Bridging the Finance Gap: School Leadership Training in Loan Readiness for Women School Leaders in Kenya

• In Event: Non-State Actors Promoting Girls’ Success Inside and Outside of Government Schools: From Global Evidence to On-the-Ground Impact in Kenya

Proposal

Non-state actors play a vital role in expanding access to education across sub-Saharan Africa, often stepping in where public provision alone cannot meet demand. In Kenya, women-owned low-fee private schools (LFPS) are particularly significant in this landscape, creating opportunities for children, especially girls, in accessing quality education. Yet despite their importance, many women school owners face barriers to growth due to challenges in accessing finance, as they remain excluded from formal financial systems due to perceived credit risk.

This report highlights findings from the author’s School Leadership Academy (SLA) workshop, which provides support to LFPS owners in accessing financing services. Drawing on survey data from 289 female school owners across Kenya’s Nyanza, Western, and Coast regions, the findings reveal how SLA workshops support women school leaders in overcoming financial barriers, positioning them to expand their schools and increase girls’ educational opportunities.

Methodology: Data for this paper draws on surveys carried out with 608 school leaders, including 289 women, who participated in nine SLA workshops across Kenya’s Nyanza, Western, and Coast regions between 2023 and 2025. Surveys were administered before participation in the SLA workshop, immediately after the workshop, and three months following the workshop. In total, the study gathered 608 pre-workshop surveys, 545 post-training surveys, and 495 follow-up surveys.

Results: Survey data demonstrate that women-owned schools represent a high-potential but underserved segment within Kenya’s education sector. Prior to the training, only 47% of women expressed interest in applying for loans; after the workshops, this figure rose to 81%. This increase highlights the effectiveness of targeted training in loan readiness and expanding demand for credit among women leaders. Notably, 40% of women surveyed had never accessed any form of loan, underscoring the untapped opportunity for financial institutions to grow their outreach to these women.

Findings also reveal that women intend to use loans primarily for school expansion, with half planning to invest in new classrooms, directly linking financial access to increased enrolment capacity and learning opportunities. Yet challenges remain: 44% of women school owners report that 30–50% of student fees remain unpaid each year, creating cash flow constraints that hinder their ability to secure loans. Moreover, women school owners, particularly in the Coast and Western regions, report lower median earnings compared to male counterparts, despite higher overall revenues in some cases. These disparities highlight both the structural barriers women face and the transformative potential of interventions like SLA that combine financial training with access to capital.

By equipping women school leaders with skills in budgeting, debt management, and fee collection strategies, the SLA not only builds stronger schools but also positions women as central agents in improving education quality and access. As women reinvest in their schools, the benefits extend particularly to girls, who are more likely to enroll and remain in school when led by women role models. Ultimately, through targeted investment in female schools leaders through financial literacy training and access to capital, LFPS gain potential to expand access to education and improve learning outcomes for girls.

Author

• Andrew McCusker, Opportunity International