Mombasa’s public schools are overcrowded and under-resourced, limiting the individual attention teachers pay to students, and resulting in fewer than half of students reading at grade level. This situation is compounded for low income families that cannot afford textbooks and often live in a single room, sometimes without electricity. This leaves students with no books, and limited space to study, while forcing Mombasa’s poorest children to read by candlelight. Girls are often disproportionately burdened with childcare and chores at home, leaving them with less time to study.