Baragoi Kindergarten, Northern Kenya
The Need.
Baragoi is among the most marginalized regions in Kenya. The area is extremely remote, accessible only by dirt roads. As it is arid, receiving very little rain, much of the region is uninhabitable. The town of Baragoi's impoverished population is predominantly the Samburu people. The Turkana people live further out in the frontier. This area has been plagued by outbreaks of sometimes dangerous conflict between the two peoples. Conflict management is currently being addressed by the local Anglican church and the government.
There was a strong need for a kindergarten as (prior to our project) there was none in the entire region. The lack of educational opportunities for children was third on the community's list of their five most critical challenges. The need for a kindergarten was listed immediately below "lack of water"and "hunger."
Part of the hope in locating a kindergarten in Baragoi is to help facilitate peace in the area. It is believed that with the construction of the kindergarten, drilling for and providing potable water, and other development, some of the major sources of conflict will be removed. Gary's Fund gave serious, lengthy consideration to this project but ultimately decided (and agreed with our partner) that our goal is to help those who need it the most. It would be difficult to find a community more dedicated to their children's education and children in greater need of a safe place to obtain one.​
The Project.
​In 2023, Gary's Fund made our largest donation to date of $50,000 to construct Baragoi Kindergarten including:​
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Main building (2 classrooms + office area)
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Kitchen building with storage area
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Children and staff pit latrines (6 pits in 2 separate units)
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According to our partner, Africa Exchange, the community is "over the moon" and very grateful to Gary's Fund for providing the funding for this special project. A large crowd attended the opening ceremonies in January 2024 and over 70 children immediately enrolled.
The community's dedication to the school is readily apparent. A school committee was already in place before Gary's Fund began considering the proposal. This committee has both Samburu and Turkana leaders which is critical as part of the peace keeping efforts. The Anglican church is a recognized agent of peace in the region. They were willing to donate one of two properties as a site for the school. One site is located on the frontier with the Turkana and the other is situated within the church compound in the town of Baragoi. The second site was selected as it has been deemed a safer and more secure location. At least one teacher will be provided by the county government. ​
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Almost every frontier school in the country is sponsored by a church, community group or non-profit organization and is supported by the government. Without this support and/or sponsorship, there would be little formal education available in these regions. Sponsorship does not entail changing the approved government curriculum which sets aside a small portion of the overall curriculum for religious education. No favoritism is given to any particular religion and school is open to all children in the community regardless of religion or race.
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Additional Ongoing Support.
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​2024: Gary's Fund provided a donation of $15,635 to fund school meals for all 280 kindergarten students in our Kenyan schools for the entire school year. Costs per student were higher for Sisit and Baragoi as these communities are in very remote locations.
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$5050 of this donation was made to provide 72 Baragoi kindergarteners with a daily lunch and snack.
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The meals are cooked in the school kitchens daily.
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The chidren attend school approximately 10 months/year and the total cost/child/school year is $70.
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Costs increased this year as Gary's Fund is now paying transportation, fuel and delivery costs plus the stipend for the school cooks. Due to inflation this additional assistance was needed.
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Despite the increased cost it only takes pennies/day to feed these children. The cost to provide a nutritious lunch each school day is only 23 US cents/day/child, money that most of their parents do not have.
The Community.
RESIDENTS, LIVELIHOOD AND DROUGHT:
Baragoi is a small but substantial town and trading center populated mostly by the Samburu people as well as some Pokot and Turkana people. It is among the most marginalized communities in the country and receives very little rain, making some of the surrounding areas uninhabitable. The people living in the town do not tend to relocate even during difficult times such as prolonged drought or conflict. It actually tends to be a refuge for some residents from closer-in villages during these unstable, challenging periods.
Baragoi residents are almost entirely dependent on livestock for their livelihood. They have no choice but to rely heavily on relief support from various sources including churches, non-governmental organizations (such as Gary's Fund), and the county and national governments. When conditions are poor in the region, such as during prolonged droughts, the essential supply of grass, water and food for their cattle diminishes and not everyone can obtain outsde relief. This leads to migration of those living in outlying villages to multiple locations in search of these basic resources. ​​
CHALLENGES, CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION EFFORTS:
When communities begin crowding together, sharing smaller habitable regions and dwindling resources, hopelessness, desperation and animosity can escalate leading to conflict.
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The violence in the northern areas of the country is sporadic but ongoing, usually clashes between the Turkana, Pokot or Samburu. These conflicts tend to arise from disagreements about grazing rights or politics. Conflicts can escalate especially during times of drought when outlying communities migrate and congregate, sharing dwindling resources and smaller habitable regions. Due to the widespread presence of firearms in the region, crime is an issue. The government has deployed security forces recently in several areas to enforce the law. The local Anglican church is also playing a major peacekeeping role.
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When the community was asked to name their 5 major challenges they were listed in the following order:
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Lack of water
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Lack of food
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Lack of education for the children,
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Animal vaccinations
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Security
The goal in building our school is to combine it with providing clean water (a borehole was recently drilled in the area), promotion of development in the community, and increased peace keeping efforts. These moves forward will hopefully help with a widespread effort to bring peace between the various communities spread across the region.​​
The Community Contribution.
Gary's Fund feels strongly that when selecting a community for a school it is essential that the adults are fully committed and dedicated to ensuring it is a success. Additionally, we require that the community makes a contribution to the project, paying part of the cost, contributing labor, etc.
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As mentioned above, Baragoi was so committed to bringing a kindergarten to their town they had formed a school committee before we received the proposal. The local Anglican church had offered a choice of two properties for the school including one within the church compound providing security in this conflict zone.
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During construction the adults contributed heavy labor as shown in the photo of the woman crushing stones for the concrete and the men preparing to lay the foundation.