Beyond One Intervention: How IWEI’s Holistic Approach Supports Girls Like Hajara

For many of the girls Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative works with, transformation does not come from a single intervention. It comes from consistent, layered support over time and it is this understanding that shapes how we work. Hajara’s story shows what becomes possible when that support comes together.

When IWEI first conducted an assessment in her community to enroll girls into basic primary education, Hajara narrowly missed the cut-off mark. She fell short by just one point. Many girls might have stopped there. Hajara did not. Even after her cohort ended and the scholarship opportunity wasn’t yet available, she chose to keep coming to IWEI’s safe spaces, sitting with younger girls, pushing herself to learn, and refusing to let the setback define her. Her determination, not the program, kept her reading and growing.

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When a spot later opened up in IWEI’s scholarship program (after another scholar’s family relocated out of Kano) Hajara was ready. She had already built the foundation. She stepped into the opportunity.

Today, she is in Primary 5 in a private school and consistently ranks first or second in her class. Her progress is not just the result of a scholarship. It is the result of an ecosystem.

IWEI’s approach does not begin and end with school fees payments. Safe spaces build foundational skills and confidence. Continuous engagement keeps girls motivated and supported. And work with families ensures that what happens at home reinforces what happens in school.

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Hajara’s mother is a critical part of this ecosystem. She is a cook who runs a small roadside business, working daily to support her household. While Hajara benefits from a scholarship, her other daughters do not. Her income helps keep them in school, ensuring that opportunity is not limited to just one child.

Beyond financial support, she is actively involved in her children’s learning. She helps them revise their schoolwork and participates in IWEI’s parental sessions, where caregivers learn practical ways to support their children’s education.

This matters because a girl’s success is shaped not only by her access to school, but by the support systems around her. When those systems align, the impact is stronger and more sustainable.

Hajara’s journey reflects this alignment. From safe spaces that strengthened her learning, to a scholarship that expanded her opportunities, to a home environment that reinforces her growth, each layer plays a role.

This is what a holistic approach looks like in practice. Not a single intervention, but a connected system of support that allows girls to move forward, even when they almost get left behind.

And this is how IWEI continues to strengthen the agency of girls. Not just by opening doors, but by ensuring they are ready to walk through them.

IWEI’s scholarship program is supported by the Jean Herskovits Foundation and currently helps 123 girls stay in school.