Kenya

The Girls' Education Challenge (GEC) had seven projects working in Kenya which improved learning opportunities and outcomes for 380,169 of the country's marginalised girls. 

Projects

iMlango - completed implementation in June 2021

The iMlango project supported 99,190 girls and was implemented in by Avanti Communications.

The project supported communities that had high levels of poverty and schools that had poor attendance rates and learning outcomes for girls. School-based challenges included poor quality teaching and learning environments, whilst communities were also found to face financial barriers such as unemployment and poverty and an inability to afford tuition fees. Other factors identified to be key barriers to girls’ education were a lack of perceived value of education and aspirations, entrenched social attitudes surrounding girls’ schooling and dropout rates as a result of teenage pregnancies and early marriage.

The iMlango project was a technology-driven project, aimed improving attendance and improving the quality of teaching through ICT at the primary and secondary school level. This was done through the provision of computer labs, high-speed satellite connectivity and digital learning content in literacy and numeracy. The project also ran girls’ skills that aimed at building life skills and increasing girls’ self-esteem.

Kenya Equity in Education Project (KEEP) - completed implementation in December 2022

The KEEP project supported 20,673 girls and was implemented by World University Service of Canada (WUSC) in secondary and primary schools in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps and host communities.

The most significant barriers to girls’ education in these communities included a critically under-resourced education system, a lack of appropriate school infrastructure, inadequately trained teachers and a lack of female teachers. A combination of economic barriers and socio-cultural norms was also preventing families from sending girls to school. There was a lack of value placed on girls’ education and a heavy domestic chore burden limited their ability to attend school regularly. Gaps in schooling and inconsistent education trajectories, particularly in refugee communities, was leading to overage learning and high repetition rates.

The project holistically addressed these barriers. It worked alongside parents, guardians, community members and school communities to ensure girls’ regular attendance in safe, supportive and inclusive learning environments. It also strengthened school governance and management mechanisms in support of girls’ education.

Let our Girls Succeed (Wasichana Wetu Wafaulu) - completed implementation in March 2023

The Let Our Girls Succeed project supported 88,164 girls and was implemented by Education Development Trust (EDT).

The project worked with highly marginalised girls living in arid and semi-arid lands and slum areas in Kenya. The majority of these girls face multiple layers of social and economic marginalisation, such as high levels of poverty, poor health, low household income, and limited access to amenities. Access to schools is often difficult due to distance. Many barriers to girls’ education are entrenched in cultural practices linked to sex and gender, such as female genital mutilation (FGM), early marriage and teen pregnancy, and girls being expected to shoulder the bulk of household chores. The schools have untrained teachers, poor facilities and high rates of absenteeism, leading to poor learning outcomes, high dropout rates, and low transition rates.

The project worked to address these complex and interrelated barriers, working across 521 primary schools, 90 secondary schools, and 23 technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions. It provided girls with the qualifications, skills and confidence necessary to successfully transition to the next level of education. Other girls were also supported to transition to alternative pathways focused on employment and TVET.

Jielimishe - completed implementation in June 2022

The Jielimishe project supported 11,386 girls and was implemented by I Choose Life - Africa.

The project worked to address the most common barriers to girls’ education. These include gender inequalities, poverty, limited value placed on education girls, girls facing insecurity when travelling (long distances) to school, and household responsibilities affecting girls’ abilities to fully engage with learning activities.

The project supported girls across 20 primary schools and 39 secondary schools to complete a full cycle of education and transition to the next level. This included alternative pathways such as technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The approach focused on increasing girls’ motivation to learn through Girls’ Clubs and mentorship schemes, improving the quality of teaching through teacher training, coaching and mentorship, and encouraging local communities to support girls’ education. The project also supported 6,980 boys in primary and secondary school to ensure that boys were also able go to school and benefit from a supportive learning environment.

Expanding inclusive education strategies for girls with disabilities Kenya - completed implementation in March 2022

The Expanding Inclusive Education Strategies for Girls with Disabilities Kenya project supported 2,100 girls and was implemented by Leonard Cheshire.

The project supported girls with disabilities to transition through relevant pathways from primary school to secondary school and vocational training, and worked to improve their learning outcomes. Girls with disabilities face a range of barriers to accessing and remaining in education, and actively participating and learning. These include discriminatory attitudes and behaviours related to social norms, lack of trained teachers in inclusive education, inappropriate infrastructure and policies, and limited resources. This results in lower enrolment, attendance and completion rates for girls with disabilities.

To address these barriers, the project took a systems approach and worked to create accessible, inclusive, and sustainable change at an individual, community, school and policy level. It worked closely with the Government of Kenya and local authorities so that inclusive education structures would be in place beyond the life cycle of the project. The project worked alongside communities and school staff to significantly change the attitudes of the community towards disability inclusion. The Crucial project also took an individual approach that ensures girls with disabilities are assessed and receive the support they need to go to school by providing assistive devices, dignity kits, educational materials and transport.

Discovery Project - completed implementation in December 2020

The Discovery Project supported 152,955 girls in Kenya and was implemented by Impact(Ed) International (also implemented in Ghana and Nigeria).

Girls in all three countries face barriers to learning and transition, especially as they reach adolescence and look to transition from primary to - and through - junior secondary school. Poverty is the key driver of educational marginalisation, affecting girls’ attendance at school, their ability to fully participate in lessons and in extracurricular activities, and their ability to concentrate during their lessons. In addition, poor school infrastructure and the lack of qualified teachers and female teachers pose barriers to learning across the three countries. Concerns about distance and safe travel to school, as well as the need for girls to carry out household chores and support their household economically, often resulted in girls not attending school.

The project aimed to increase girls’ learning outcomes in numeracy and English literacy, their self-esteem and self-efficacy, and their successful completion of the primary cycle and transition into junior secondary school. This was done through the provision of educational content and technological solutions alongside teacher professional development to primary schools. Remedial classes were established to support academic learning and Girls’ and Boys’ Clubs were established to build life skills. Core to the project approach was working closely alongside communities and school leaders to address the barriers to girls’ learning.

Leave No Girl Behind project

Education for Life (EfL) - completed implementation in March 2023

The Education for Life project supported 5,701 girls and was implemented by Action Aid.

70% of girls reached by the project had never enrolled in school, 30% had some experience with the formal school system but had dropped out, and 30% had at least one form of disability. Some of the girls had experienced violence in the community and/or at school and some were pregnant or young mothers. Many of the girls came from pastoralist communities and/or were heads of their families, orphans or extremely vulnerable. Some had survived situations of conflict and insecurity, such as episodes of cattle rustling and tribal clashes in Isiolo and Garissa.

The project worked with community members and partners to tackle the barriers these girls faced such as child marriage, female genital mutilation, gender norms, stigma, discrimination and violence. The project provided out-of-school girls with opportunities to access quality formal education, entrepreneurship, apprenticeship and vocational training. It worked to improve their literacy, numeracy and life skills through accelerated learning and transition into different pathways. To facilitate this transition, entrepreneurial and financial literacy skills, training, start-up kits and capital for small enterprises were also provided.