The general objective of the project is to contribute to the reduction of social disparities in Kisumu thanks to a program that develops the education and training system.
The Augustinian Fathers have been serving in the Catholic parish of St. Monica in Kisumu since 2006. In Nyamasaria (informal urban settlement) the social situation is continuously worsening with high rates of crime, early pregnancies and marriages, as well as HIV/AIDS infections.
There are 674,725 children in Kisumu County. In a report by the Kenyan Interagency Rapid Assessment it is reported that 46% of children live in disadvantaged conditions and 48% are forced to work. Only 13% of boys and girls attend secondary school with a continuously increasing rate of school dropout and child exploitation.
School completion rate is one of the most pressing education issues in Kenya. Only 58% of pupils enrolled in the first year finish primary school. Early school leaving is associated with educational deficiencies that are likely to limit students’ social, financial and psychological fulfillment throughout their lives.
Another aspect where the project intends to intervene is school assistance for children with disabilities. In the county the percentage of people with disabilities is 2.01% higher than the national average (3.46%), and amounts to approximately 40,000 people (Kenyan Integrated Household Budget Survey 2016). Most disabled children are kept at home in deplorable conditions.
The project we want to develop will try to care about all these problems.
Therefore, guarantee quality education for disabled people that helps their social reintegration, but also for children coming from situations of poverty and hardship, in particular supporting the schooling of girls.
Thanks to adequate spaces and equipment, school overcrowding will be combated and investments will be made to improve the training quality of school staff.
All this will have a positive impact on defeating school dropout and the resulting child exploitation.
Work began on 11th December 2023 and will end in November 2024: ready for the start of the academic year which will begin in January 2025.
We want to provide high-quality education to at least 640 children.
Our special program will support the inclusion of children with disabilities (7%), gender equity (50%) and the fight against illiteracy among the poorest (45%). Furthermore, the school structure includes an information room on climate change and environmental conservation, unique in the area.
