Agnes Oma

A Kenyan educator who established girls' schools in rural areas during the 1950s colonial era.

Agnes Oma (1912–2001) defied colonial-era gender norms to build Kenya's first network of girls' schools. Orphaned at 12, she worked as a domestic servant before earning a teaching certificate through correspondence courses. In 1953, she founded the Nairobi Girls' Vocational School, which taught literacy alongside practical skills like midwifery and agriculture. Her Education for Liberation philosophy emphasized financial independence, leading to 17 school openings by 1963. Oma pioneered mobile classrooms in remote regions using converted buses, a model later adopted by UNICEF. Her 1967 memoir 《A Teacher's Journey》 became a blueprint for community-based education. Despite opposition from traditional leaders who believed girls shouldn't attend school, over 10,000 women graduated from her programs. The Agnes Oma Award now honors Kenyan women in education annually. UNESCO credits her as a pioneer of the Global Education for All initiative launched in 1990.