Located along Ethiopia's southern border, Kenya's Marsabit District is one of the largest and most impoverished districts in Kenya. The Chalbi Dessert dominates this harsh and inhospitable landscape, and the Gabbra people, one of Kenyas smallest ethnic groups, have subsisted in this Mars like environment for centuries. Traditionally the Gabbra have lived as semi nomadic pastoralists. Herding camels and goats through this vast region, they have struck an unbelievable balance with Mother Nature. Over the years, the Gabbra, as well as many other pastoralist tribes, have been forced by the Kenyan government to settle permanently. The intention for settlement was to provide people with better access to education and health care. Unfortunately the services have never stayed abreast with the intention. Consequently, there is a deep need for nongovernmental institutions to support these critical services.
The Northern Kenya Fund is responding directly to a primary need — education. Year in and year out, countless children are turned away from school because they lack adequate funding. The Kenyan Government mandates that every child will have the opportunity to attend school, but this proclamation has not been upheld in remote regions. Recognizing that we will have a stronger impact by focusing our giving, NKF is driven by the following mission:
NKF supports deserving and high achieving Marsabit District students who have completed primary school but do not have the financial means to attend secondary school.
We primarily support girls as they have fewer opportunities to earn an education, yet once they are educated they are more likely to return to their homes to share their knowledge within the community.
Over the last five years Chachu has worked with teachers, elders and community leaders throughout the Marsabit district to develop selection committees within each of the major communities. The committees meet annually to select scholarship recipients and to evaluate those already enrolled in the program. Currently it costs $500 to fully support a student for a full year of school. This fee includes tuition, books, clothing and transportation. For the 2007 school year, NKF is proud to be sponsoring 25 students and we are confident that we can support an even greater number of students next year with your generous support.