Thank you for your support in 2024! Here’s to a greater year ahead!
By Kate Kiama, Co-CEO of She’s the First
I am delighted to introduce myself as the new co-CEO of She’s the First! Although I’m not “new” to She’s the First — I bring over 11 years of experience to my new position and have been part of the STF staff for over 4 years now! I live in Nairobi, Kenya, and I’m a lawyer by training. I’m a mom to an almost one-year-old daughter. And just like you, I’m a tireless activist for girls’ rights.
Kate chats with Metrine, a girl participant during the first-ever Girls First Summit in Uganda this past July! (Photo by Zahara Abdul/Candid Local)
My first message to you is THANK YOU. 2024 was a record-setting, exciting year for STF. With your support, we scaled our programs and impacted 286,637 girls, over 100,000 more girls than the year before. Many of you helped us smash our year-end fundraising goals to set us up for success in 2025. We are extremely grateful!
As you may remember, on Nov 1st (STF’s 15th birthday), we shared big news about this new leadership chapter, with me serving as Co-CEO alongside our co-founder Tammy Tibbetts. Tammy and I have a very intentional strategy of enhancing global leadership for a global girls’ rights movement. As part of our commitment to anti-oppressive values, we’ll continue to build our team in the Global South to ensure that decisions about grantmaking and training happen where the impact is felt.
As Tammy and I firmly ground ourselves in our new roles at the turn of She’s the First’s 15th anniversary, our objective is to build powerful new partnerships to scale our model for depth and influence. Our ultimate goal is stronger outcomes for girls’ education, leadership, and agency, particularly in the Global South/majority world; by expanding and deepening our programming, we can accomplish that for more girls. At the same time, we know our mission will be more relevant than ever for girls in the U.S. as we support their activism for their rights during a fearful time in the country.
“Our ultimate goal is stronger outcomes for girls’ education, leadership, and agency, particularly in the Global South/majority world; by expanding and deepening our programming, we can accomplish that for more girls.”
Co-CEOs Tammy Tibbetts and Kate Kiama flank the graduates of our first Girl-Centered Incubator cohort at their ceremony in July in Nairobi. Ceci Arriaza, second left, has just been promoted to Director of Programs! (Photo by Sarah Waiswa)
My second message is one of celebration: I’m thrilled to announce that my previous position as Director of Programs at She’s the First will be filled by Ceci Arriaza, previously Senior Manager. She will lead a team of women from Kenya and Guatemala to implement our Girls First Institute programs, which is our work to strengthen women-led, girl-centered community-based organizations (CBOs). Ceci holds two MAs in Mental Health and Development Studies. She brings over nine years of experience in girl-focused programs, including at MAIA, one of She's the First’s partners in Guatemala. Ceci is an exceptional advocate for girls’ rights globally. Please join me in congratulating her!
I invite you along on this exciting adventure; I hope to meet you in the year ahead.
Wishing you a wonderful New Year!
Kate Kiama
Co-CEO