Lamu, KENYA: Lamu Woman Rep Ruweida Obo has launched a programme that will see form four school leavers from the marginalized Boni community receive free training in teaching courses to enable them revive learning in their villages.
All the five schools in Boni land including Basuba,Milimani,Mangai,Mararani and Kiangwe primary schools in Lamu East have remained closed for over two years now due to insecurity caused by Alshabaab.
All teachers have also fled the areas leaving the institutions and the entire sector desolate.
Speaking in Lamu on Tuesday, Obo said her office intends to spend close to Sh.1 Million from the NGAAF fund to sponsor all form four leavers from the Boni community to teachers training colleges, after which they will be expected to come back and serve their community.
She said the only option for the Boni community to untie itself from the chains of poverty binding it was through education.
She noted that majority of the community was illiterate and said she was confident that through the programme,scholls in the areas will be opened once again and that children of the Boni will be able to consistently attend school unlike now.
She said no teacher from outside wants to come teach in the areas which are considered terror prone and that as such it was proper for the community to be equipped; have teachers from their own in their schools.
“The government has faced challenges whenever they want to recruit teachers to schools in Boni land.No one wants to go there.Its for this reason that this programme was born.We shall train the Boni children as teachers and have them come back and work in their schools so that they get to elevate themselves from poverty and other challenges,”said Obo.
The Boni are traditionally hunters and gatherers who have for decades depended on the Boni forest for survival.
