Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) combats extreme poverty and gender inequity by linking schools for girls to a set of high-value, holistic community services for the urban poor. Through this strategy, we create transformative change across the slums of Nairobi. In our model, a girls’ school becomes a portal for large-scale social change. Through a demand-driven approach in grassroots development, our model extends beyond the schools for girls, broadening outreach by providing communities with integrated basic services through three other initiatives: health, community empowerment, and clean water and sanitation. SHOFCO currently operates in the Nairobi slums of Kibera and Mathare. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a US headquarters in New York City.