By Kipilat Kaptuya
Hundreds of teenage girls in West Pokot County are yet to report back to school for first term due to poverty, teenage pregnancies and Female Genital Mutilation [FGM].
Domtillah Chesang, Director of Irep Foundation, which supports girls who have run away from their homes due to the vices, says the fate of many young girls hangs in the balance due to high poverty levels in the region.
“It’s unfortunate that we have almost zero support this year as most of our scholarships are not taking in new students due to financial constraints,” she said.
Chesang noted that so far I-Rep Foundation has over 50 girls and a few boys it is supporting in different schools, including colleges and universities.
According to Chesang, many parents still hold on to bad cultures and they do not allow children, especially girls, to go to school.
Speaking to Education News, Chesang said many children between the ages of 8 to 13 years in the region are out of school.
She called on chiefs, village elders, religious leaders, and other influencers to join hands and make sure children are in school.
“Children need the support of the county and national governments by paying school fees and improving infrastructure in schools,” she observed.
She said that children need protection from abuses like child labour, defilement, female genital mutilation and early marriages.
The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, 2022 report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) released recently indicates that West Pokot is second in teenage pregnancies at 36 per cent, an increase from 29 per cent in 2014.
She noted that hundreds of children in the Turkwel region have been out of school, receiving poor quality education or are at risk of dropping out because of outdated cultural practices and insecurity.
She said there is need to open up more learning institutions in the region for youths to access education and shun banditry.
“The nearest school from Takaywa village for example is Kasses primary, which is 20 kilometers away,” said Chesang.
Alale Division Assistant County Commissioner Maurice Ogweno said all actors must give education a chance, saying the government will enforce the law to ensure that every child goes to school.
“We should mobilize ourselves as actors, put our energies together, address challenges and mobilize resources to support our children,” said Ogweno.
However, West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin said they will soon release bursaries to needy learners in the county.
“We have set aside Ksh25,000 for every beneficiary. I allocated one billion shillings for bursaries,” he said.
