Canada helps Kenya's Garissa and Turkana counties access quality education

 

By David Mwagiru

Toronto, Ontario: Canada’s support to UNICEF will help provide more children with specialized teachers, safe schools, and more effective delivery of education in Garissa and Turkana counties

On behalf of Christian Paradis, Canadian Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, Joe Daniel, Member of Parliament for Don Valley East, announced that Canada is supporting UNICEF’s work to improve access to quality education for vulnerable and underserved children in Kenya.

He was joined by Chungsen Leung, Member of Parliament for Willowdale while announcing the project that aims to increase the number of children, especially girls, attending school in Garissa and Turkana counties, two remote and arid regions of Kenya with high poverty rates, recurrent droughts, and large refugee populations.

In these counties, access to governmental services is low, especially for nomadic communities. The project also aims to improve children’s education through activities that include training teachers, renovating classrooms, setting up mobile schools and upgrading the national curriculum.

“It is in remote, arid regions of Kenya that the dropout and youth unemployment rates are the highest,” said MP Daniel. “For children in remote communities such as Garissa and Turkana, gaining access to specialized teachers, as well as stimulating classrooms where they feel safe and secure, can make a huge difference.”

Improving access to quality education will result in helping citizens gain the skills they need to find jobs and participate in local economic development. As these regions are witnessing increasing investment in the extractive sector, Canada is enabling communities to maximize benefits from the extraction of natural resources, and promoting inclusive and diversified growth.

“Educating and empowering the most marginalized girls and boys to actively shape their own future is a transformative investment,” said UNICEF Canada President and Chief Executive Officer David Morley. “The Government of Canada is a global leader in saving children’s lives, and their support of this innovative new education program will help UNICEF to reach and support more children in remote regions of Kenya, regardless of where they live or the barriers to education previously in their path.”

The project will also open up opportunities for the Government of Kenya to keep better track of school management and performance in remote locations. The Government of Kenya will be able to use mobile phone technology to access accurate and up-to-date information on schools in remote communities, helping to improve how decision makers establish budget and policy priorities.

“Canada supports innovative ways of managing and delivering education for children living in remote areas,” said Minister Paradis. “Over the long term, increased access to education in disadvantaged communities will help children and youth gain the skills they need to participate in local economic development, and will build a solid foundation for poverty reduction in Kenya.”

Increasing access to quality education in developing countries, particularly for girls, is a high priority for Canada.