What Has Changed? Parents and Community Members’ Perceptions on an Education Intervention for Girls in the Slums of Nairobi

Benta A. Abuya^*, Moses Ngware, Milka Nyariro

African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), APHRC Campus, Nairobi, Kenya.

DOI: 10.4236/jss.2015.39029                

Abstract

The objective of the paper is to examine reflections of parents and community members with a community based intervention for girls aged 12 - 19 years in the slums of Nairobi. The intervention involved mentoring in life skills and after school support for girls; and, parental counselling on supporting girls’ education. This paper is motivated by the need to identify from the perspective of parents and community members, what has changed in regard to the education and social lives of the girls, both at school and within the households as a result of one-year exposure to an intervention. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) during the qualitative midterm survey conducted in Korogocho and Viwandani slums, in Nairobi, Kenya. Results show that parents and community gatekeepers’ generally have a positive experience with the outcome of the intervention one year after the onset of the intervention. In conclusion, the knowledge gained by the beneficiaries is gradually leading to an empowerment process within the urban informal settlements, as both girls and their parents become advocates of the program.

Keywords

Girls, Urban, Parents, Community, Intervention, Advocates

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Lewin, K. and Little, A. (2011) Access to Education Revisited: Equity, Drop out and Transitions to Secondary School in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. International Journal of Educational Development, 31, 333-337. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2011.01.011
[2]	Republic of Kenya (nd) Education Sector Report. Government Printer, Nairobi.
[3]	Hervish, A. and Feldman-Jacobs, C. (2011) Who Speaks for Me? Ending Child Marriage. Policy Brief. Population Reference Bureau, Washington DC.
[4]	Lloyd, C. (2013) Education for Girls: Alternative Pathways to Girls Empowerment. A Paper Commissioned by Girl Hub, a Strategic Partnership between Nike Foundation and the UK Department for International Development.
[5]	Lewin, M.K. (2009) Access to Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Patterns, Problems, and Possibilities. Comparative Review, 45, 151-174. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03050060902920518
[6]	Abuya, B.A., Onsomu, E.O. and Moore, D. (2012) Educational Challenges and Diminishing Safety Net Faced by High-School Girls in a Slum Residence, Nairobi, Kenya. International Journal of Educational Development, 32, 81-91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2011.02.012
[7]	Rihani, M.A. (2006) Keeping the Promise: Five Benefits of Girls’ Secondary Education. Academy for Educational Development, Washington DC.
[8]	UNESCO (2012) World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education. UNESCO, Paris. http://books.google.co.ke/books
[9]	Ngware, W.M., Abuya, B.A., et al. (2013) Quality and Access to Education in the Urban Informal Settlements in Kenya. APHRC, Nairobi.
[10]	Oketch, M., Mutisya, M., Ngware, M. and Ezeh, A.C. (2010) Why Are There Proportionately More Poor Pupils Enrolled in Non-State Schools in Urban Kenya in Spite of FPE Policy? International Journal of Educational Development, 30, 23-32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2009.08.001
[11]	Admassu, K. (2010) Primary School Completion and Grade Repetition among Disadvantaged Groups: A Challenge to Achieving UPE by 2015. African Population and Health Research Center. http://aphrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ERP-III-policy-brief-5.pdf
[12]	Sewall-Menon, J., Bruce, J., Austrian, K., Brown, R., Catino, J., Colom, A., et al. (2012) The Cost of Reaching the Most Disadvantaged Girls: Programmatic Evidence from Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda. Population Council, New York.
[13]	UNESCO (2010) EFA Global Monitoring Report 2010: Reaching the Marginalized. UNESCO, Paris. http://unesdoc.org/images
[14]	African Population and Health Research Center (2002) Population and Health Dynamics in Nairobi Informal Settlements. APHRC, Nairobi.
[15]	African Population and Health Research Center (2002) Health and Livelihood Needs of Residents of Informal Settlements on Nairobi City. Occasional Study Report 2002. APHRC, Nairobi.
[16]	African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) (2014) Population and Health Dynamics in Nairobi’s Informal Settlements: Report of the Nairobi Cross-Sectional Slums Survey (NCSS) 2012. APHRC, Nairobi.
[17]	Abuya, B.A., Ngware, M., Hungi, N., Mutisya, M., Nyariro, M. and Mahuro, G.M. (2014) Community Participation and After-School Support to Improve Learning Outcomes and Transition to Secondary School among Disadvantaged Girls: A Pilot Study in Informal Urban Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. APHRC, Nairobi.
[18]	Wamoyi, J., Fenwick, A., Urassa, M., Zaba, B. and Stones, W. (2010) Parent Child Communication about Sexual and Reproductive Health in Rural Tanzania: Implications for Young People’s Sexual Health Interventions. Reproductive Health, 7, 6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1742-4755-7-6
[19]	Bastien, S., Kajula, L.J. and Muhwezi, W.W. (2011) A Review of Studies of Parent-Child Communication about Sexuality and HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Reproductive Health, 8, 25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1742-4755-8-25
[20]	Kagitcibasi, C., Goksen, F. and and Gulgoz, S. (2005) Functional Adult Literacy and Empowerment of Women: Impact of a Functional Literacy Program in Turkey. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 48, 472-489. http://dx.doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.48.6.3