Kenyan families suffer spillover effects from school closures · Global Voices
Kibera Primary School, Nairobi, Kenya, September 18, 2012. Photo via ARC / Flickr CC BY 2.0.
Editor's note: This post was co-written by Global Voices contributor <PERSON> and guest contributor <PERSON>, a researcher and writer from Singapore.
In March, the Kenya government announced the suspension of schools as part of its measures to curb the spread of COVID–19. The announcement threw the school curriculum into disarray, affecting 18 million learners nationwide. It also threatened to derail progress toward inclusive, equitable and quality education as described in Agenda 4 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals .
As part of efforts to ensure continued learning while protecting the health, safety, and well-being of learners and educators, the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with education partners and stakeholders, designed the Kenya Basic Education COVID-19 Emergency Response Plan , with the objective to promote “ out-of-classroom learning ” through radio, TV, e-cloud, and mobile phones.
Today, in spite of efforts by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to expand online content delivery, an estimated 80 percent of learners still do not have access to remote lessons , according to a study carried out by Usawa Agenda (an education network).
This is due, in part, to unequal access to technology such as computers, laptops or smartphones, as well as prohibitive internet costs and unreliable internet access, especially for learners from disadvantaged families and marginalized communities. Even where the technology is available, there are concerns around young children’s unsupervised internet usage .
Prior to the lockdown, learners were able to access free meals at school. Girls were able to access sanitary towels through an initiative to provide free sanitary towels . However, with the prolonged shutdown, Education Cabinet Secretary <PERSON> declared the school calendar as “lost,” meaning schools will remain closed until 2021, leaving thousands of students in a dire situation as their families are unable to afford food and basic necessities due to recent unemployment.
In Kibra, for instance, an area deemed to be the largest informal settlement in Nairobi (and in Africa), most learners are unable to access KCID’s “out-of-classroom learning” curricula, and most do not have a place to study, much less play or exercise.
(For many years, the area was called “Kibera,” a mispronunciation of the word kibra, a Nubian word for “forest.” Kenya's Nubian community feels using “Kibera” robs them of their identity).
In a Skype interview with <PERSON> , a journalist residing in Kibra who covers stories about the plight of the Kibra community, <PERSON> told Global Voices that there were a limited number of free libraries that allowed up to 10 learners at a time to do their homework. However, these learners are required to give up the space to the next lot of learners after about an hour. 803
She added that free tuition initiatives for learners have had to scale down due to social distancing rules imposed by the government and health officials.
<PERSON>, a journalist and Kibra resident, points over Kibra settlement. Photo by Kibra Food Drive, August 2020, used with permission.
The long-term impact of school closures are wide-ranging and even more devastating to families living below the poverty line. As food security takes precedence over education, learners — particularly girls and young women — from vulnerable families often have to work on farms and contribute to household chores or care work instead of learning. This played out during the lockdown which coincided with the peak planting season in March.
Some girls may even be subject to early marriage which puts them at a higher risk of dropping out of school, often as a result of early pregnancies . Hence, educational outcomes for the most vulnerable families will suffer as they have little reason to send their children back to school when it reopens.
In March, Jaffar launched Kibra Food Drive to help alleviate hunger in the Kibra community through donations of food parcels to the most vulnerable families. It started through donation solicitation via M-Pesa (a mobile wallet), with the aim of feeding 100 vulnerable families a week, but with an increasing need for support, the initiative has fed 2,400 families, as of August 5. Jaffar recognizes that providing free meals is not enough because the families ultimately need support to start small businesses. However, the community remains in a deadlock as trade and economic activity stalls.
A volunteer delivers food to Kibra residents through the Kibra food drive in Kibra, Kenya, August 2020. Photo by Kibra Food Drive, used with permission. 803