The Taxi Drivers Who Wear Pink

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question to guide discussion: What factors can help people escape poverty?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article. Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• recruiting (p. 15)
• advocacy (p. 15)
• scarce (p. 16)
• verge (p. 16)
• longed (p. 17)
• skeptical (p. 17)

3. Engage
Ask students to share different skills they have learned from after-school jobs, volunteer work, or school activities. Then ask them to tell how they think these skills can help them secure jobs in the future and contribute to their overall economic success. Explain that students will read an article about women in Kenya who learned new skills to improve their finances.

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: The Taxi Drivers Who Wear Pink, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear on the following page of this lesson, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• What central ideas do the authors establish in the first two paragraphs of the article? How do the authors establish these ideas? (Central ideas, author’s craft) (The authors establish these central ideas: the motorcycle taxi industry in Kenya has long been dominated by men; women are entering the industry for financial reasons; and men were initially resistant to women entering the industry, but women kept at it. The authors establish these ideas by telling an anecdote about Monica Atieno, one of the female motorcycle taxi drivers.)

• According to the article, what are some of the problems in Siaya County in Kenya that the Boda Girls program has started to help solve? How is the program helping? (Problem & solution, key details) (Many families were struggling financially, and women had trouble feeding their children. One woman was about to lose her home and had to beg for money. In addition, many women could not afford transportation to the hospital when they were sick or about to give birth. The Boda Girls program is helping to address these problems by providing a way for women to earn income as well as an affordable way to get to the hospital.)

• What were some key moments in the creation of the Boda Girls program? (Sequence, analyze information) (One key moment was when the founder of a hospital in Siaya County noticed that many women came to the hospital looking for work but also had problems getting to the hospital for medical care. Another key moment was when he decided to take action and partnered with a charity to hire a driving school to teach women to be motorcycle taxi drivers.)

• The authors write, “At night, she wheels it carefully into her cramped house, positioning it next to her sofa like a trusted friend.” Who is she? What is it? What does this quote help you understand about the effect the Boda Girls program has had on participants? (Make inferences, word meaning)(She refers to Lucy Odele, a motorcycle taxi driver. It refers to the motorcycle that the Boda Girls program provided to Odele so she could earn money. This quote, with the phrasing “wheels it carefully” and “like a trusted friend,” shows how meaningful the program is to the women who are now working as drivers.) 

• How do the last two paragraphs complete the story about Monica Atieno that began in the first two paragraphs? How does this ending drive home the central ideas of the article? (Text structure, development of ideas)(The last two paragraphs complete the opening story by discussing the success Atieno has had as a Boda Girl, how the money she earns has benefitted her family and allowed her to begin other money-making ventures, and how her husband now supports her work as a motorcycle taxi driver. Ending the article this way emphasizes the importance and success of the Boda Girls program—which are two of the central ideas of the article.) 

• What does the text feature “Kenya at a Glance” add to the reader’s understanding of the ideas in the article? (Integrate multiple sources)(The statistic for per capita GDP in Kenya of $5,700—when presented within the context of the U.S. per capita GDP of $74,600—helps the reader understand the level of poverty in Kenya. The life expectancy statistics, with people in Kenya having a life expectancy more than 10 years lower than that of people in the U.S., also provide a clue of the hardships of living in poverty and lack of access to medical care.)

6. Writing Prompt
Research one or two common entry-level jobs in your community. Then write a one-page training sheet to help managers train new hires.

7. Video
Watch the video about the Boda Girls program. What does it add to your understanding?

8. Classroom Debate
Are small initiatives enough to substantially improve underdeveloped economies?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess comprehension and the Analyze the Photo skill sheet to practice visual analysis.