Kenya: Keeping refugee children in school

Cash support to students to prevent dropping out

(LWI) - For many refugee children, education is a lifeline and the only chance they have for a better future. Amid economic hardship, family responsibilities, and societal barriers, staying in school can become challenging. The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has launched a program in Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya, to keep children in school by providing direct financial assistance to the most vulnerable students.

Often, it is the students who bear the heaviest responsibilities whose education is most at risk. Children who have become heads of households and are responsible for younger siblings, teenage mothers, or unaccompanied minors who have no family to support them are more likely to sacrifice their education to work and earn money, as the following examples illustrate.

From conflict to the classroom

At 15, Musa Cibahuna already knows more about loss and survival than most adults. After fleeing from war in the Democratic Republic of Congo and losing his father, Musa made the long journey alone to Kakuma refugee camp.

"My mother had heard about Kakuma, a refugee camp that promised both safety and a chance for education. To secure our family's future, she handed me the little money she had and bid me farewell as I set off on a lonely journey to Kakuma, leaving behind my three siblings." The young boy has not heard from his family since he left in 2021.

Once in Kakuma, Musa was placed in a foster family and enrolled in school. School became his sanctuary, but education in Kakuma came with its own set of challenges, he recalls.

"I remember attending school in my home clothes because I had no uniform. I felt different from the other students, but giving up was never an option. My father never had the opportunity to go to school, and before he died, I had promised him that I would make him proud by one day becoming a doctor."

LWF provided Musa with a grant to buy a uniform, exercise books, and pens. The funds are managed through a trusted Board of Management member who supports him in buying school supplies. With these essentials covered, Musa can focus on learning—and on building the future his family hoped for.

Teenage motherhood and role model for girls

At just 16, Nyabany Kathara’s life changed dramatically when she became pregnant. A refugee from South Sudan, she was already navigating daily hardship in Kakuma. The pregnancy could have ended her education—but instead, it became the start of a new kind of purpose.

“My father was furious at first,” Nyabany admits. “But then he said, ‘You’ve made a mistake, but I still believe in your future.’ That gave me strength.”

Now a young mother, Nyabany juggles school with selling cooking oil and sugar in the evenings to buy milk for her child. When her baby is sick, she stays home. Still, she hasn’t given up. Thanks to the cash support she was able to pay for her school uniform and basic household supplies. The burden is lighter now, and her determination is stronger than ever.

Her experience has turned her into an advocate. “I speak to girls about early pregnancy and why staying in school matters. The choices we make today shape not just our future, but the future of our children.”

Nyabany still wants to become a doctor. She dreams of one day returning to South Sudan to serve her community.

Invest in dreams

The money is often channelled through mobile pay services, or Board of Management members, to make sure it directly benefits the student’s education. 260 students in 21 schools in Kakuma received financial support from LWF in 2024. It is a modest amount, but it offers the chance for big changes in their lives: 21 Euros per term for single students, 64 Euros for teenage mothers.

These sums are making a profound difference – especially now, when education and protection programs that provide stability and hope for refugee children in Kenya face significant cuts. Hundreds of thousands of people are directly impacted, says Girma Gudina, LWF Country Representative in Kenya: “The withdrawal of funding for education in Kenya's refugee camps will have serious consequences for the children. Without support, many will be forced into early marriage, child labour, or dangerous coping strategies. In some cases, children may be exposed to exploitation, substance abuse, or recruitment by criminal gangs”.

“Many children will also have to leave school to help their families survive,” he adds.

For learners like Musa and Nyabany, the current project it is more than financial assistance—it’s a vote of confidence in their potential, and an affirmation that their dreams are worth investing in.