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Abstract:

1. Only 26.9 percent of ethnic minority girls access secondary education as compared with 60.8 percent for all girls in the same geographical area.

2. Everyday, 73.7 percent of ethnic minority girls sometimes walk 2 to 3 hours to attend school  because there are no school buildings near where they live.

3. About 65.9 percent of existing schools have dilapidated classrooms that need refurbishing or upgrading to acceptable minimum standards for learning.

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Background

In recent years, access to quality schools and education has improved in Kenya. Yet, despite increasing educational opportunities, dropout rates among ethnic minority girls remain high and completion rates low.

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When facilities at school such as private toilets and available health information neglects to focus on the needs of girls, girls often have no choice other than to stay away from school. Missed days add up and girls often drop out of school to face an uncertain future.

More specifically, Ethnic Minority girls find it difficult to stay in school for some of the following reasons:

1. Ethnic minority Girls walk long distances and spend hours collecting water for household use and for drinking at school.

2. Girls prefer to stay home to manage their periods due to a lack of private and separate toilets for girls and boys, running water, soap for cleaning and sanitary bins.

3. Sanitary products are unavailable or expensive to buy, forcing girls to use cloth, toilet paper or nothing at all. This can be uncomfortable and extremely embarrassing and difficult to manage at school.

4. Menstruation is a taboo subject among the ethnic minority communities; this creates stigma and shame.

5. Cultural and social norms among the ethnic minority communities encourages early marriage and child rearing.

6. Helping with household chores such as collecting water, cooking and caring for siblings holds more value than being at school.

7. Contaminated drinking water at school causes a number of diseases, increasing absenteeism; this is also true for boys.

KEMIGS Objectives & Outcomes

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1. Increase school retention rates for adolescent girls among the ethnic minority  communities.

2. Support girls to be healthy, educated and empowered to pursue a bright future.

3. Decrease in new HIV infections in ethnic minority girls and young women

4. Decrease in teen pregnancies

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Outcomes:

The envisaged outcomes of the KEMIGS Project are:

1. Rural ethnic minority girls'-schools have upgraded and improved facilities such as clean running water, girls toilets, washing facilities and sanitary disposal units and improved learning infrastructure and girls' boarding facilities..

2. Ethnic minority  Girls are accessing and using comfortable, locally produced, affordable sanitary hygiene products.

3. Ethnic minority Girls have the privacy and dignity at school and in their community to manage their periods.

4. Ethnic Minority Girls are knowledgeable around the importance of sexual reproductive health and family planning.

5. Young women make their own choices around family planning to reduce unwanted pregnancies.

6. Raised awareness amongst teachers, parents, students, entire communities and decision-makers means female health is less a taboo among the ethnic minority communities.