Holistic Education in Rural Kenya– Riley Orton Foundation

We often talk about holistic education but do we know how to define it? Better yet, do we know how to provide it? We believe that Holistic Education requires that education budgeting and planning takes on a gender lens and incorporates specific resources to support girls’ education. Its implementation requires a multi-stakeholder approach that is inclusive of civil society partners as assets to ensure that girls not only attend but thrive in school.  

Deep in rural Kenya- Kisumu County, The Riley Orton Foundation(ROF) implements the Hold A Girls’ Hand Initiative: a gender transformative program that takes addresses holistic education. It aims to reduce the high absenteeism rates of rural girls who miss school during their menses, reduce sexual and gender-based violence, bolster self-esteem and improve sexual and reproductive health rights among rural adolescent girls. ROF partners with different rural schools to eliminate all barriers that hold girls back from achieving their full potential by offering mentorship, Sexual & Reproductive Health Education, providing free school uniforms, sanitary pads and pants, bicycles to cycle to school and end transactional sex for lifts to school and involving boys and men in supporting girls empowerment.

Major challenges in ROF`s intervention area include high poverty indexes where parents are unable to meet their basic needs including food, menstrual hygiene products, underwear, school uniforms and transport to school thus making vulnerable and exposed to risks including transactional sex for lifts to school, food, sanitary products resulting in unplanned pregnancies and school drop outs.