Where we work

Five counties in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands

REACH-Education's work reaches select primary and secondary schools and community libraries in Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Tana River and Wajir.

A wide, dry sandy riverbed lined with doum palms, with a herder and goats in the distance

The REACH-Education project

Target: Primary and secondary schools and community libraries in the under-resourced Northern Frontier Counties of Kenya.
Aim: Improve the accessibility and quality of teaching, learning and assessment.
Method: Digital learning programmes, online and offline, that reach students and educators in remote locations.
Goal: Overcome geographical barriers and open educational opportunities to underserved communities.

Five counties in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands

Garissa
Isiolo
Marsabit
Tana River
Wajir

Primary and secondary schools, mobile learning centres and community libraries in the under-resourced Northern Frontier Counties.

Map of northern Kenya showing Marsabit, Isiolo, Wajir, Garissa and Tana River counties with their neighbouring counties and countries

By using digital technology, REACH-Education works to improve educational outcomes and empower people in these marginalised regions, reaching places that traditional resources rarely reach.

Unique challenges

Education across the five counties

Nomadic communities face barriers that national averages hide.

Nomadic groups lag behind national statistics on enrolment, participation, classroom performance, gender balance, achievement and progression.
Limited access, poor teaching quality, teacher shortages and inadequate materials contribute to low enrolment and exam performance.
Recent violence, including terrorist attacks on schools, has affected schools, students and staff, and raised safety concerns for teachers from other regions.
Studies show significant numbers of children out of school, low enrolment and gaps in literacy, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas.
High pupil–teacher ratios, a shortage of qualified teachers and uneven textbook supply make education harder to provide.
Children with disabilities face stigma, poverty and a lack of assistive devices, transport, specialist teachers and schools.
Conflict, radicalisation and terrorism affect children and women, and many school leavers struggle to find work, which draws some into crime or insurgent groups.

Insecurity and education

Why many teachers have left, and how we keep working

The nature of the challenge

Security threats, particularly attacks by Al-Shabaab militants, have driven teachers out of North Eastern Kenya.
Many of those teachers came from other parts of the country, so their departure has left schools understaffed.
Drought and the Covid-19 pandemic made things worse, leaving approximately 1.2 million children out of school.
Local authorities have tried to help, with chiefs going door to door to encourage attendance, but many students still cannot reach school safely.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers has proposed arming and training teachers in the region, which shows how urgent the need for security is.

A comprehensive approach

Introducing armed teachers into schools needs careful thought because of its potentially serious consequences.
Organisations like REACH-Education protect non-resident staff and volunteers with strict security protocols, including not publishing the names or pictures of members or pupils.
REACH-Education works in the region mainly through online platforms, reducing the risk of targeted reprisals.
Lasting progress needs a comprehensive approach: government intervention, community engagement and stronger security, so every child in the region can get a quality education.

For that reason, the photographs on this website were generated with AI. They do not show REACH-Education's learners or staff, unless a caption says otherwise.

Reach remote learners

Keep learning going where it isn't safe to travel.

Online and offline learning keeps teachers teaching and children learning, even where it is unsafe to travel.

Support digital learning Our programmes

The REACH-Education project

Target

Primary and secondary schools and community libraries in the under-resourced Northern Frontier Counties of Kenya.

Aim

Improve the accessibility and quality of teaching, learning and assessment.

Method

Digital learning programmes, online and offline, that reach students and educators in remote locations.

Goal

Overcome geographical barriers and open educational opportunities to underserved communities.