Promoting Girls' Education Through Community Participation: A Case Study in Kenya

The aim of the study was to highlight the process adopted in ensuring high level community participation in the project. An in-depth desk review of the project proposals, progress reports, evaluation reports and final reports was undertaken in order to determine the strategies adopted which led to the mobilisation of the community and building of their capacity and provide an indication of how the project activities were monitored and evaluated.

To complement the written material, a working session with the Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children (KAACR) persons involved in the implementation of the project was held with Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE). The working session gave a forum for the implementers to highlight the impact of the project and lessons learnt. A video documentary entitled “A Portrait of Success” was perused in capturing the feelings of the key players and of the beneficiary – the girl child.

Introduction

Kenya had achieved an impressive enrolment rate of 95% at the primary school level, with a male/female ratio of 51:49 by 1990. There were however, serious regional and gender disparities. In North Eastern province for instance, enrollment rates averaged only 24% with a male/female ratio of 68:32. The Coast province had an enrollment of 43% with a male/female ratio of 57:43.

Fur- thermore the national enrolment rate has been on the decline standing at 76% in 1999. Of concern to advocates of equal education for all is the high dropout rate of girls when compared to boys. The national completion rate of girls in primary school is only 35% against 55% for boys. This is even lower in districts like Kwale, Kuria, Migori, Homa Bay, Kilifi, Turkana and Kajiado where the completion rates for girls is as low as 24%.

According to the 1995 Ministry of Education statistics, girls are seen to reduce in numbers as they proceed to higher classes. Of the 35% girls who complete primary school, only 22% of them go to secondary school as compared to 24% of boys. At the end of the secondary school level, 22% girls drop out of the formal education systemn as compared to 20% of the boys.