Parents in Northeastern have been urged to invest in their girl’s education. Windle Trust project coordinator Ali Duale said enrollment for girls among the pastoral communities is still low.
Statistics show the number of girls in primary and secondary schools is below 70 per cent.
Duale said parents should shun retrogressive cultural practices such as early marriages, which undermine girl’s education.
“We all need to support our girls to do well in their exams, especially those in marginalized areas. This can be achieved by ensuring we keep them in school,” he said. Duale said there is need to encourage girls to enrol in teaching and nursing, which will have a direct impact on the community.
He was speaking on Saturday after a two-day scholarships conference organized by Windle Trust and the World University Service of Canada. It is funded by the Department For International Development.
Duale said this can be achieved through cooperation by all stakeholders. Garissa assembly Education committee chairman and Dertu MCA Abdi Ali said girls from the region have demonstrated they have talent, potential and the ability to succeed in any field given the opportunity.
He said he pushed for more funds to educate girls in the 201-17 budget. Ali urged the governor to work with NGOs willing to support girl’s education.
The project is sponsoring 15,000 girls from poor backgrounds in Garissa and parts of Wajir county.