Kennedy continues working on the logistics of building, obtaining proper contracts and permits while Jessica oversees admissions to the new school. In America, Jessica previously worked with child development psychologists to create an admissions test and interview. She spends several days interviewing applicants, and, after picking the first round of students, conducts home interviews to determine their financial and environmental need. The process she follows to admit the first class is effective, but she is saddened at all of the girls who won’t be able to attend the school: “These rules give me some semblance of a system to cling to, and frankly, to hide behind. All these girls deserve a chance. I can’t help but feel anger at the world’s disparity” (266). Visiting their homes and learning the personal history of each girl accepted into the school reveals the hardships they face: rape, hunger, HIV, lack of medical treatment, abuse, and more.

Liz goes into labor at 19 years old and has a healthy baby girl. Liz decides to keep the baby and names her Jessica, hoping that she is as stubborn and strong-willed as Jessica Posner.

Both Kennedy and Jessica’s families attend the school’s opening, and they both give speeches in Swahili welcoming the girls and the community to the new school: