WISER

What WISER does

WISER (Women's Institute for Secondary Education and Research) is a Kenyan nonprofit organization incorporated in 2007 (US 501c3 since 2012) that operates an all-girls residential secondary school on a 10-acre campus in Muhuru Bay, a remote village on the shores of Lake Victoria in Migori County, Kenya. The school currently enrolls 240 girls drawn primarily from Muhuru Bay and increasingly from the Maasai region, northern Kenya, and the Okiek tribe, with capacity for 320; it provides Form 1-4 instruction, STEM-focused programming (computer lab, robotics/engineering clubs, university-quality science labs), KCSE exam preparation (100% pass rate), and pathways into STEM careers (60% of alumni). The organization bundles education with a holistic suite of on-campus and community services — healthcare (HIV testing, screenings, medicines), menstrual hygiene supplies, nutritious meals from an on-campus garden, secure dormitories, and the "Houses of Wisdom" weekly psychosocial peer-counseling model — alongside community outreach programs including sexual and reproductive health training (43,000 pupils reached, 2,500+ youth trained in Muhuru Bay), clean water infrastructure (7,000 beneficiaries), and community-wide health days.

All services are provided free of charge to students; WISER has no tuition-based revenue and operates as a donation-dependent nonprofit. Funding flows from individual donors routed through The Follow Your Dream Foundation (US fiscal sponsor since 2025), foundation and corporate grants (Airbnb Community Fund at $60,000 for 2024-2025, Segal Family Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, Pentair, Lenovo, Social Initiative, Preston-Werner Ventures, Morris Family Foundation, Arthur B. Schultz Foundation, AF Jochnick Foundation, BIGS, Caring Crowd), and partner schools/universities (Tasis, Dwight, Harker, Lawrenceville, Furman, Durham Academy, Duke) that provide fundraising, cross-cultural exchanges, and student volunteers. Governance rests with a Kenyan Board of Directors that includes WISER alumni, currently chaired by Beatrice Linah Kowitti (appointed July 2024), with operational leadership by Principal Violet Singoei (since 2023) and Country Director Grace Murika. WISER was originally a Duke University program before becoming a standalone 501c3 in 2012.

Name

WISER

Legal name

Women's Institute for Secondary Education and Research (WISER)

Website

https://wisergirls.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WISER is a Kenyan nonprofit operating a free residential secondary school for 240 girls in Muhuru Bay, Kenya, combining STEM-focused education with healthcare, psychosocial support, and community SRH and clean water programs, funded by foundations, corporate partners, and individual donors routed through its US fiscal sponsor.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education and Girls' Health Services (Nonprofit)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Dropout Prevention, Re-Engagement & Truancy Intervention Programs (EDAJAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI), Health Literacy (Navigating Care, Medication, Preventive Info) (EDAAAAAF)

Keywords

• Girls secondary education
• Rural community health
• Sexual reproductive health
• Psychosocial support services
• Boarding school programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Kisumu

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals worldwide, processed through The Follow Your Dream Foundation in the US
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations including Airbnb Community Fund ($60,000 for 2024-2025), Johnson & Johnson, Segal Family Foundation, and others for specific programs and operations
3. Partner School Support: Partner schools (Tasis, Dwight, Harker, Lawrenceville, Furman, Durham Academy, Duke) provide fundraising support, volunteer visits, and cross-cultural exchange programs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WISER operates the WISER Girls Secondary School, a residential all-girls boarding school on a 10-acre campus in Muhuru Bay, Kenya, providing free secondary education (Form 1-4) with STEM emphasis. The school is paired with comprehensive wraparound services including on-campus healthcare, nutritious meals, safe dormitory housing, menstrual hygiene products, and weekly psychosocial support through the Houses of Wisdom program. Beyond the school, WISER runs community-based sexual and reproductive health outreach (training over 2,500 youth) and a clean water infrastructure program serving 7,000 people in the broader Muhuru Bay community.

Product overview

WISER (Women's Institute for Secondary Education and Research) operates as a unified educational and health organization centered on its flagship WISER Girls Secondary School in Muhuru Bay, Kenya. The organization provides a holistic suite of programs including secondary education with STEM focus, sexual and reproductive health outreach, clean water access, menstrual hygiene support, psychosocial counseling through Houses of Wisdom, and healthcare services. These programs work together to address barriers to education for girls in rural Kenya.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WISER Girls Secondary School An all-girls boarding secondary school located on a 10-acre campus in Muhuru Bay, Kenya, offering comprehensive academic instruction with STEM emphasis, providing textbooks, laboratory equipment, computer lab access, robotics and engineering clubs, and university-quality science labs to girls from rural Kenya free of charge.
• Sexual and Reproductive Health Outreach Program Community health program that has trained over 2,500 youth in Muhuru Bay in disease and pregnancy prevention best practices, providing HIV testing, counselling, contraceptive information, and comprehensive SRH education to girls and the broader community.
• Clean Water Program On-campus water filtration system and community water access program providing clean water to 7,000 people in the Muhuru Bay area through the Muhuru Bay Water Supply Project.
• Healthcare Services Free healthcare including essential medicines, HIV tests, health screenings, vision, hearing, and gynecological testing provided to WISER students and during community-wide health days.
• Menstrual Hygiene Support Program Distribution of reusable sanitary pads, menstrual cups, and hygiene products supporting 250,000 school days of menstrual hygiene management for students and community members.
• Houses of Wisdom Psychosocial Support Program Weekly psychosocial support groups of 12-15 students meeting to discuss health and community challenges in a safe environment, facilitated by 12 peer counselors to provide emotional support and mentorship.

Quantifiable outcome

• >99% graduation rate among enrolled students
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Duke UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWISER originated from a Duke University program. Maintains strong research and program ties. Hosts Duke students for immersive service and research each summer through DukeEngage. Duke University scholars and students continue to collaborate with WISER.
• LenovomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate technology partner providing educational tools and technology support for WISER's computer lab and ICT programs.
• Amplify GirlsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGirls' education initiative partnering with WISER to amplify impact and share resources.
• Masana wa AfrikaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner NGO working with WISER on community development initiatives.
• Tasis SchoolmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational school partner supporting WISER through cross-cultural exchanges, fundraising activities, and student visits.
• Dwight SchoolmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational school partner supporting WISER for over a decade through faculty and student visits, fundraising, and cross-cultural exchange programs.
• The Harker SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner school supporting WISER through fundraising and student engagement programs.
• The Lawrenceville SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner school supporting WISER through fundraising activities and student involvement.
• Furman UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity partner engaged with WISER through academic programs and student service opportunities.
• Durham AcademyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner school supporting WISER through fundraising and educational exchanges.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• African Leadership Academy: Pan-African secondary-education institution developing young African leaders, including a strong focus on girls and STEM pathways. Comparable as a residential secondary model producing African alumni who pursue STEM and higher education.
• Room to Read: Global education nonprofit with significant girls' education and secondary-school programming across Africa and Asia. Comparable as a larger, established player operating similar school-based and SRH-adjacent interventions with deeper fundraising infrastructure.
• Malala Fund: Global girls'-education advocacy and grant-making organization, including active programming in Kenya and other Sub-Saharan countries. Comparable mission and beneficiary focus, though operating more as a funder/advocate than a direct-service school operator.
• Free The Children / WE Charity: International development organization with school-building and girls' education programming, including in Kenya. Comparable as a larger nonprofit combining K-12 education access, clean water, and health programming in rural communities.

Direct peers

• Kakenya's Dream: Kenyan nonprofit running a girls' boarding school and community health/leadership programs in rural Kenya. Highly comparable to WISER on geography, beneficiary population (rural Kenyan girls facing harmful cultural practices), and integrated education-plus-health model.
• SHOFCO (Shining Hope for Communities): Kenyan nonprofit operating in urban informal settlements with integrated schools, health clinics, and WASH services for girls and women. Closely comparable integrated education+health+WASH model in a Kenya context.
• CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education): Pan-African nonprofit supporting girls' secondary education across multiple Sub-Saharan countries, including Kenya. Comparable mission of educating marginalized rural girls, building alumnae networks, and tracking outcomes into careers.
• Educate Girls: Nonprofit focused on enrolling and retaining out-of-school girls in rural India through community mobilization and remedial education. Strong functional peer given parallel emphasis on dropout prevention for marginalized girls and outcome-driven programming.

Emerging players

• WaterAid: International WASH-focused nonprofit active in Kenya. Comparable only on WISER's clean-water and sanitation pillar; not a girls'-education peer, but a potential collaborator or funder given overlapping WASH footprint in Muhuru Bay.

Others

• charity: water: Nonprofit funding clean-water access in developing countries, including East Africa. Comparable only on the WISER water program's clean-water delivery component; useful as a comparable fundraising and impact-model peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WISERGirlsKenya
• YouTubeyoutube.com/WISERGirlsKenyaTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/WISERGirlsKenya
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wiserinternational
• Instagraminstagram.com/wisergirlskenya

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WISER