Lameck participating in class. Photo Courtesy|Dorothy Waweru, Save the Children

By Roseline Obisa & Dorothy Waweru

On one Friday morning before sunrise, we hit the road to visit a school located deep within Bungoma County. The smell of fresh soil and birds chirping their way through the skies fill the atmosphere as we drive through the meandering terrain. After about an hour, we arrive at a local school surrounded by vast maize plantations. A jovial Philister who is the teacher in charge of the Out Of School (OOSC) project in the school welcomes us heartily.

Children play football freely in the compound in one of the physical exercise sessions and on the other hand the sound of pupils engaging in a class gives us a second welcome. Philister tells us that some of the children playing have recently joined school because of the OOSC project

“Last year, our school had a population of 398 learners but after the Out Of School Project was introduced, the number has risen to 498 learners. I can confidently say that 94 learners have joined this school from the direct intervention of the out of school project where with the support of village elders we mobilized children in the villages to enrol back to school,” says Philister.

After a brief introduction and a short background of the school, she calls Lameck who is among the pupils who has benefitted from the project. Lameck who is currently in grade 6 is the second born in his family and has two siblings, one is in grade 4 and the other one is in grade 6. He tells us that were it not for the OOSC project, he would not have joined the school this year.

“At home, we were really struggling. My two brothers and I live with my grandmother who is not able to provide our basic needs let alone pay for our school fees. She had told us at the beginning of this year that she did not have money to pay our school fees or even to buy us books and pencils,” Lameck says with balancing tears.

Lameck says that one evening his grandmother came home and told him that there is a project supporting children to be enrolled in school. He was happy because he really wanted to continue with his education. He tells us that when he came to the school he was given books, pencils, rubbers and a ruler to use without being asked for money. Smiling, he also says that he has also been getting food in the school due to this project.

“Not only did I get the books and pencils but my stomach has also been taken care of. I enjoy the ‘githeri’ ( mixed maize and beans) we get in school because sometimes it is the only meal I get to eat. Sometimes while at home we do not get any food and so the food I eat at school sustains me throughout the night,” says Lameck.

The determination of Lameck to get an education is evident as he tells us how he and his brothers brave the cold to be up at 5a.m so that they can make it to school in good time. He says that at school his favorite subject is Kiswahili and his favourite sport is football. He also says that when he grows up he would like to be a policeman so that he can help people.

“I am grateful to God for those who have supported us and I pray that they continue to support us. I would also be very grateful if I can get shoes and school uniform so that I can be smart as my classmates,” says Lameck.

Philister tells us that Lameck’s grandmother has come to the school to make some inquiries and we get a rare opportunity to talk to her. 65-year-old Mirriam, Lameck’s grandmother, says that she got to hear of this project from Philister who asked her to bring her grandchildren to school.

“At the beginning of this year, I did not have any money to pay school fees for my grandchildren who were left with me since 2018 by their parents. I am just a small farmer who lives from hand to mouth therefore taking these children to school was very hard. I thank Philister and the project for coming to my grandchildren’s aid.” Says Mirriam.

Mirriam also adds that the books, pencils, rulers and other learning materials given to her grandchildren out of this project have helped her save money to provide for other needs of her grandchildren. She applauds the project and asks for more support to buy clothes and even food for her grandchildren.

“I want my grandchildren to learn, get a better future and fulfil their dreams because they are all very bright and have a great potential,” says Mirriam as she prepares to go home.

Philister says that the out-of-school project has ensured that no child misses out on education and she would wish that the support continues even to greater extents such as purchasing school uniforms for disadvantaged children and supporting the caregivers of such children with a source of livelihood to ensure that children are taken care of both in school and at home.

Philister teaching in a class. Photo Courtesy| Dorothy Waweru, Save the Children

She also calls on the government and especially the Ministry of Education (MOE) to provide learning materials, which will greatly help vulnerable children. Further, she asks the government to support the school feeding program to ensure that all children have access to food while at school which is a great motivator for the learners.

Over 1.1 million primary school-age children aged between 6 to 13 years old are estimated to be out of school in Kenya. Barriers facing school enrolment include poor learning environment, disabilities, low academic performance, dilapidated infrastructure, lack of the school meals programmes, poor teaching-learning approaches, corporal punishment, parental negligence, family conflict, drug abuse, resource-based conflicts, climate related emergencies like floods or drought and negative cultural practices.

To address the gaps in education, Save the Children in partnership with UNICEF has launched a project dubbed, Watoto Warejee Shule, with an objective to increase enrolment and retention of more than 30,000 children who are out of school in Wajir, Bungoma, Baringo and Turkana counties.