successfully navigate adolescence, complete their education, and become leaders in their communities.

Originally developed in Tanzania, the Binti Shupavu Programme is implemented by GLAMI (Girls Livelihood and Mentorship Initiative). In 2023, the programme was introduced in Kenya through a partnership between GLAMI, Daring Girls, and the Centre for Women Empowerment in Technology (CWE-TECH). As the first organization selected to localize and implement the programme in Kenya, CWE-TECH adapted the curriculum to reflect the Kenyan context while preserving the core principles of the Binti Shupavu model.

The Beginning of Binti Shupavu in Kenya

CWE-TECH introduced the programme in Murang'a County after identifying the significant challenges affecting adolescent girls in rural communities. Through community assessments and consultations with schools, parents, and local leaders, it became evident that many girls were struggling with poverty, low self-esteem, peer pressure, early pregnancies, gender-based violence, inadequate parental support, menstrual health challenges, and limited access to mentorship and positive female role models. These challenges often contributed to poor academic performance and school dropout.

Recognizing the urgent need for holistic support, CWE-TECH partnered with Mirichu Secondary School and Kaganda Secondary School, two rural day schools where girls face long walks to school, economic hardships, and heightened vulnerability to exploitation. Lessons, examples, and discussions were carefully localized to address the realities faced by girls in Murang'a County, ensuring that every session was meaningful, relevant, and culturally appropriate.

Our Approach

Binti Shupavu is a four-year mentorship programme that accompanies girls throughout their secondary school journey, beginning in Form One and continuing until graduation.

Throughout the programme, trained mentors meet weekly with the girls in safe, supportive spaces within their schools. Rather than traditional classroom teaching, the programme focuses on building trusting relationships where mentors walk alongside the girls, listening, encouraging, and guiding them through the challenges of adolescence.

The curriculum is age-appropriate and progressively builds the girls' personal, social, and leadership capacities throughout the four years.

What Girls Learn

The programme provides comprehensive mentorship covering:

Through interactive activities, discussions, reflection exercises, and mentorship, girls develop practical skills that prepare them not only for academic success but also for life beyond school.

• Leadership and personal development
• Self-awareness and self-confidence
• Goal setting and career planning
• Effective communication skills
• Decision-making and critical thinking
• Financial literacy
• Digital literacy and responsible technology use
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
• Menstrual health and hygiene
• Mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Healthy relationships and peer pressure management
• Academic excellence and study skills
• Entrepreneurship and future readiness
• Community service and civic responsibility

Beyond Mentorship

At CWE-TECH, we recognize that mentorship alone is not enough. Many girls face barriers that require holistic support. Therefore, Binti Shupavu integrates complementary interventions including:

This whole-community approach creates an enabling environment that supports girls both at school and at home.

• Parent and caregiver engagement
• Teacher collaboration
• Menstrual hygiene awareness and dignity kit distribution
• Sexual and reproductive health education
• Leadership and empowerment forums
• Career exposure and role model sessions

Our Impact

Since launching the programme in Kenya, Binti Shupavu has helped girls build stronger self-confidence, improve discipline, strengthen academic commitment, and develop leadership skills. Teachers and parents have reported noticeable improvements in girls' communication, responsibility, decision-making, and participation both in school and within their families. Mentors have also observed increased resilience and optimism among scholars as they work toward achieving their dreams.

Beyond individual transformation, the programme is creating a generation of young women who are empowered to challenge harmful social norms, make informed decisions, and become positive role models in their communities.

Beyond Graduation: The Binti Shupavu Alumni Network

Graduation is not the end of the Binti Shupavu journey—it marks the beginning of a lifelong connection. Upon completing the programme, scholars become members of the Binti Shupavu Alumni Network, a growing community of young women committed to continued learning, leadership, and service.

The Alumni Network enables graduates to stay connected, support one another, access mentorship and personal development opportunities, and build professional networks as they transition to higher education, employment, entrepreneurship, and community leadership.

As the network grows, alumni will play an important role in giving back by mentoring younger scholars, sharing their experiences, volunteering in programme activities, and serving as role models within their communities. Through this cycle of mentorship, the Binti Shupavu Alumni Network will continue to strengthen the programme while creating a lasting community of courageous young women committed to transforming lives and communities.

Our Vision for the Future

Binti Shupavu is more than a mentorship programme—it is a movement to ensure that every girl, regardless of her background, has the opportunity to discover her potential, complete her education, and confidently pursue her aspirations.

As CWE-TECH continues to expand the programme to more schools and communities across Kenya, we remain committed to nurturing courageous daughters who will become ethical leaders, innovators, professionals, entrepreneurs, and changemakers.

Every girl deserves the opportunity to dream boldly, lead confidently, and build a future without limits.