Baringo County in Rift Valley is one of Kenya’s 47 counties and has a total population of over 800,000 people, with 320,000 between the ages of 3–17; the population is expected to grow by more than 120,000 people by 2030. Baringo County is among the marginalized counties in Kenya with a poverty incidence of 52.2% against 45.2% nationally, and a dependency ratio of 107.2. 21,541 children of primary school age, and 55% of secondary school age youth in the county are out of school. 16% of the population has a secondary level of education or above, 48% have primary education, 36% of the population has no formal education.
Invited by the community and its leadership, we established a pilot program for online access to education. In Baringo County, as in many other counties around the world in 2020, children had to stay out of school for more than a year, with very limited options to continue their learning and education.
Talai Primary School serves as the pilot program hub. It is a public primary school in Baringo County, Rift Valley. The school is strategically located in Kabarnet, connecting an entire remote area to online access. Talai Primary School has 430+ students and works in partnership with Talai Secondary School (600+ students).
Students and Teachers at Talai Primary School, Baringo County, Rift Valley, Kenya.
Classroom at Talai Primary School
Our program takes into account the remoteness of the area, often only intermittently available network access, frequent electricity challenges, and several other factors common for remote and underserved regions.
Pilot Hub Setup
Students at Talai Primary School
Classroom Setup for Online Learning
In parallel, we have successfully created, established, and completed highly effective digital computer trainings for both primary and secondary school teachers. Some of these teachers have been in their profession for decades and our trainings provide a powerful step to overcome hesitancy and fear of the unknown, and to tackle the future of education.
Based on the effectiveness and impact of our programs, Baringo County’s leadership has requested us to scale and implement our trainings and hubs in partnership with the Ministry of Education. This would benefit over 180,000 students who enroll in both public primary and secondary schools in Baringo County as per the Basic Educational Statistical Booklet (Ministry of Education).
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Positioned in Kenya’s music scene, one of the most vibrant music scenes on the African continent, the Africa Music Festival is a live music event showcasing musical artists and bands from the African continent and globally.
Hosted in collaboration with partners in Africa, Europe, and the United States, and benefitting children in remote areas of Kenya, the African continent, and beyond, performances will be live streamed to broadcast to audiences around the world. Art and virtual reality installations, African and international food and drinks, merchandise, memorabilia, and much more will be part of an unforgettable weekend.