You’ll use the same form every time you log new miles. Just fill in the start date and end date along with you’re miles. Your entry gets added to our mileage tracker automatically. And you’ll get an email with the info, too.
If you count steps, about every 2,000 steps adds up to 1 mile.
We’ll send an email each week reminding you to log your miles, but you can fill out the form anytime.
Inspired by KEEP, local Girl Scout Kaylie Singhal hosted a Cartwheel-A-Thon in August to raise funds for a new health clinic that’s being built at the Kakenya Center for Excellence. Kaylie also made first aid kits for the classrooms at KCE.
Here’s how Kaylie describes her inspiration and results:
I chose this project to make the world a better place by supporting KEEP in their goal of helping girls at KCE who are at risk for childhood marriage, teen pregnancy and FGM, as well as helping [the girls] get a high school education and quality healthcare from their new health center!
COVID-19 presented many challenges but finally, the girls received the first aid kits in Kenya. The total donation value for all the first aid kit supplies was $1,245! This allowed me to make 8 classroom first aid kits and 2 central first aid kits. There are also extra supplies that were donated to replenish the kits.
The Cartwheel-A-Thon event raised $3,612 for KEEP to donate to The Kakenya Center for Excellence health center.
After presenting her project, Kaylie earned the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Kaylie receives her Girl Scout Gold Award and two thumbs up from KEEP board members Ruthie Rosenberg (right) and Cynthia Braun (left)
We couldn’t be more impressed with her efforts to improve the health of the whole KCE community!
WHAT:Together, we will walk, hike, or run the distance from Katonah, NY, to the Kakenya Center for Excellence in Kenya – a total of 7,624 miles! Each participant will contribute their own mileage toward this communal goal.
WHEN: The challenge will kick off on the International Day of the Girl on October 11th. We have set a goal of reaching Kenya in six weeks – by November 22nd. You can sign up any time.
WHY: To raise money for girls’ education. Educating at-risk girls is one of the most powerful ways to fight economic and social inequality. And we’ll get some exercise too!
It’s easy to participate:
Register, make your donation, and add your miles to our collective goal.
You decide if you want to walk, run, or hike.
You decide how much to do. The suggested registration donation is the same no matter how many miles you decide to do. And every step counts, whether you meet your goal, don’t quite get there, or exceed your own expectations.
There is no requirement to solicit sponsors (but you can ask for donations if you want to boost your impact).
You get a cool t-shirt if you participate.
Lace up your sneakers and KEEP fit, KEEP connected and KEEP girls in school!
How:Sign up as an individual or grab some friends and register as a team. Choose your own mileage goal and log your miles each week.
Be sure to post on Instagram to share your progress and tell more people about our event! #KEEP2Kenya
Donate: $50 per person.
As always, 100% of your fully tax-deductible donation supports tuition for the girls in the eighth-grade class at the Kakenya Center for Excellence.
Boost Your Impact:Raise additional funds by asking others to support your trek. Adding boosters to your profile puts you in the running (pun intended) for winning prizes!
Share your Progress: Add your miles to the shared tracker. Just go to the mileage form and fill it out. Feel free to click the button to get a copy emailed to you. That’s the only way you can keep track of what you’ve submitted.
Use the same form each time you want to log your miles. Each time you fill out the form, add your name, the dates you’re submitting for an your miles. All your info will automatically get added to our master tracker. We’d love to collect your miles every week, but you can enter them any time – daily, bi-weekly, or whenever you have a free moment.
Finish Line: When we collectively reach the Kakenya Center for Excellence, all participants will receive a KEEP 2 Kenya Challenge T-Shirt to commemorate this tremendous accomplishment!
Thanks so much for adding your foot-power to our KEEP 2 Kenya Challenge! Every step counts.
Please join us for our fourth annual Women’s Paddle Tennis Tournament!
Katonah Memorial Park Paddle Tennis Courts April 12 – 16 (eight players per day) 10:00 – 11:30am
Covid may have altered the format but not the fun! We’ll play in groups of eight per day for safety (masks required). Refreshments for all and prizes for the paddlers who rack up the most points!
Many of you have asked how the pandemic has been affecting the girls we support at the Kakenya Center for Excellence. Thank you for your concern!
After meeting recently with Kakenya by videoconference, we have terrific news:
Each and every one of the KEEP-supported girls returned safely to the KCE campus in mid-October. Because of the amazing work of Kakenya and her team, ALL of the 42 eighth graders have been protected from FGM, child marriage, and pregnancy.
When the Kenyan government closed schools in mid-March, KCE students returned to their villages. In this part of rural Kenya, the teen pregnancy rate is 40% and gender-based violence is prevalent. Aware of these dangers, Kakenya’s staff made regular visits to each village. They checked in on every student and delivered essentials such as learning materials, food, and soap, as well as the solar lights and radios that you, our generous KEEP donors, provided for them last spring.
An eighth grader with her supplies (see solar light and radio at left)
In October, the Kenyan government announced that all fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders would return to school, prioritizing these grades because of required national exams. Thrilled to be back at school, the KEEP-supported eighth grade girls are following strict COVID protocols as they resume their studies. COVID testing is not available in this part of Kenya, but students and staff remain on the self-contained campus. We are hopeful they will stay safe.
KCE students back on campus
Although the pandemic has increased operating expenses, KCE has been able to keep all staff on full salary as teachers, administrators, and program staff continue to care for students whether on campus or at home. Of all the important work Kakenya shared with us, we’d like to highlight two exciting new initiatives. This fall, Kakenya’s Dream launched the Linda Dada (“Protect a Sister” in Swahili) Campaign, which aims to combat rising rates of teen pregnancy by developing local leaders’ commitment to girls’ health through discussions, focus groups, and radio broadcasts.
Local chiefs discuss girls’ health
Plans are also underway to build the community’s first youth-friendly health clinic next year! The clinic will deliver comprehensive healthcare, including contraception, to KCE students and local youth. We are pleased to report that friends of KEEP with expertise in this area are advising Kakenya on this project.
As a KEEP donor, you are in good company. Michelle Obama and Melinda Gates recently applauded Kakenya’s work on CNN. Obama and Gates emphasized that we must prioritize adolescent girls’ wellbeing during the pandemic: “When girls are given the chance to learn and thrive, poverty drops, economies grow, families get stronger and babies are born healthier. The world, by every measure, gets better.”
Please consider supporting all this good work with a donation. As always, your donation to KEEP is fully tax-deductible, and every penny supports the eighth grade class at the Kakenya Center for Excellence.
Hurrah!! We did it!! Because of your generosity, boosted by the matching grant, every eighth grade girl at the Kakenya Center for Excellence will receive a solar light and a solar radio! Thank you for your amazing response to our appeal!
Your outpouring of kindness and compassion touched us deeply. We love this image from KEEP supporter Kristen Dorta, whose children created a special jar for KEEP.
This jar of spare change funded lights and radios for 2 girls!
Your gifts are potentially life changing for the KCE girls. The photo at the top of this post is the home of a KCE student, which can give you an idea of the need. With radios, the students will be able to listen to government broadcast instruction while doing their chores. With lights, they will be able to study after sundown.
Continuing to learn while Kenyan schools are closed is especially important for the eighth graders. This fall, their scores on a competitive national exam will determine their placements in high school.
KCE continues to pay teachers and staff their full salaries as they deliver care packages of food, supplies, and books to each student. Quite a few students did not have a safe home to return to, but Kakenya and her staff managed to arrange secure living situations for all of them. This dedication to the welfare of each and every girl is just one reason we love our partnership with KCE!
The KEEP community has gone above and beyond to help the KCE girls through this crisis. Thank you for rising to the challenge! You are a shining beacon of hope during a difficult time.
We’ve had an amazing response to our recent appeal for the girls at the Kakenya Center for Excellence! Your generosity, boosted by a matching grant, has enabled us to fund solar-powered lights and radios for 33 of the 42 eighth grade girls!
The home of a KCE student who will receive a solar light and radio to enable learning
We need to raise just $270 more in order to provide these simple yet potentially life changing devices to each and every eighth grader.
Let’s give these girls the opportunity to prepare for their national exams even while they are away from KCE due to the pandemic.
A donation of $30 will be matched to provide a light and a radio for one girl.
Donations of any amount are always appreciated, and all donations are fully tax-deductible.
Thank you for your tremendous generosity during this challenging time!
Many of you have asked how the girls at the Kakenya Center for Excellence are doing. Here’s an update as well as an exciting opportunity to help.
When the Kenyan government ordered all schools closed in March, KCE students returned to their homes. Now all the KCE students are “distance learning” – which is especially challenging without reliable electricity and internet access! But the KCE staff is making every effort, traveling to each student’s village to deliver books as well as care packages of basic necessities, such as food, sanitary pads and soap.
This commitment to supporting each and every girl exemplifies what we love about KCE: Kakenya and her staff care for their students like family, even under the most difficult of circumstances.
The KEEP-supported eighth grade girls, however, face an extra challenge: This fall, they must take the government exam required to gain admission to high school. They will be competing against eighth graders nationwide, many of whom will have had greater access to test preparation resources.
Worried about this predicament, we asked Kakenya, “How can we help?” She immediately replied, “Solar-powered radios and lights!” While KEEP will continue to cover full tuition for the eighth grade class, we would also love to provide each girl with a radio and a light!
With a $30 radio, a girl can listen to government-broadcast instruction while she is gathering water and firewood. With a $30 light, she can study after sundown when she has finished her chores. These simple devices will enable the eighth graders to prepare for their national exams even while they are away from KCE.
And we have AMAZING news about fulfilling this need: Thanks to the generosity of a private foundation, KEEP will match every donation made toward this effort!
A donation of $30 will be matched to provide a radio and a light to one girl.
A donation of $60 will be matched to provide radios and lights to two girls.
A donation of $90 will be matched to provide radios and lights to three girls.
Let’s show the girls KEEP is committed to helping them through this crisis!
As always, donations of any amount are always appreciated, and all donations are fully tax-deductible.
Thank you for your generosity during this challenging time! Together, we will help the girls overcome yet more adversity – surviving and even thriving despite difficult circumstances. We couldn’t do it without you!
With gratitude, Cynthia Braun, Celeste Crosby, Elizabeth McGoldrick, Ruthie Rosenberg and Elena Rover
P.S. This need is urgent. Please consider donating today.
Please join us for our third annual Women’s Paddle Tennis Tournament at the beautiful Waccabuc Country Club!
Thursday, February 27th 10 am – 12 noon (Warm-ups begin at 9:45)
Rain date: Thursday, March 5th
Waccabuc Country Club – 90 Mead Street, Waccabuc
The players at the 2nd Annual Play for KEEP event in 2019
Enjoy an invigorating morning of round robin doubles play under the direction of paddle tennis pro Richard Finn, then gather around the fire in the Carriage House for refreshments, prizes and a raffle. Win a massage, a private tennis lesson, and more!
Players will be grouped by ability for even match play. All abilities welcome!
Suggested donation: $60
Your fully tax-deductible donation will cover two months of tuition for one of the eighth grade girls supported by KEEP at the Kakenya Center for Excellence.
Come learn why educating girls is one of the leading ways to combat climate change.
Please join us on November 15th for an exciting event.
Enjoy music by Marc Black. Earth-friendly fare and libations are being donated by local purveyors: Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. Cask Fine and Rare Wines DeCicco Family Markets Good Hope Farm Greenway Market Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard La Tulipe Nisa Lee Events Phat Olive Vine and Co.
Last Updated: November 14, 2021 by Elena
Log your miles!
Thanks for joining the KEEP 2 Kenya Challenge.
We hope to collectively log 7,624 miles by November 22nd. That’s a lot of miles! Every step you contribute can help us reach our goal.
Here’s how to log your miles:
It’s that easy.
You’ll use the same form every time you log new miles. Just fill in the start date and end date along with you’re miles. Your entry gets added to our mileage tracker automatically. And you’ll get an email with the info, too.
If you count steps, about every 2,000 steps adds up to 1 mile.
We’ll send an email each week reminding you to log your miles, but you can fill out the form anytime.
Last Updated: October 4, 2021 by Elena
Girl Scout Gold Supports KCE
Inspired by KEEP, local Girl Scout Kaylie Singhal hosted a Cartwheel-A-Thon in August to raise funds for a new health clinic that’s being built at the Kakenya Center for Excellence. Kaylie also made first aid kits for the classrooms at KCE.
Here’s how Kaylie describes her inspiration and results:
I chose this project to make the world a better place by supporting KEEP in their goal of helping girls at KCE who are at risk for childhood marriage, teen pregnancy and FGM, as well as helping [the girls] get a high school education and quality healthcare from their new health center!
COVID-19 presented many challenges but finally, the girls received the first aid kits in Kenya. The total donation value for all the first aid kit supplies was $1,245! This allowed me to make 8 classroom first aid kits and 2 central first aid kits. There are also extra supplies that were donated to replenish the kits.
The Cartwheel-A-Thon event raised $3,612 for KEEP to donate to The Kakenya Center for Excellence health center.
After presenting her project, Kaylie earned the Girl Scout Gold Award.
We couldn’t be more impressed with her efforts to improve the health of the whole KCE community!
Last Updated: December 5, 2021 by Elena
Join the KEEP 2 Kenya Challenge!
WHAT: Together, we will walk, hike, or run the distance from Katonah, NY, to the Kakenya Center for Excellence in Kenya – a total of 7,624 miles! Each participant will contribute their own mileage toward this communal goal.
WHEN: The challenge will kick off on the International Day of the Girl on October 11th. We have set a goal of reaching Kenya in six weeks – by November 22nd. You can sign up any time.
WHY: To raise money for girls’ education. Educating at-risk girls is one of the most powerful ways to fight economic and social inequality. And we’ll get some exercise too!
It’s easy to participate:
Register, make your donation, and add your miles to our collective goal.
Lace up your sneakers and KEEP fit, KEEP connected and KEEP girls in school!
Here’s what to do:
How: Sign up as an individual or grab some friends and register as a team. Choose your own mileage goal and log your miles each week.
Be sure to post on Instagram to share your progress and tell more people about our event! #KEEP2Kenya
Donate: $50 per person.
As always, 100% of your fully tax-deductible donation supports tuition for the girls in the eighth-grade class at the Kakenya Center for Excellence.
Boost Your Impact: Raise additional funds by asking others to support your trek. Adding boosters to your profile puts you in the running (pun intended) for winning prizes!
Share your Progress: Add your miles to the shared tracker. Just go to the mileage form and fill it out. Feel free to click the button to get a copy emailed to you. That’s the only way you can keep track of what you’ve submitted.
Use the same form each time you want to log your miles. Each time you fill out the form, add your name, the dates you’re submitting for an your miles. All your info will automatically get added to our master tracker. We’d love to collect your miles every week, but you can enter them any time – daily, bi-weekly, or whenever you have a free moment.
Finish Line: When we collectively reach the Kakenya Center for Excellence, all participants will receive a KEEP 2 Kenya Challenge T-Shirt to commemorate this tremendous accomplishment!
Thanks so much for adding your foot-power to our KEEP 2 Kenya Challenge! Every step counts.
Last Updated: October 1, 2021 by Elena
Play some paddle, do some good!
Please join us for our fourth annual Women’s Paddle Tennis Tournament!
Katonah Memorial Park Paddle Tennis Courts
April 12 – 16 (eight players per day)
10:00 – 11:30am
Covid may have altered the format but not the fun! We’ll play in groups of eight per day for safety (masks required). Refreshments for all and prizes for the paddlers who rack up the most points!
To register, please go to our online registration form.
Participants will be grouped by ability and assigned one day to play based on player availability. All levels welcome!
Suggested donation: $60
As always, 100% of your fully tax-deductible donation supports tuition for the girls in the eighth-grade class at the Kakenya Center for Excellence.
Space is limited. Please register ASAP but no later than Friday, April 2nd.
Hope to see you on the courts!
If you have questions, please email info@keepgirlsinschool.org.
Last Updated: March 31, 2021 by Elena
Covid update
November 10, 2020
Many of you have asked how the pandemic has been affecting the girls we support at the Kakenya Center for Excellence. Thank you for your concern!
After meeting recently with Kakenya by videoconference, we have terrific news:
Each and every one of the KEEP-supported girls returned safely to the KCE campus in mid-October. Because of the amazing work of Kakenya and her team, ALL of the 42 eighth graders have been protected from FGM, child marriage, and pregnancy.
When the Kenyan government closed schools in mid-March, KCE students returned to their villages. In this part of rural Kenya, the teen pregnancy rate is 40% and gender-based violence is prevalent. Aware of these dangers, Kakenya’s staff made regular visits to each village. They checked in on every student and delivered essentials such as learning materials, food, and soap, as well as the solar lights and radios that you, our generous KEEP donors, provided for them last spring.
In October, the Kenyan government announced that all fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders would return to school, prioritizing these grades because of required national exams. Thrilled to be back at school, the KEEP-supported eighth grade girls are following strict COVID protocols as they resume their studies. COVID testing is not available in this part of Kenya, but students and staff remain on the self-contained campus. We are hopeful they will stay safe.
Although the pandemic has increased operating expenses, KCE has been able to keep all staff on full salary as teachers, administrators, and program staff continue to care for students whether on campus or at home. Of all the important work Kakenya shared with us, we’d like to highlight two exciting new initiatives. This fall, Kakenya’s Dream launched the Linda Dada (“Protect a Sister” in Swahili) Campaign, which aims to combat rising rates of teen pregnancy by developing local leaders’ commitment to girls’ health through discussions, focus groups, and radio broadcasts.
Plans are also underway to build the community’s first youth-friendly health clinic next year! The clinic will deliver comprehensive healthcare, including contraception, to KCE students and local youth. We are pleased to report that friends of KEEP with expertise in this area are advising Kakenya on this project.
As a KEEP donor, you are in good company. Michelle Obama and Melinda Gates recently applauded Kakenya’s work on CNN. Obama and Gates emphasized that we must prioritize adolescent girls’ wellbeing during the pandemic: “When girls are given the chance to learn and thrive, poverty drops, economies grow, families get stronger and babies are born healthier. The world, by every measure, gets better.”
Please consider supporting all this good work with a donation. As always, your donation to KEEP is fully tax-deductible, and every penny supports the eighth grade class at the Kakenya Center for Excellence.
Wishing health and happiness to you and yours!
Last Updated: May 22, 2020 by Elena
We did it!
Hurrah!! We did it!! Because of your generosity, boosted by the matching grant, every eighth grade girl at the Kakenya Center for Excellence will receive a solar light and a solar radio! Thank you for your amazing response to our appeal!
Your outpouring of kindness and compassion touched us deeply. We love this image from KEEP supporter Kristen Dorta, whose children created a special jar for KEEP.
Your gifts are potentially life changing for the KCE girls. The photo at the top of this post is the home of a KCE student, which can give you an idea of the need. With radios, the students will be able to listen to government broadcast instruction while doing their chores. With lights, they will be able to study after sundown.
Continuing to learn while Kenyan schools are closed is especially important for the eighth graders. This fall, their scores on a competitive national exam will determine their placements in high school.
KCE continues to pay teachers and staff their full salaries as they deliver care packages of food, supplies, and books to each student. Quite a few students did not have a safe home to return to, but Kakenya and her staff managed to arrange secure living situations for all of them. This dedication to the welfare of each and every girl is just one reason we love our partnership with KCE!
The KEEP community has gone above and beyond to help the KCE girls through this crisis. Thank you for rising to the challenge! You are a shining beacon of hope during a difficult time.
Stay well everyone!
Last Updated: March 16, 2023 by Elena
Almost there!
We’ve had an amazing response to our recent appeal for the girls at the Kakenya Center for Excellence! Your generosity, boosted by a matching grant, has enabled us to fund solar-powered lights and radios for 33 of the 42 eighth grade girls!
We need to raise just $270 more in order to provide these simple yet potentially life changing devices to each and every eighth grader.
Let’s give these girls the opportunity to prepare for their national exams even while they are away from KCE due to the pandemic.
A donation of $30 will be matched to provide a light and a radio for one girl.
Donations of any amount are always appreciated, and all donations are fully tax-deductible.
Thank you for your tremendous generosity during this challenging time!
Last Updated: March 16, 2023 by Elena
Update + an Urgent Need!
Many of you have asked how the girls at the Kakenya Center for Excellence are doing. Here’s an update as well as an exciting opportunity to help.
When the Kenyan government ordered all schools closed in March, KCE students returned to their homes. Now all the KCE students are “distance learning” – which is especially challenging without reliable electricity and internet access! But the KCE staff is making every effort, traveling to each student’s village to deliver books as well as care packages of basic necessities, such as food, sanitary pads and soap.
This commitment to supporting each and every girl exemplifies what we love about KCE: Kakenya and her staff care for their students like family, even under the most difficult of circumstances.
The KEEP-supported eighth grade girls, however, face an extra challenge: This fall, they must take the government exam required to gain admission to high school. They will be competing against eighth graders nationwide, many of whom will have had greater access to test preparation resources.
Worried about this predicament, we asked Kakenya, “How can we help?” She immediately replied, “Solar-powered radios and lights!” While KEEP will continue to cover full tuition for the eighth grade class, we would also love to provide each girl with a radio and a light!
With a $30 radio, a girl can listen to government-broadcast instruction while she is gathering water and firewood. With a $30 light, she can study after sundown when she has finished her chores. These simple devices will enable the eighth graders to prepare for their national exams even while they are away from KCE.
And we have AMAZING news about fulfilling this need: Thanks to the generosity of a private foundation, KEEP will match every donation made toward this effort!
A donation of $30 will be matched to provide a radio and a light to one girl.
A donation of $60 will be matched to provide radios and lights to two girls.
A donation of $90 will be matched to provide radios and lights to
three girls.
Let’s show the girls KEEP is committed to helping them through this crisis!
As always, donations of any amount are always appreciated, and all donations are fully tax-deductible.
Thank you for your generosity during this challenging time! Together, we will help the girls overcome yet more adversity – surviving and even thriving despite difficult circumstances. We couldn’t do it without you!
With gratitude,
Cynthia Braun, Celeste Crosby, Elizabeth McGoldrick, Ruthie Rosenberg and Elena Rover
P.S. This need is urgent. Please consider donating today.
Last Updated: February 11, 2020 by Elena
3rd Annual Play for KEEP event
Please join us for our third annual Women’s Paddle Tennis Tournament at the beautiful Waccabuc Country Club!
Thursday, February 27th
10 am – 12 noon
(Warm-ups begin at 9:45)
Rain date: Thursday, March 5th
Waccabuc Country Club – 90 Mead Street, Waccabuc
Enjoy an invigorating morning of round robin doubles play under the direction of paddle tennis pro Richard Finn, then gather around the fire in the Carriage House for refreshments, prizes and a raffle. Win a massage, a private tennis lesson, and more!
Players will be grouped by ability for even match play. All abilities welcome!
Suggested donation: $60
Your fully tax-deductible donation will cover two months of tuition for one of the eighth grade girls supported by KEEP at the Kakenya Center for Excellence.
To register, please email us at info@keepgirlsinschool.org. Space is limited.
We hope to see you there!
Cynthia Braun, Celeste Crosby, Elizabeth McGoldrick, Ruthie Rosenberg and Elena Rover
Last Updated: November 15, 2019 by Elena
Nov 15: Party for the Planet
Come learn why educating girls is one of the leading ways to combat climate change.
Please join us on November 15th for an exciting event.
Enjoy music by Marc Black. Earth-friendly fare and libations are being donated by local purveyors:
Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Cask Fine and Rare Wines
DeCicco Family Markets
Good Hope Farm
Greenway Market
Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard
La Tulipe
Nisa Lee Events
Phat Olive
Vine and Co.
Make a Difference Today
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Learn more about the Kakenya Center for Excellence at
www.KakenyasDream.org
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