Kenya Equity in Education Project (KEEP)

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 in Kenya.

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.

Main activities

• Providing education through remedial classes which focused on literacy and numeracy.
• Providing cash transfers and scholarships to the most marginalised girls.
• Delivering competency-based teacher training and strengthening continuous professional development through Instructional Leadership and Peer Coaching.
• Providing training and guidance for teachers on career and academic counselling, work and skills training, and child protection.
• Providing life skills education through camp and club-based approaches.
• Investing in schools' infrastructure to increase capacity and make them safer.

The project in numbers

Lessons learned

A one-size-fits-all approach is not sufficient in dynamic and diverse operating contexts. Not only are refugee-hosting contexts incredibly diverse and dynamic places, but in the context of KEEP, Kakuma (primarily hosting South Sudanese nationals) and Dadaab (primarily hosting Somali nationals) have stark differences in terms of culture, prevailing norms and attitudes, and operational restrictions. What worked in one location did not necessarily work in the other and required a differentiated and adaptable approach.

Effective guidance and counselling interventions can improve participation and performance in school. In fragile environments, a focus on safety becomes even more critical as challenges are magnified and girls become even more vulnerable. Programming needs to recognise and be responsive to changes within the context that can heighten risks for girls and build in protective measures to ensure these risks are addressed.

Behaviour change requires sustained investment and interventions beyond awareness raising. KEEP’s community engagement work relied on broad-based messaging focused on awareness raising. This resulted in some shifts in attitudes and perceptions, but evidence of this being translating into action was limited. A more comprehensive approach to community engagement is needed: taking community members through a phased approach that moves beyond information sharing and focuses on a community-wide process of personal reflection and collective behaviour change.

Empowerment needs to be central for programming to be transformative. Putting girls’ own individual choice and agency at the centre of programming is not only more empowering, but also more effective and sustainable. This can include providing multiple pathways for girls to choose from the outset. It is vital to empower girls with the tools to make decisions and act upon their own choices.

WUSC: https://wusc.ca/