I Can Fly: How Sha' Givens Transformed a Kenyan Cornfield into a Top-Ranked Rescue School

Dr. A’s Won’t God Do It podcast continues its inspiring conversation with Sha' Givens, founder of I Can Fly International, a nonprofit working in the United States and Kenya. Sha' — a San Diego State graduate, Delta Sigma Theta member, licensed minister, and author — created the Butterfly Project to rescue girls (ages 7–16) from early marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), sex trafficking, child labor, abandonment, and extreme poverty. Her programs include adult literacy, two preschools, two “butterfly houses” (dorms), a high school and a rescue center — all designed to restore dignity, education and spiritual hope.

The rescue center, daily life and transformational design

I Can Fly High School serves about 160 girls with an additional 40 preschool students and an outreach program that reaches roughly 1,000 students annually. The campus culture emphasizes discipline, life skills and hygiene: girls rise at 4:30 a.m. to do chores, wash clothes by hand, and keep short hair for health reasons. The three Butterfly Houses are organized by level (forms 1–4, equivalent to grades 9–12) and foster responsibility, pride and academic focus. Bright murals, butterfly themes and carefully planned landscaping were intentionally designed by Sha' to create a safe, spiritual environment where girls can transform.

From a hole-in-the-ground to modern facilities and academic excellence

What began as a dilapidated cornfield with pit toilets became a campus with drilled borehole water, septic systems, showers and modern plumbing — made possible by donors, volunteers and God’s guidance, according to Sha'. The school’s academic journey is dramatic: from ranking near the bottom among 80 schools to rising to number one in recent years. In the latest cohort, 23 girls qualified for university — a milestone that underscores the program’s long-term impact and the Butterfly Project’s success in changing generational expectations.

How to help and where to learn more

Sha' moved to Kenya permanently in 2012 to lead the mission on the ground. I Can Fly International accepts donations, sponsorships and visitors; every gift supports scholarships, facilities, staff rotation, and outreach. To learn more, watch the full Dr. A interview (part 1 and part 2) and visit ICanFlyInternational.org to donate, sponsor a girl, or plan a visit. Watch the full episode to hear Sha’s personal testimony and the students’ voices — proof that with faith and action, “I can fly.”