GRASSROOTS FIX

On the first day of the new school term, many classrooms in parts of Transmara remained half-empty as fear and uncertainty continued to grip families emerging from weeks of violence and displacement. Although schools officially reopened today, learner turnout was noticeably low, with parents citing insecurity and the ongoing dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed by the government as major obstacles to a smooth resumption of learning. The curfew, introduced to allow security agencies to recover illegal firearms and crack down on individuals linked to recent clashes, has restored relative calm but also deepened anxiety among residents. The curfew was announced in the following areas Oldonyo-Orok, Siteti, Ololoma, Corner, Ratiki, Isokon, Karinkani, Kondamet, Olkiloriti, Angata Barrikoi, Kapkeres, Lolgorian Town, Mashangwa and Sachangwan. Teachers and learners say the heavy security operations, while necessary, have left many families living in fear. At Sankale Primary School, one of the...

As schools prepare to reopen in a few weeks’ time, hundreds of school-going children in Trans Mara South are grappling with fear, displacement and emotional distress following renewed clashes in the area. Instead of preparing uniforms, books, and school fees, many families are fleeing violence, sleeping in makeshift shelters and struggling to meet basic needs. The ongoing insecurity has disrupted the psychological and emotional stability of learners, raising serious concerns about their readiness to return to class. Children who have witnessed violence, lost homes and been forced to flee are likely to return to school carrying trauma that affects their concentration, memory and overall academic performance. The situation is particularly worrying for candidates who recently sat the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) and are expected to transition to Grade 10 under the Competency-Based Education system. For these learners, the uncertainty caused by displaceme...

When 13-year-old Simaloi sits in her Grade 7 classroom at Amazing Grace Academy in Shartuka, her eyes often drift across the pages of her books, pages she still cannot read. While her classmates write sentences with ease, she struggles to form even the simplest words. Her inability to read or write is not because she lacks intelligence or willingness. It is because her childhood was stolen long before she ever held a pencil. For years, Simaloi lived a life no child should endure. At home in Kilgoris, she faced relentless beatings, harassment and emotional abuse from her parents. Instead of learning ABCs or enjoying the innocence of play, she was forced to brew chang’aa, a dangerous and illegal trade. The fumes of alcohol replaced the warmth of a home and fear became her constant companion. The torment grew so unbearable that she began sleeping in a roadside tunnel cold, hungry and alone. Her life became a cycle of survival rather than learning, danger instead of development...