“Providing Hope through Education”
CES Canada (est.2004) is committed to providing access
to education for secondary school youth orphaned by the HIV/Aids pandemic
living in rural Kenya. In 2015 CES supports 300 students with tuition,
healthcare and daily nutrition. 24 school communities are strengthened through
clean water and other infrastructure building programs designed to create
better schools and healthier learners.
Humanitarian
Outreach Based on Research
The foundations of Community Education Services (CES)
Canada are Education, Water, Health and Nutrition. These cornerstones are
confirmed through a decade of experience in the field. In addition, CES has
been directly involved in six
research projects within school communities in rural western Kenya. An
assessment model for determining community needs shows key priority needs to be more schools, quality education,
clean water, health, nutrition and opportunities for youth employment.
Additional research initiated by CES defines goals and
strategies that improve the lives of Kenyan youth. A 2004 “Impact of HIV/Aids on Kenyan Schools” defines the reason why CES
exists to assist orphaned youth. A 2010 “PAD
Project” outlines the problem of absenteeism and the need for girls to
receive education and feminine hygiene resources during their menses. A 2011 “Need for Tertiary Student Loans in Kenya” highlights the pressing
need of KCSE grads having limited funding available to pursue post-secondary
education. A 2013 “CES Kakamega
De-Worming” research project provides the structure for education, training
and medical outreach program impacting on 50,000 children in the
Kakamega/Navakholo communities of rural Kenya. In 2015, a “Water
Management:Health and Hygiene” research project is being conducted in
partnership with Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.
Responding
to International Dialogue
In July 2013 CES Canada was granted Special
Consultative status with United Nations through the ECOSOC (Economic and Social
Development) Branch of UNESCO.
CES Canada has partnered with the UNICEF Wash In
Schools (WinS) program, a global focus on health education, clean water and
personal hygiene. CES also
contributed to an international dialogue through UNESCO on “Making Education a Priority in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.” This
UN report outlines why a focus on equitable quality education and lifelong
learning for all is critical if we are to overcome current and future political,
economic, health and environmental challenges.
Priority areas for CES are that all girls and boys
have access to and complete quality secondary education; and, that these youth,
particularly girls and women, have access to post-secondary learning opportunities
that develop knowledge and skills relevant to work and life. The fundamental areas of education,
health, water and sanitation, gender equality and equal access for disabled
youth remain critically important to the work of CES Canada in Kenya.
Continued
Focus on Reducing Poverty
Since 2010 the United Nations in
partnership with governments and civil society has included organizations like
CES Canada in crafting the next development agenda. It is clear that although
significant progress has been seen in the 2015 Millennium Development Goals;
the desired outcomes have not been
met.
There are pressing issues facing the
world of today: ending extreme poverty, ensuring that women enjoy the same
rights as men, making sure children don’t die of preventable diseases and combating
the negative effects of climate change – all in the context of justice and
freedom from the ravages of war.
Effective poverty eradication strategies
need to recognize the interconnections between various aspects of poverty.
Poverty is made up of factors that together deprive people of their rights and
freedoms. Malnutrition, poor sanitation, lack of clean water and no electricity
are daily reminders of what people in rural Kenya face. These realities reflect
the realities of poor health, lack of education, inadequate living standards,
environmental degradation, gender discrimination, violence and lack of access
to justice.
The practicalities of eradicating
poverty remain daunting at best. The most vulnerable are the
children. Always depending on adults, they suffer greatly when caregivers
live in acute poverty. Powerless and without a voice, their choices are limited
to meeting needs for basic survival. The way forward remains largely in the
domain of education, for it is here that minds and hearts can be shaped and values,
skills and attitudes molded into something positive.
CES Canada – A Part of the Solution
The
work of CES Canada in Kenya may appear to be but a small drop of medicine in an
ocean of good intentions. The
HIV/Aids pandemic has produced the phenomena of “children raising children” and
“grandmothers raising children.” There are 1.2 million orphaned children under
the age of 19 years living in Kenya; most cannot pay the school fees necessary
to attend school. CES Canada’s scholarship program includes paying tuition and
providing basic healthcare and nutrition for 300 secondary school students.
Daily feeding programs, improved sanitation through Wash In Schools Program
(UNICEF), access to clean water, PAD feminine hygiene education and provision of
treated anti-malaria mosquito nets help each student to become brighter, better
learners – all this for under $1/day.
The ability of our CES graduate students
to enter college and university is limited to available financial resources.
CES has provided partial funding for some who have demonstrated exceptional
learning skills. In 2015 a CES Leadership Scholarship has been established
through the support of the Peter Cundill Foundation. Five talented CES graduates will receive a full scholarship
to attend a Kenya university.
CES Canada is involved in a “seven-fold” strategy where needy, orphaned
students receive scholarships and support in their education. This means that
on average one CES graduate will help seven others to achieve their education.
Families and communities are strengthened as these Kenyan youth find ways to
rise above the grinding poverty they face.
Mobilizing youth to create stronger communities is a not only relevant
for the work of CES, it is indeed necessary. In 2014 the CES Alumni group was
established. Their aim is to create scholarships for needy students, helping
others as they were helped. Students at MMUST (Masinde Muliro University in
Kakamega) are involved in community health research in CES associated schools. A CES team provides life skills and ICT training
for those applying for higher learning.
In a world where 800 million people go to bed hungry each day, where 1
billion people live on less than a dollar a day and where 600 million children
live in absolute poverty, CES Canada continues to bring hope to school
communities through its unique work in rural western Kenya.
