Why We Work
Northern Kenya Fund is dedicated to empowering students and their families through providing them with the tools to create resilient communities for years to come. Marsabit County residents face a plethora of hardships that impact their ability to thrive. We work to identify these barriers to success, allowing students to have agency over their own education, health, and future.
Barriers constraining women are multifaceted– including gender based violence and lack of family planning tools. When funds are available to families–girls’ schooling is often the last priority.
Gender Inequities
Severe drought is driving extensive famine and displacement. While the drought has extended for 4+ years, the number of children impacted has doubled in the last 5 months alone.
Climate Change
With survival in question, 2.7 Million children in the region are out of school, with an additional 4 Million others at risk of dropping out–further perpetuating systemic insecurities.
Access to Education
Climate stressors have decimated local livestock assets, directly impacting pastoralists’ ability to earn income. 57 Million+ people in the Horn of Africa live in extreme poverty.
Poverty
Locally Driven Advocacy
We know that education and locally driven advocacy is what creates lasting, impactful change. Despite the severity of need in Northern Kenya, the area is often overlooked by the Kenyan government: the region’s first secondary school was started only thirty years ago after a small group of inspired youth walked all the way to Nairobi (over 350 miles) to plead with the central government to start the first boys’ school.
This example tells us that local children are hungry for change, and they need to be empowered to achieve a prosperous future for themselves, their families and their communities.
“The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow”
- Nelson Mandela