Advancing Learning Outcomes and Leadership Skills among Children in Nairobi’s Informal Settlements through Community Participation: Highlights of the baseline findings

• In Event: The Context of Educational Inequality among the Urban and Rural Poor children in Kenya: Implications for Education Reforms

Proposal

The objective of the paper is to highlight the key baseline findings of the expanded phase of the intervention study, “Advancing Learning Outcomes and Leadership Skills among Children in Nairobi’s Informal Settlements through Community Participation” before the onset of the intervention in two sites of Korogocho and viwandani. Data comes from the baseline evaluation survey conducted in the months of April- May 2016, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Results show that nine in every ten parents aspire for post-secondary education for their children. Moreover, pupils preferred to discuss puberty and sexuality with parents, followed by teachers. This was particularly important for girls compared to boys, with girls preferring these discussions at an earlier age. In terms of leadership, results show that more adolescents in Korogocho than in Viwandani were able to resist negative peer pressure ‘very easily.’ However, in Viwandani, adolescents were more likely to report the availability of neighborhood support, and the support of adults outside their homes and schools. On achievement, pupils in Korogocho significantly outperformed those in Viwandani in math, while boys performed better than girls. Qualitative narratives, underscored the importance of parents and teachers as role models, suggesting that they would be the first option in imparting the sexual and pubertal information to the children. Overall, the choice of parents as the first port of call for discussion of pubertal changes, could be useful to the curriculum developers in Kenya, as they grapple with who should be responsible for the teaching of life-skills and values.

Authors

• Benta Abuya, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

• Moses Ngware, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

• Njora Hungi, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

• Maurice Mutisya, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

• Patricia Kitsao-Wekulo, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

• Nelson Gichuhi Muhia, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

• Shem Mambe, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)