Samburu Aid in Africa

Strengthening girls’ retention in education among pastoralist communities.

Girls from pastoralist, semi-nomadic communities in Kenya’s Samburu County face persistent barriers to completing education. The county is remote, with limited infrastructure and poor access to schools and healthcare. Within many pastoralist households, education is deprioritised over livestock. Where families do invest, boys are more likely to be supported with completion rates at the end of primary school 24 - 30% lower for girls than boys. Girls are expected to contribute labour at home, take on caregiving roles, and, as they reach adolescence, may be prepared for early marriage.

With support from Egmont, SAIDIA (Samburu Aid in Africa) is piloting a community-based model to improve girls’ retention in primary education. A cohort of trained community volunteers acts as the bridge between households and schools, tackling the root causes of girls dropping out — from household constraints and early marriage to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) risks and HIV. Through community discussions, they shift norms and build shared accountability for keeping girls in school.

Working in coordination with teachers, the community volunteers monitor attendance and participation, identify girls at risk early and follow up with families to address barriers to consistent attendance. Targeted, age-appropriate SRH sessions for girls and boys, alongside provision of sanitary materials, reduce absence linked to menstruation and wider health risks. To address learning loss, a critical but often overlooked driver of dropout, teachers deliver additional sessions outside school hours, helping girls catch up, stay engaged and remain on track.

The pilot will reach 300 at-risk girls across four primary schools, testing a locally anchored, community-led model with potential for wider application.