A school break shouldn't break a future.
Kinara supports girls to turn their education into real opportunity. Our flagship programme, the Girls Advancement Pathway (GAP), tackles the annual eight-month education gap after Form Four in Tanzania.
How we work
Kinara translates to the shore in Hindi and the candle holder in Swahili. We work across three levels to bring light to the moments of transition in girls’ education.
Education gaps threaten bright young minds every year.
More than 300,000 girls in Tanzania sit their Form 4 exams every year. An eight-month education gap follows before Form Five or training begins – no school, structure or safe space. It happens to every cohort, every year.
Without a structured learning environment, this is one of the leading local drivers of child marriage and early pregnancy.
We turn this gap into
a launchpad.
The Girls Advancement Pathway (GAP) is a six-month intensive programme designed for this exact point in a girl's education, equipping her with the skills, autonomy and confidence to take her next step safely.
What makes GAP different
The right moment
Many interventions support girls after child marriage or once they are adolescent mothers. GAP works before the harm is caused, at the root of the problem.
Built around her next step
Each girl leaves GAP with a route into Form Five, vocational college or her own business. The programme gives her what that route needs.
Designed to scale
GAP is designed to be licensed to local NGOs and schools that already work with girls this age. It was developed with Tanzania's education authorities, and the goal is national adoption.
Measured from day one
Every cohort is compared with a matched group of girls from the same villages.
Meet the 2025-26 cohort
A Letter to my Future Self
30 beautiful lines written by our 30 GAP girls.
at risk of child marriage
rarely or sometimes went to sleep full
walked over 10 km to school
aspired to go into higher education
married, against 41% of a matched comparison group
pregnant, against 37% of a matched comparison group
started, or are about to start, further education or vocational training
of their parents would now choose education over marriage
Meet the girls
More than a classroom. A toolkit for life.
Our curriculum is built for transformation – a foundation of safety, solid pillars of growth and a protective canopy of support. Everything a girl needs to stand tall.
Girls' education goes beyond individual opportunity. It's one of our most effective solutions to global challenges.
Educating girls breaks cycles of poverty. Each extra year of schooling raises future earnings by about 9%, with higher returns for women and in low-income countries.
Educated girls become skilled workers and entrepreneurs who drive economic growth. Limited education for girls costs countries an estimated $15–30 trillion in lost lifetime productivity and earnings.
Educating girls creates healthier families for generations. Each extra year of a mother’s schooling is linked to a 3% lower risk of her child dying before age five.
Educating girls gives them the skills and confidence to become leaders, decision-makers and advocates for change in their communities and beyond.
Each extra year of secondary school reduces a girl’s likelihood of marrying before 18 by 5–6 percentage points. Education gives girls the knowledge, confidence and agency to make choices about their own futures.
Meet the team
Kinara partners with Builders of Future Africa (BFA), a fourteen-year old local NGO, ensuring local expertise drives every decision.
Rhea first fell in love with Tanzania in 2022 while volunteering as an English Teacher. After witnessing the danger of education gaps for girls, she made it her mission to create a community-led solution. In the UK, Rhea works as a Grants Manager for The Dulverton Trust and is an On Purpose Leadership Fellow.
Daniel brings 8 years of experience in youth development, notably empowering 500+ individuals through the Salaam Mentoring Program. As an expert in field activity, his work is fueled by a passion for serving others.
Elisante brings 14 years of experience in youth-led development and policy advocacy, leading projects for USAID and Mastercard Foundation. He is the current Chairperson of the National Council for NGOs (NaCoNGO) in Arusha and was recognised as Nonprofit CEO of the Year (Tanzania Top 100 Executives, 2021).
Leah holds a degree in Education and has extensive experience working with teen mothers in the Maasai community. Previously a social worker, Leah is dedicated to advancing education equity for girls facing multiple barriers to schooling.
Together, let’s light the way to a brighter future.
Become a Kindler
Join the Kinara giving circle: a community lighting the way for girls. Give monthly or as a one-off, choose where your gift goes and see what it unlocks.