Enrollment

Education begins when children enroll in school. In Kenya, primary school is free and compulsory starting at age six, yet many children still do not attend. 

That’s why KDEF implements enrollment campaigns in the rural villages where we work. We hold public meetings, open to all, and invite government, school and village leaders to speak. We share information about Kenya’s education policies, promote the value of education, and encourage families to send their children to school.

FACT: As many as 300 residents attend KDEF school enrollment meetings, often convened under an acacia tree. Typically, each meeting will result in 40–50 new enrolled learners from that village. 

We start early, too: For children in Kenya, school can begin as young as four years old. It’s especially important to enroll children of rural pastoralists at this age. If not attending school, they’re put to work fetching water, collecting firewood and herding livestock. The doors to the classroom close forever for these young children, who are left with little choice but to become a herder, or the wife of a herder. 

That’s why we encourage early enrollment, and also create and equip Early Childhood Development (ECD) classrooms for children ages four to six. To date, we have built six new ECD classrooms and renovated four more.