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A brighter
future, together.

We help girls in underserved communities go to school, stay in school, and thrive.

Our Story Our Approach

More than schools.
Stronger communities.

We work with families, schools, and local leaders in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. So far, we have served 25 communities, and 5,000 girls have completed a full school year with our support.

A smiling schoolgirl in a blue uniform

Our Story

A simple belief.

Girl Arise International began with one belief: every girl deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and fulfill the purpose God has placed within her.

Education is more than a seat in a classroom. It is the foundation for dignity and opportunity. Yet poverty, inequality, and limited resources still keep many girls out of school.

We exist to change that. We invest in girls through education and holistic support, and we measure success one completed school year at a time.

Our work began in 2013 through grassroots, community-based initiatives. For more than a decade, these efforts supported girls in rural communities through scholarships, community mobilization, school partnerships, and mentorship. In 2025, Girl Arise was formally established as a U.S. nonprofit to grow this work.

A smiling schoolgirl at her desk

Mission and Vision

Why we exist, and the future we are working toward.

Our Mission

We educate and equip girls in underserved communities, grounded in Christ-centered compassion and holistic support, so they can thrive and transform their families, communities, and nations.

Our Vision

A world where every girl can access quality education, discover her God-given purpose, and transform her family, community, and nation.

What We Provide

We remove the barriers that keep girls from school.

This year we support 120 girls at five schools in Machakos County, Kenya.

  • A student working on a laptop at school

    Scholarships

    Primary and secondary, day and boarding

  • A teacher hands a book to a student in class

    School Resources

    Books, uniforms, and school supplies

  • A health worker listens to a student's heartbeat

    Health Support

    Care for her health and hygiene

  • A mentor and a girl talking together in a classroom

    Holistic Care

    Mentorship and care for the whole girl

How We Support Each Girl

Her Journey

Every day, a little further.

The road to school
Stories to share
Her own words
Room to play
Strong for her family
Loved at home

Our Approach

Support for the whole girl.

Paying for school is only the start. A girl also needs good health, encouragement, and care to stay in class and do well.

We surround each girl with the support she needs to flourish:

  • Academically
  • Physically
  • Emotionally
  • Spiritually

Our Christian Foundation

“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.”
Psalm 82:3

We believe every girl is created in the image of God, with immeasurable worth, unique gifts, and extraordinary potential. Our faith calls us to serve with integrity, excellence, compassion, and humility, and to show God’s love through practical action.

Our faith shapes why we serve, not whom we serve. We serve girls of all faiths and backgrounds, and our support is never conditional on religious belief or participation.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”
Proverbs 31:8
Anne Muli, Ph.D., Founder of Girl Arise International, standing in her office

Our Founder

Anne Muli, Ph.D.

Founder

  • Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership
  • MBA in Finance and Accounting
  • BS in Computer Science
  • 29 Years in Finance and Leadership
  • 20 Years in Nonprofit and NGO Work

Building dignity, opportunity, and destiny, one girl at a time.

Dr. Muli brings the discipline of a finance executive and the commitment of a longtime nonprofit leader to our work. Her work is driven by a clear conviction: when a girl gains access to quality education, entire communities move forward.

Her doctoral dissertation focused on cultural paradigms that impact girl-child education in Africa. It drew on research in Kenya’s Turkana County, where the vision for Girl Arise International took root. Today, she leads that work so every girl we serve has the support she needs to stay in school and thrive.

Board of Directors

Grounded in education. Committed to girls.

Our four directors are educators and academic leaders. Their experience in teaching, curriculum, and school leadership shapes how we are governed.

  • Portrait of Dr. Linda J. Gutsch

    Dr. Linda J. Gutsch

    Board Chair

    Ph.D., Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (University of Denver). A university professor and former K–12 school principal who has spent her career preparing teachers and school leaders, from the elementary classroom to doctoral study. As Board Chair, she leads the board with a focus on educational excellence and accountability.

  • Portrait of Dr. John Peed

    Dr. John Peed

    Board Member

    Ph.D. An educator and academic leader with more than four decades in teaching, curriculum, and program leadership. He has spent his career training students and educators, and he brings that experience to our academic work.

  • Portrait of Dr. David Kenneth Waldman

    Dr. David Kenneth Waldman

    Board Member

    Ph.D., Public Policy and Public Administration (Walden University). An educator, author, and nonprofit leader. He founded To Love Children Educational Foundation International, a nonprofit for girls’ education that has held Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 2006.

  • Portrait of Melissa Varley, Ph.D.

    Melissa Varley, Ph.D.

    Board Member

    A K–12 public-school leader and former Superintendent of the Berkeley Heights Public Schools in New Jersey.

Board Oversight

Our board oversees Girl Arise International’s finances, programs, and leadership, and holds the organization accountable to its mission, its donors, and the girls it serves. The board has adopted child-safeguarding, conflict-of-interest, and gift-acceptance policies. As we grow, we are expanding the board to include members with expertise in finance, nonprofit governance, and community leadership in Kenya.

Our Capacity to Deliver

Experienced leadership, careful planning, and local trust.

  • Leadership

    Our Founder, Anne Muli, Ph.D., brings 29 years of experience in finance and leadership and 20 years in nonprofit work.

  • Planning

    Each program starts with clear objectives, a budget, named responsibilities, and measures of success.

  • Community

    Our work is rooted in Mua Hills, Machakos County, Kenya, where we have long-standing relationships and the trust of the community.

See How We Create Change

Our Legal Status

All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Verify our status with the IRS  ·  Funder Summary

Organization
Girl Arise International
Legal Name (IRS)
Girl Arise
Status
501(‌c)(3) public charity, section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)
Tax-Exempt Since
June 6, 2025
Employer Identification Number (EIN)
20-5859247
Fiscal Year
January 1 to December 31
Annual IRS Filing
Form 990-N filed for 2025
Mailing Address
3577 N Beltline Road, Suite 176, Irving, Texas 75062

Accountability and Stewardship

Careful with every gift.

We use every gift for the purpose you chose. School costs are paid directly to schools and approved suppliers, or through a registered Kenyan partner.

How Your Gift Is Handled

  • A gift for a named fund, such as Build a School or Sponsor a Girl, is used for that fund.
  • Every gift receives a receipt. For gifts of $250 or more, the receipt includes the written acknowledgment the IRS requires for your tax records.
  • Our IRS determination letter, exemption application, and 2025 Form 990-N are available on request.
  • If a project cannot proceed, gifts given for it are redirected, with notice to the donor, to scholarships and girls’ education programs.

Our Transparency Commitment

What we share, and when.

We will report our finances and measurable results to donors and partners every year. Our 2025 reports are listed below.

Girl Arise is listed on Candid (GuideStar) and Charity Navigator, and we will claim and complete both profiles.

  • Financial Summary2025 available on request
  • Program Report2025 available on request

Dr. Linda J. Gutsch

Board Chair

Dr. Linda J. Gutsch is an educational leader with extensive experience in higher education, curriculum, and academic leadership. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver.

She has served as a university professor and as a K–12 school principal, which gives her a view of education from the elementary classroom to doctoral study.

Dr. Gutsch brings scholarly rigor and a deep belief in education. As Board Chair, she leads the board with a focus on educational excellence, accountability, and Christ-centered values.

Dr. John Peed

Board Member

Dr. John Peed is an educator and academic leader with more than four decades of experience in education and program leadership. He has taught, shaped curriculum, and trained students and educators, helping learners develop their full potential.

On our board, Dr. Peed brings scholarly insight and a lifelong dedication to education to Girl Arise International’s academic work.

Dr. David Kenneth Waldman

Board Member

Dr. David Kenneth Waldman is an educator, author, and nonprofit leader with about four decades of experience in teaching, teacher training, and curriculum design, much of it focused on education for girls in the developing world.

In 2002 he founded To Love Children Educational Foundation International, a nonprofit for girls’ education that he registered in the United States, Uganda, and Kenya. In 2006 it received Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). He has since submitted statements on girls’ education to the Council and to the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

He wrote Healthy and Smart, an HIV-prevention curriculum for young people, and has trained teachers to use it in northern Uganda. He has taught nonprofit management at UCLA Extension. His doctoral research at Walden University, where he earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Public Administration, examined human rights and gender justice for girls. He also holds a Master’s in International Relations from Golden Gate University and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Queens College.

On our board, Dr. Waldman helps guide Girl Arise International’s education work, drawing on his years of girls’ education work in Uganda and Kenya.

Melissa Varley, Ph.D.

Board Member

Melissa Varley, Ph.D., is an experienced K–12 public-school leader and former Superintendent of the Berkeley Heights Public Schools in New Jersey.

On our board, Dr. Varley brings deep experience in running schools: the leadership, planning, and care that help every student learn.