Kula Nzomo - Vox Radio
Drought has made education in Tana River a hard pill to swallow being that it is one of the arid and semi-arid lands in Kenya and this has led to poor performance in schools and high levels of school dropout due to lack of enough food, water, and other needs.
Hurara primary is one of the schools with a poor turnout, several young boys are indulging in teenage employment through engaging in charcoal burning and fishing which according to the laws of Kenya section 56 of the employment act makes it illegal to employ children. Gifton Samson a student from Hurara primary school narrates how he lost three friends and schoolmates who were washed away while fishing to earn some money due to the difficult conditions of life caused by drought.
“Drought has caused so many difficulties which have contributed to poor studies in the Tana River area. Back at home, our parents are not able to cater for our needs so we must look for “jobs” so that we can sort out our problems and other needs.”
Lack of water has become a chronic problem in Tana River County causing many girls to stay at home due to lack of water to bathe properly and wash their clothes during menstruation.
Lack of water has become a chronic problem in Tana River County causing many girls to stay at home due to lack of water to bathe properly and wash their clothes during menstruation.
“There is no water at school and maybe I want to use it for different purposes, the place where we get water is three kilometers from home, so you get that due to lack of water at school you have to go home and when you get home there is still no water and because of that you have to stay at home which leads to a great failure in exams.”
Teacher Lucy who is in the category of guiding students who have been going through challenges to reduce stress during this drought period says, they are trying their best to ensure the students’ mental health is stable and they are comfortable at school although it is not an easy task.
In Tana River, young girls are being married at a tender age and hence denied their right to education while others are also engaged in sexual activities for favours. Engagement in sex to these young girls has brought a lot of misfortunes such as diseases and a high rate of unwanted pregnancies. There’s a need for awareness of the importance of education despite the drought challenge.
