Kareena provides a praxis-driven critique of mainstream schooling and, simultaneously, a rich counter-institutional pedagogy realized through her BSCE. Her story pivots on four intertwined moves: diagnosing institutional misfit (racialized pathologization, test regimes, compliance over critical thinking), building an African-centred ecology of learning (safety, belonging, arts, movement, nutrition, and community ownership), protecting pedagogical sovereignty from state funding strings, and tracking long-term outcomes (academic acceleration, identity affirmation, and community leadership). BCSE agency in Kareena’s view is not merely compensatory; it re-creates the conditions of learning such as curriculum, body, diet, rhythm, and space so that Black children can thrive now and carry those capacities forward.