Education has both instrumentalist and utilitarian value, which is why the world has committed to ensuring that every child gets a chance to receive quality education. Article 26 of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims the right of all persons to education. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) places the obligation of guaranteeing this right on the state. Kenya is signatory to these protocols. Articles 43 (1) (f) and 53 (1) (b), of Kenya’s Constitution place the obligation of providing education as a human right on the state. While Clause 4 (b) of the Basic Education Act underscores the right of the youth to “equitable access to basic education…and equal access to education or institutions.” This fits in well with the fact that the core value of education is ‘public good’ in nature as aptly reflected in the country’s 7 out of 8 goals of education. Therefore, its equitable access is of paramount importance.

Kenya has committed to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda of sustainable development, which includes SDG4 on education. This means that the country has committed to ensuring “inclusive and equitable quality education, and promoting lifelong learning for all”. In a spirited attempt to fulfil this commitment, live by her constitution and realize the promise of education for her people and own developmental ambition, the country is undertaking numerous legal and policy reforms. Promoting social equity and responsibility is not just one of the eight goals of education in Kenya, but in fact, it is a cross-cutting theme in most of the reforms being undertaken. The government has undertaken numerous measures towards this goal, including implementing free primary education, free day secondary education, universal transition from primary to secondary school, and most importantly curriculum reforms that have culminated in the implementation of the new, Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Another equally important, and perhaps more emphasized, cross-cutting theme in recent reforms in the sector is the integration of information and communications technology (ICT) in education, training and research at all levels.
The problem is deeply rooted in social and economic poverty, pushing majority of these women and girls to desperate conditions to look for men or accept men’s advances so that they can provide other basic needs not just for themselves, but for their families as well. Since the schools shut down, restrictions on travel and movements, HOYWIK has played a critical role in supporting the community to respond to the pandemic with various documented various interventions like supplies of face masks, food support to over 537 vulnerable families and also linking some of these vulnerable families to access government and other NGOs providing direct monthly stipends cash transfers to individual’s households. It has been reported that, the project population estimates in Kibera are likely between 500,000 to two million residents according to the Kenya National Census Report. Poverty is seen and affects on the emotional development of children, and has got a negative impact on education. Most of these target groups (Orphans, Youth, Adolescent girls and Women) in these communities are living in extreme poverty and lack access to basic services, including water and sanitation services, unemployment is high and majority of these residents with jobs work in the informal sectors, where availability of work is irregular. Crisis like this have potential to trigger actions that violate several human rights, cause a breakdown in law and order and induce panic among populations.

Continuous engagement with and support to national and county governments is critical in ensuring that this does not happen. Every effort must be put in place, including leveraging digital tools to ensure people’s rights are protected, public services are delivered and trust is strengthened between people and their respective government authorities.