Kenya

Challenges and Opportunities

Although Kenya has shown positive signs of development in recent years, underemployment and underemployment continue to be huge national issues. Agriculture remains the backbone of the Kenyan economy, contributing nearly 25% of the nation GDP. About 80% of Kenya’s roughly 42 million inhabitants work at least part-time in the agricultural sector, including livestock and pastoral activities. Given educational barriers and cultural customs, Kenyan farmers are slow to adopt new methods that can help offer consistent employment to a larger percentage of the population.

Many pastoralist children traditionally serve as herders and caretakers and parents prefer to keep them at home instead of paying costly school fees to send them to school. Most basic education systems available to pastoralists are characterized by limited access, gender inequality, low retention and poor infrastructure. The disparity between school attendance of boys and girls in Kenya is even more alarming. Girls face many challenges to attain an education, like pushback from parents and vulnerability to sexual abuse and abduction. In rural areas, marriage is often arranged or forced upon young girls between the ages of 10 and 14, cutting short their dreams as they become child brides and mothers and are condemned to cyclic poverty.

Girls that do manage to go to school also face their fair share of challenges. Pastoralist girls endure long commutes to attend school which leaves them vulnerable to abduction and rape. Other girls simply cannot afford to pay school fees and are forced to drop out. Without access to quality education, these girls are completely dependent on others for their livelihoods- relatives, spouse– and are more likely to remain poor and fall victim to abuse.

Partnerships:

1. Isogarogaro Women’s Group
2. Samburu Integrated Development Project (SIDEP)
3. Merti Integrated Development Project (MIDP)
4. Center for Advocacy and Gender Equity (CAGE)
5. Samburu Girls Foundation (SGF)

Funding:

1. United Kingdom Agency for International Development (UK-AID
2. Technical Center for Agriculture (CTA)
3. UN Women

Important Facts and Figures

2014-2018

• 928 children enrolled in preschool (566 boys, 362 girls).
• 26,210 children enrolled in primary school (7,521 boys; 7,428 girls).
• 3,079 books distributed to primary schools.
• 1,395 girls participated in IIRR-run leadership summer camps.
• 3,000 pastoralists trained by IIRR about food security and agricultural strategy.
• 32 water tanks constructed, helping 11,424 receive adequate water.
• 40 ventilated latrines installed in primary schools, benefiting 8,050 learners.