A UNICEF program funded by Education Cannot Wait and partners helps flood-affected children return to school and improve the resilience of Kenyan schools to climate shocks
/PRNewswire/ — In the heart of Kilifi County, where memories of a devastating flood still linger, children’s voices are ringing out again. Just a year ago, Tunzanani Primary School was submerged by catastrophic floods, leaving behind a landscape of desolation.
Margaret, 13, in class in Kilifi County, Kenya. © UNICEF Kenya/Paul Kidero
For Margaret, 13, and Gabriel, 12, torrential rains and subsequent floods in Kenya threatened to end their dreams of finishing school and embarking on a career in science. Classmates witnessed the destruction of their school, located in the path of the flood. Their studies, their hopes and their future seemed to have vanished in the flood.
But even as floodwaters washed away books and supplies, the community’s determination to keep learning afloat endured. With funding from Education Cannot Wait (ECW) (Education without delay) and Postcode Education Trusta UNICEF program ensures that Margaret, Gabriel and other children affected by the crisis in the country are able to continue their education.
Kenya is on the front lines of the climate crisis. The consequences of floods, prolonged droughts and other climate risks pose major obstacles to achieving a better future.
Before the flood – a result of heavy rains linked to the El Niño phenomenon – destroyed their school compound, Margaret and Gabriel worked hard to realize their dreams. Margaret wanted to become an ophthalmologist, while Gabriel dreamed of working as a scientist.
Unfortunately, their education was disrupted after classrooms at Tunzanani Primary School were badly damaged. A river blocked the road leading to their school and many families, already struggling with the consequences of the disaster, could not afford to send their children back to school.
Faced with the crisis, the program responded quickly by bringing children back to school and providing them with much-needed resources, such as school bags, school and teaching supplies, and water tanks to ensure a regular supply of drinking water for students and teachers. Tunzanani Primary School is now full of students who dream of making a significant impact on their community.
“When I grow up, I want to be a scientist and work in medicine to create medicines to treat people,” says Gabriel, 12.
Margaret also benefited from the holistic support of the program. Like many young girls her age, she had to deal with managing her periods without having access to adequate sanitary products. Her family’s financial situation was a barrier, and she remembers one shopkeeper’s refusal to sell her sanitary pads on credit because her family had other outstanding debts.
“When I got my period, I rushed home to get sanitary pads, but my mother couldn’t afford to buy them for me. I am grateful to my school for providing them to us with the support of UNICEF,” explains Margaret. For Margaret, this simple but meaningful step made the difference between continuing her education and having to miss valuable school days.
The school management received training in mental health and psychosocial support to strengthen their capacity to help students and teachers who experience stress and trauma caused by emergency situations. The focus on capacity building has also extended to disaster risk reduction and preparing for response to future climate-related disasters.
Millions of people in Kenya are facing a serious humanitarian crisis due to the longest drought the country has seen in 40 years. The situation was further aggravated by devastating floods early last year, which caused massive destruction and left countless communities unable to recover.
According to the report Global Estimates According to ECW, approximately 50% of the world’s crisis-affected school-aged children live in sub-Saharan Africa, the region that faces the most complex challenges in ensuring every child’s right to education.
Peninah Gambo, Deputy Principal of the school, expressed her gratitude for this holistic support: “We are grateful for this help given to us during these difficult times. This generous gesture has had a significant impact on our school, allowing our students to have access to essential resources and to continue their education without interruption.”
As the community rebuilds, the future of children like Margaret and Gabriel remains hopeful. The goal is no longer just to make things right, but to ensure sustainability by ensuring that schools, like Tunzanani’s, are better prepared for future challenges, whether floods, droughts or other climate-related disasters.
But this work is far from finished.
The floods in Kenya are a stark reminder that climate change is affecting communities around the world. Support for children affected by the crisis, such as Margaret and Gabrielmust continue, so that education remains accessible despite the obstacles. In the face of disasters, education is not just a right, it is an essential tool to build resilience, generate opportunities and prepare future generations to operate in an ever-changing world.
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