The Kenya Education Cluster is a network of education partners working to ensure that all children affected by the current drought emergency have access to quality education in a safe and protective environment. UNICEF and Save the Children co-lead the National Education Cluster in support of the Ministry of Education.
In case of an emergency children have at a minimum their lives disrupted, at worst they are exposed to even more extreme suffering - physical injury, starvation, separation from their families, and displacement. In the midst of the crisis and in its aftermath they need protection, a sense of security and everyday routine to help them overcome the psychological trauma they may have experienced. Education can offer this and more and therefore has to be recognized as an integral part of the wider humanitarian response. Kenya Education Cluster members including representatives from the Ministry for education, UNICEF, Save the Children and the Islamic relief Foundation carried out a needs assessment during the month of July to get a sense of the impact of the drought on education. We have developed a work plan for the Cluster to guide our work over the coming months ensuring Kenyan children are able to realize their right to education.