CARE's focus on Education in Dadaab Refugee camps. |
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 The Dadaab refugee education programme commenced as a community based informal initiative in 1991/1992. Through CARE International in Kenya, UNHCR and the Ministry of Education (MoE) assisted the refugee community in formalizing the education system. CARE's strategy is equipping the learners with the desired knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to enhance their standards of life as refugees and to prepare them for the challenges and roles awaiting them in case of possible repatriation.
CARE's education sector has focused its strategic direction on three significant areas:-
- Provision of basis education for all school age children (5-17 years old) including those with special needs.
- Avail secondary and tertiary education to well performing students in order to enhance their skills.
- Availing adult literacy opportunities to adults in the camps
The community has shown great interest in education as reflected in their support to establishment of community secondary schools and rapid increase of pupils enrolling in educational institutions from 6,753 in 1993 to 43,254 in 2008. There are 18 operational primary schools with one more expected to start in 2009. Others include 3 secondary schools, 3 adult literacy centres and 3 Teachers Advisory Centres. Other integrated programs aimed at enriching the curriculum include peace education, environmental and HIV/Aids education.
CARE also focuses on improving the learning environment and curriculum delivery through provision of desks, prescribed textbooks, incentive teachers and qualified primary teachers. Further, emphasis includes in-service courses to primary school teachers for capacity building to make them remain relevant to changing trends in education.
With the increase of special needs education in the camps, scholarship for children accessing education in established Government Special schools is provided to address the needs of handicapped children.
In the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) of 2008, the top ranking girl student in North Eastern Province was from Dadaab with 364 marks, Fatuma Omar Ismail, she was admitted to Kenya High School.
CARE International has for the last 17 years worked with UNHCR and other agencies to provide relief and development. In all these years, CARE has been providing services in five areas mainly:-
- Education
- Water and sanitation;
- Food security and logistics,
- Community development services, technical services sector,
- Gender and development activities
CARE also provides similar services to the Host Community.
The refugee population has steadily increased from 171,870 in January 2008 to 228,808 refugees in November 2008 this is accredited to incessant political strive in Somalia, despite the Government of Kenya closure of the Kenya-Somali border in May 2008. This population influx has had far reaching effect to the existing facilities mainly basic education, water and sanitation resources, contributing to poor hygiene situation in the camps.
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