
Drought to Keep 3.5 million Learners Out of School in First Term
As drought continues to batter the country due to the rippling effect of climate change, it is expected that over 3.5 million children in Kenya may be out of school when they reopen for the first term this year.
Research conducted by the Global Out of School Children Initiative indicated that since the third term of 2021, more than two million children ages four to seventeen had been out of school.
The Long rains assessment report by the National Disaster Management Authority estimates that an extra 1.6 million children are at high risk of dropping out of school as schools reopen for the first term next year as the food issue deepens.
Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Turkana, and Marsabit are among the most severely affected counties.
With 295,470 children out of school, Mandera has the most significant dropouts, Garissa with 289,410, Wajir with 266,540, Turkana with 253,640 cases, and 107,600 registered in Marsabit.
Other counties also heavily affected are Narok, 83,020; West Pokot, 80,070; and Samburu, 64,818 school leavers.
The 2022 long rains assessment, the October to December prediction period report for the Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) region, indicates that there are 4.35 million people in Kenya experiencing severe food insecurity.
According to a recent survey done by Save the Children in June 2022 on the impact of the drought in 17 counties, a significant decline in enrolment is noted in all the counties, with an average of 52 percent affected schools across all levels (Early Childhood Education, Primary and Secondary) (Early Childhood Education, Primary and Secondary).
Among the primary causes of high school dropouts, inadequate or nonexistent school meals, a bad learning environment, a lack of teachers, deteriorating infrastructure, resource-based disputes, and climate-related disasters were emphasized.
Also, a significant factor is the lack of water in schools.
An investigation of water in primary and secondary schools in the 17 counties targeted by the education sector indicated that 460 schools had no water source and 1,896 schools only relied on harvesting rainwater.
“Kenya is experiencing one of the worst droughts in 40 years. Children are the most vulnerable groups and are usually the most affected in such emergencies.”
Parents must migrate with their children in search of food, pasture, and water for their livestock.
This restricts their access to basic food, clean water, healthcare, and education.
A pastoralist population dominates northern Kenya, and parents are currently unable to pay school fees because they have lost their means of subsistence.
The primary focus of communities is on fundamental survival skills, and school-aged children are expected to assist their parents with livestock care and household tasks.
Save the Children is calling on the government to ensure that schools have an appropriate quantity of potable water for drinking, sanitation, and personal hygiene during the drought to create a conducive school climate that encourages children to remain in school.
The government should also use real-time monitoring tools to examine school problems at the outset of drought to enable early interventions before the impact of school closures is experienced.
To address these gaps in education, Save the Children is undertaking the Operation Come to School Project, nicknamed ‘Watoto Rudi Shule’ to increase enrolment and retention of children who are out of school in Wajir Turkana, Baringo and Bungoma Counties.
The organization will work with several departments – the Ministry of Education, Teachers Service Commission, Youth, Gender and Social Service Department, County Directorate of Education Office, Public Health, and other education stakeholders in the selected Counties.
This will ensure that the proposed project complements county-level priorities and project education priorities.
Drought to Keep 3.5 Million Learners Out of School in First Term
Save the Children is providing life-saving support to children and their families in Turkana, Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa Counties affected by drought through integrated health, nutrition, food security, child protection, water hygiene, sanitation, and education activities. We have reached 737,931 people, including 405,511 children, this year.
Not only are school dropouts anticipated, but a UNICEF report released in October last year also indicated that failing rains in Kenya had left around 1.4 million children with restricted access to healthy food and safe drinking water.
According to the organization, the children do not have access to education, health care, or protection from violence and neglect.
According to reports, Kenya has experienced four unsuccessful rainy seasons.
Even as residents in drought-stricken regions suffer, UNICEF predicts that a fifth poor rainy season would exacerbate the situation, resulting in more children and families needing humanitarian aid.
9 Counties In Dire Need Of Food Aid, 13 Still In Alert Phase – Gov’t
Rebecca Miano, cabinet secretary for the East Africa Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, and Regional Development, has verified that nine counties are in the alarm drought phase.
In contrast, thirteen others remain in the alert drought phase.
Wednesday, during an update on the country’s drought condition, CS Miano stated that the government is now determining necessary drought measures to help alleviate the fragile status of the nation.
According to a survey performed in partnership with the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), the counties of Kilifi, Mandera, Marsabit, Samburu, Turkana, Isiolo, Wajir, Kitui, and Kajiado are in an emergency and requiring immediate food assistance.
CS Miano further stated that the counties of “Garissa, Lamu, Narok, Tana River, Makueni, Tharaka Nithi, Baringo, Laikipia, Meru, Taia Taveta, West Pokot, Nyeri, and Kwale” are on high alert and that adequate measures should be taken to prevent a deterioration of the situation.
However, CS Miano reported that the counties of Taita Taveta, Kwale, Garissa, and Tana River had seen a modest improvement due to the light rainfall that fell during the last week of December 2022.
Regarding vegetation cover, CS Miano stated that early warning systems have shown that the vegetation condition in several counties, including Isiolo, Wajir, and Garissa, has deteriorated.
“Satellite monitoring also shows the same vegetation deficit in Kwale, Mandera, and Samburu,” she noted.
Consequently, the rate of livestock mortality has increased.
“The body condition of goats and cattle ranges from fair to poor due to long trekking distances in search of water and pasture,” said Miano.
She also stated that there is a need for water-related interventions, such as the repair of boreholes, throughout the Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) counties due to the insufficient recharging of resources.
Mandera, Garissa, Baringo, and Isiolo have also reported significant malnutrition rates among children.
Seve
ral non-ASAL counties, including Nakuru, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Nakuru, Siaya, Homabay, and Migori, have been affected by the drought, according to the CS.
She, therefore, indicated that her government would seek to prevent the already grave drought situation in Kenya from worsening. She will begin by guessing the impact of the anticipated short rainfall in March.
“My ministry is closely monitoring the drought situation. We are coordinating a multi-agency assessment to ascertain the impact of the 2023 short-rains season on food security.”
Since the drought began four years ago, Kenya has experienced five consecutive failed rainy seasons, affecting approximately 4 million Kenyans.
Drought to Keep 3.5 million Learners Out of School in First Term