Education creates prospects. Education provides a future.
A proper school education is essential for a self-determined life, free from poverty and dependency. However, many children do not have the opportunity to receive education, as attending school is expensive.
Although primary school in Kenya has officially been free of charge since 2003, there are hidden costs for school uniforms and school supplies. Disadvantaged families are therefore often unable to send their children to school. Children are taken out of school prematurely or are not enrolled in the first place. Later on these children have little chance of receiving vocational training or getting well-paid jobs. Girls have a far greater risk of being forced into early marriage.
That’s why in addition to the focus of our work on the Rescue Center, we also support children in the surrounding communities with access to education. For example, if families are unable to cover the costs of their children’s school attendance themselves or if a temporary, special situation is challenging the family, we make a contribution to financing school uniforms, school fees, or learning materials. This is to ensure that these situations do not have a negative impact on the children and that they can attend school regularly and successfully complete their education. YISOG responds to the individual needs of each child and family. The YISOG team carries out this work with dedicated caregivers.
The children in this support program also include two boys and a girl with visual impairments. Sponsorships enable the children to attend a boarding school for the blind. The boarding school has the motto “Disability is not Inability” and the children receive special support there. In addition to traditional school subjects, they also learn Braille. We are particularly proud of how well the three children are developing there.
