Expanding Tertiary Education Access to Refugees in Kakuma

The Importance of Tertiary Education

Individuals who are forcibly displaced are subjected to a variety of unfortunate external circumstances that threaten their universal rights, including the right to education.  The United Nations has stated quality and equitable education to children across the globe as one of their Sustainable Development Goals.  Yet many children, especially refugees, are at a disadvantage when it comes to opportunities for education.  Recipients of higher education have been shown to have a more optimistic outlook on their lives, aid in the redevelopment and reconstruction of their community, and have skills that will help them better fit into the modern workforce.(Ferede, 2019) It can give students the hope that there is a better future for them, and that they can be the catalyst for this better future. Furthermore, higher education is increasingly being recognized within the international community as a human right that should be awarded to those regardless of socioeconomic status and geographic location.  Despite the evidence supporting the positive effects of providing higher education, the implementation of it has historically been left out of Education in emergencies.

Education within Kakuma Refugee Camp

Kakuma Refugee Camp is a refugee camp run by the United Nation High Commission for Refugees(UNHCR) where approximately 200,000 individuals currently reside.  The education system within Kakuma does not have the necessary resources, therefore creating a situation where many children get siphoned out. As children go from primary school to secondary school, and then subsequently from secondary school to tertiary school, the percentage of kids attending school dramatically drops(O'Keefe, 2021). Only one percent of the refugee population in Kakuma have access to tertiary education.  Specifically with Kakuma, the funding typically goes towards humanitarian aid, and less towards developmental aid.  Therefore, opportunities for tertiary education are underfunded and unavailable to a large number of children who graduate secondary school.  There needs to be an emphasis within Kakuma Refugee camp to expand tertiary opportunity, so that children in the refugee camp can take advantage of the numerous benefits that higher level education can offer.  


Advocacy overarching goals and struggles

Examples of Tertiary education: 

 

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