In our last blog Janet, our Outreach Manager, explained the changes to the education system in Kenya. Education is key to the prospects of children. In this blog, Janet explains how KCC is supporting the education of disadvantaged children.
Equipment
Equipment is required to impart knowledge to the learners. Digital literacy is a significant component of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), and most schools in rural areas lack internet connectivity and devices like computers. In some areas, we have witnessed teachers using their phones to educate children in rural areas. Some of the equipment that is required include Desktops. Laptops, Projectors or TVs, Charts, Crayons, Balls for all types of sports, etc. KCC has been helping to provide such at some schools. We have purchased learning materials for schools and individual children, and a TV for a special needs unit with a massive school population. 
The new curriculum is also quite expensive – because it is new there are not many sources of learning materials; demand is high, raising the cost.
Although basic primary education in Kenya is supposed to be free, parents still incur charges. KCC has identified children from extremely needy backgrounds, and we help provide such school levies. These stop them from dropping out of school and protect them from being exploited for child labour, as they may be sent home if they don’t pay these school levies.
Food
There is a government directive that schools and parents must develop a feeding program for children in junior secondary. It has been implemented in a few schools, but these are very expensive. In some schools, the programmes started and are still running. In others, it started, and later, parents decided to stop funding the program. In some the programme didn’t even start. The government is still trying to address this issue with the help of NGOs that are already ruining feeding programs in schools. KCC has already been feeding over 1,000 children every day to help address this issue.
Clothing
The implementation of the new curriculum also saw new school uniforms for the new level called Junior Secondary School. Although it is referred to as Junior Secondary, the children are educated in the existing primary schools, and the government insisted that children should not be denied admission because of uniforms. However, there was a need to distinguish primary school children from junior secondary schoolers. Some parents cannot afford uniforms and feel uncomfortable with continuing with the old uniforms from primary school. Some parents cannot afford uniforms for both children in both primary and junior secondary so choose to first buy for those in Junior secondary.
KCC has been offering school uniforms and equipment to children with no uniforms and shoes to try and ease this problem in schools.
Through these interventions KCC is helping children attend school, giving them the foundation for an improved future.