A campaign for refugee education in Kenya will be launched during the month of Ramadhan starting next week.
The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims and the UN refugee agency yesterday urged Kenyans to donate towards sending children in refugee camps to school.
Yesterday Supkem said hundreds of thousands of refugee youth in Kenya do not attend school for lack of funding.
They spoke during the launch of the Ramadhan refugee education campaign. It will run throughout the month of Ramadhan.
UNHCR officials said a lack of funding has resulted in a lack of infrastructure and a shortage of qualified teachers needed to provide quality education to refugee children and youth in camps.
UNHCR says Kenya hosts more than 450,000 refugees, 77 per cent of them women and children.
Most children in Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps only have access to primary education.
Less than one-third of refugee children of schoolgoing age are able to attend secondary school. Only 13 per cent of refugee youth has access to tertiary education.
“Helping them access education will not only empower them economically as graduates but will also enable them to go back and develop their countries,” Supkem national chairman Yusuf Nzibo said.
He said the holy month of Ramadan is a time of spirituality, self-reflection and efforts to alleviate the suffering of others.
"Many refugees in Kenya have lived in forced displacement for over 20 years. With this campaign, we can help alleviate some of their suffering,” Nzibo added.
“Statistics are distressing, they revealing the discouragingly low number of refugees accessing education. Behind these statistics are children and youth who are waiting in limbo for a chance to fulfil their dreams,” UNHCR representative to Kenya Fathiaa Abdalla said.
Nzibo called on leaders and the business community to join them on May 11 during Iftar in raising funds to give hope to children.
(Edited by V. Graham)
