We have received the exam results of students at six schools we support in Kakuma Refugee camp, Kenya, through our Solar Homework Clubs. The Kenya Certificate of Education (KCSE) is the equivalent of England’s GCSEs and mark the completion of secondary education.
The standard of education in refugee camps is significantly lower than in developed countries; schools are understaffed and poorly resourced, with textbooks that are outdated, in poor condition and shared between several students.
Solar Homework Clubs equip students with solar lamps to take home so they can study into the evening. Brand new, age-appropriate textbooks and YA fiction further supplement their studies.
Of the 2,144 students who sat the exams, only 521 are female. Of those 521, 50 were either pregnant or nursing.
One of the United Nations Development Goals Intouch Global Foundation work towards is achieving gender equality. While these figures may seem bleak, it is an improvement from previous years as staff on the ground provide practical support to the girls so that they can come back to sit their exams and obtain their qualifications.
Barriers to girls’ education include poverty, child marriage and gender-based violence. Families will often favour boys when investing in education, assigning girls to the home and domestic labour.
Together with our partners Book Aid International and Windle International, IGF will continue to invest in young girls and women, empowering them with the knowledge and skills to live fulfilling and independent lives.
