Blog by FAWE Kenya

Crises can exacerbate the hurdles girls face in education, including sexual and gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy and child marriage. In Kenya, girls from Turkana host communities and urban refugee girls in Eastleigh informal settlement, Nairobi, are disadvantaged at all stages of education and struggle to learn given the high levels of vulnerabilities. In these fragile and crises-affected contexts, more than any other, girls’ education is a lifeline. Unfortunately, many girls remain out of school.

At the advent of Covid 19, the Government of Kenya announced the closure of schools and educational institutions as a precautionary measure to mitigate the risk of human-to-human transmission of Covid 19, to protect children from being affected and to minimize the spread of the virus in the community. So much has transpired since Covid 19 hit the country. During the school lockdown, girls lacked food and sanitary towels, which then, were provided by schools and NGOs. They also did not learn. Most were unable to access learning materials while at home and other learning channels were unavailable. For instance, most parents do not have radios hence girls did not benefit from the school radio programs by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD). In addition, due to the poverty and lack of internet connectivity, most girls had no computers or smartphones to enable them attend classes.

From the case study conducted by FAWE Kenya, Turkana County does very poorly in keeping girls in school once they are enrolled. There is a dramatic fall in the number of girls as they progress in subsequent classes.  In 2020, for instance, 700 girls sat for KCPE against 997 boys, implying more boys completed primary school compared to girls in the host community. The rural based host community of Turkana have negative attitude towards girls’ education. They believe that girls’ education is optional and not compulsory. They therefore, prefer to take boys to school and have girls stay at home providing labor such as looking at goats and caring for household chores. Significantly, they see girls as a source of wealth hence no value in educating them. Their focus is to get girls married off for them to get family wealth. They see girls as “Equity Bank or any other bank” where they can save income. Male parents believe that girls belong to them and it is their prerogative right to decide when and which girl is to be beaded and married off. Consequently, they insist on marrying off girls at a tender age in exchange of cows, and camels, which should belong to them. Moreover, they perceive schools as a place where girls are introduced to “foreign cultures” such as sex, abortion, use of drugs, and graduate with pregnancy which do not occur if they stay at home. Other factors affecting learner achievements for girls in the Turkana host community include inadequate teachers, language barrier, inadequate female teachers, inadequate learning facilities, poor attitude towards education, girls’ indiscipline and lack of role models.

FAWE Kenya works to ensure that all girls access education and this promotes stability among vulnerable girls. Educated girls are equipped with tools for resolving disputes peacefully, and are more productive. Quality education has been shown to promote tolerance and help resist recruitment to violent extremism.

When families are forced to flee for safety, young girls miss out on education. For instance, many urban refugee girls and families have fled Somalia due to forced recruitment and abduction of children to the conflict and found themselves in Eastleigh, Nairobi. Most of the urban refugee girls in Eastleigh fled their countries, at a tender age. Majority 30.8%, were forced to flee to Kenya because of fear of abduction by militias, while 26.9% were forced out of their countries by war and internal violence. Most of these girls were looking for peace since their home countries are war- torn areas. Some of the girls were looking for education. Some were looking for employment, and greener pastures, especially those from Congo. Besides war and persecution, some urban refugee girls feared early marriage and female genital mutilation, a common practice in their home countries.

In Eastleigh Nairobi, school-going girls who have been forcibly displaced have been barred from education because they lack official documentation. There are only six public schools, and a couple of private schools that enroll urban refugee girls and are characterized by overcrowded classrooms and teachers do not have the requisite skills to deal with refugees. Lack of legal status, especially necessary documentation such as ID or birth certificate or proof of prior learning, required for one to register in a school is a major barrier for urban refugee girls to access school. The presence of refugee girls in Eastleigh have resulted in influx of private schools because of inability of the public schools to absorb and enroll all of them.

The urban refugee girls lack transportation options for accessing schools safely with 59% mentioning distance to school as a major barrier to schooling. Typically, because of time spent in finding where to settle, most of refugee girls are overaged for their grade/class for both primary and secondary schools. Because of colour and height, they are laughed at and ridiculed by other learners in schools. For example, there are some South Sudanese refugee girls who do not go to school due to stigmatization out of their physical appearances, especially color and height, and end their schooling to enter into the workforce, mostly as househelps.

In the effort to address barriers to girls’ enrolment, participation, and completion in Turkana host communities and Eastleigh, Nairobi, FAWE Kenya is critically accelerating action to advance gender parity, with a greater focus on gender equality in and through education to ensure vulnerable girls from crises and conflict-affected areas receive the full benefits of education. We are encouraging parental engagement and girls’ participation in informing the planning of education in emergency settings to ensure responses are effectively addressing their needs in a way that benefits them. Their voices should be systematically heard.

We have capacity-built policymakers and women rights organizations, education advocates, duty bearers and every stakeholder involved in EiE as part of influencing decision making and budgetary allocations at the county and national levels to ensure that provision of quality and safe education for our girls is a top priority. Through the Nairobi and Turkana advocacy working groups, we are addressing a wide range of barriers to girls’ education using data-driven and gender responsive strategies, tools and approaches to put gender equality at the heart of EiE.

We have conducted extensive research to document evidence-based strategies that will change the narrative for girls growing up in crisis-affected contexts, strengthening their resilience and potential to rebuild their lives and shape their communities. Our research applied a data-driven gender analysis whereby we used qualitative and quantitative data disaggregated by sex and other factors to identify and understand existing gender disparities as well as gender-biased norms and practices related to access and learning for girls living in Turkana host community and urban refugee girls in Eastleigh Nairobi. We have documented disaggregated and nuanced data regarding what is happening and why it is happening. This critical evidence will be integrated into the Kenyan education sector assessments and responses and will be used to inform programme design, implementation, partnerships, monitoring and reporting to accelerate results in gender equality for girls’ education in emergencies.

Additionally, in our advocacy efforts, we are mobilizing multi-sector responses in addressing the full spectrum of barriers that keep girls out of school, while ensuring community involvement and establishment of accountability mechanisms. For instance, in Turkana County, through ‘Wasichana wetu wafaulu’’ program, sanitary towels are provided at the ministry of education. However, distribution has remained a major challenge. FAWE Kenya, through the working group, committed to hold the county education officers accountable to follow-up on the distribution. This will ensure that the poor and needy girls from the host community access the sanitary towels and are able to attend school more frequently.

There is need for improved coordination between the Government, CSOs and other stakeholders to promote girls’ education in emergency settings and encourage communities to champion girls’ education.

By FAWE Somalia

My name is Saynab Mohamed Diriye and I am 31 years old. I am Married and I have Seven Children, I dropped out of school in the year 1999 and I have never gotten the opportunity to proceed any further.

I have a small business, a shop, in waciye district of the Kar-kaar region of puntland. A lot has changed for me in just a few short months. FAWE Somalia (FAWESOM) provided all kinds of support. Their training, advice and monitoring activities help me in running a successful business.

At first, I was very afraid about this business, but the FAWESOM workers motivated me, saying that selling these things is always profitable. Once a month, FAWESOM visits my place to provide necessary advice and to evaluate how I spend the money.

My small shop serves approximately 100 people in my village. This is like a dream come true because just a year ago, I could not imagine that I would be running a successful business.

Gender inequality and illiteracy rates are very high among girls and women in Somalia. A vast majority have few opportunities in the labor market and have lower economic empowerment when compared to men.

However, this has been changing in recent years. Thanks to projects like Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills Development for unemployed youth project (CIVSAM), there are now opportunities for more women to actively participate in development issues. This is giving them jobs that were traditionally reserved for men, such as running small businesses.

Nowadays, I am very fine with the help of almighty Allah, my children go to school to learn. A few years ago, we are unable to eat properly, now I can earn, save, and spend money by myself. I can provide support for my female relatives. I am not a dependent woman because of my income activity. I am very happy with my life. I thank FAWESOM for helping me.

Saynab is one of the beneficiaries of CIVSAM Project that was selected in 2019. This program provided small cash grants to help women start small businesses and support themselves. She received US $ 300.00 as a startup fund from FAWESOM which she used to set up a small business shop. 

The Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills development for Unemployed Youth program implemented FAWESOM helps 200 women in Badhan Sanaag region, Waaciye kar-kaar region and Dangoroyo Nugaal region start their own businesses. It provides each woman with small a grant, with the hope that their new business will generate much more income in time. The program is supported by the Diakonia. 

A new UNESCO global study, When Schools Shut: Gendered impacts of COVID-19 school closures, exposes failure to factor in gender in COVID-19 education responses and widening gaps in access to quality education following school closures.

Citing some 90 countries, including nearly 30 in Africa, the study shows that despite governments’ and partners’ swift responses to school closures, remote learning strategies in most countries failed to account for gender-based considerations and barriers that children face at home. Research in local communities in Bangladesh, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mali and Pakistan demonstrates widespread limitations of access to tech-based remote learning, and increased household responsibilities and demands for labour that have reduced children’s time to study. The closures have also severely impacted children’s mental health, resulting in anxiety, isolation, and fears of increased violence – particularly among the most marginalized and those in contexts of crisis.

A growing number of children are at risk of not returning to school. The study calls for the education community to tackle disengagement in education and low return-to-school rates in vulnerable communities by understanding and addressing gender disparities and inequalities in policies and programme delivery, for example through targeted financial support to families, the deployment of no-tech and low-tech remote learning solutions, and equipping schools to provide psychosocial support.

Learn more about the global study and its key findings here; more language versions will be available shortly.

Nogaye’s professional and academic background includes a scientific baccalaureate,  and joined the SVT course at the University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar. Convinced that it was not at the FAC that she would thrive, she enrolled in international business at ISM Dakar while working as a hostess and marketing agent for Philippe Morris. It was the start of a career in marketing at Marlboro and then La Fontaine. While employed in these large companies on the continent, Nogaye had opened her first nail salon which she managed in addition to her demanding job. It was not a success. She therefore discovered the difficulty of entrusting her business to third parties, learnt a lot from this first failed experience, and continued on her way. A few years later, the La Fontaine business closed its doors. Nogaye decided to launch this time into the creation of her own business and OngleMania was born. At the same time, she went on to train abroad in professional make-up and nail styling. In addition, to her new adventure, she put into practice all her skills acquired throughout her career in the company.

Titulaire d’un bac scientifique, Nogaye intègre la filière SVT à l’Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar. Convaincue que ce n’est pas à la FAC qu’elle s’épanouira, la jeune femme s’inscrit en commerce international à l’ISM de Dakar tout en travaillant comme hôtesse et agent marketing chez Philippe Morris. C’est le début d’une carrière dans le marketing chez Marlboro puis la Fontaine.

Pendant qu’elle était employée dans ces grandes entreprises du continent, Nogaye avait ouvert une première onglerie qu’elle gérait en plus de son travail prenant. Cela ne fut pas un succès. Elle découvre ainsi la difficulté de confier son business à des tiers, apprend beaucoup de cette première expérience ratée et poursuit son chemin. Quelques années plus tard, l’entreprise la Fontaine ferme ses portes. La jeune femme décide de se lancer cette fois-ci dans la création de sa propre entreprise: Ongle mania est née. Elle enchaîne en parallèle des formations à l’étranger sur le maquillage professionnel et le stylisme ongulaire. De plus, dans sa nouvelle aventure, elle met en pratique toutes ses compétences acquises tout au long de son parcours en entreprise. Aujourd’hui, Nogaye Ndiaye Mourgaye est à la tête d’OngleMania Sénégal, sa chaine d’onglerie et de Fantaisika, nails and beauty academy, son école de formation en maquillage professionnel et en stylisme ongulaire. Ses réalisations en matière de make-up sont remarquables pour leur finesse et leur rendu artistique. Et ce, en maquillage de cérémonie comme en maquillage artistique pour le cinéma ou les clips.

What does your company do?

Fantaisika, Nails and Beauty is a training school in the fields of artistic look and beauty. Each student benefits from complete documentation on each method taught. We support them and offer rare and quality training, thanks to qualified speakers, and a friendly and artistic educational framework. A real professional beauty institute with modern technology equipment.

Fantaisika, Nails and Beauty est une école de formation évoluant dans les métiers du look et de la beauté artistiques.Chaque élève bénéficie d’une documentation complète sur chaque méthode enseignée. Nous les accompagnons et offrons des formations rares et de qualités, grâce à des intervenants qualifiés, et un cadre pédagogique convivial et artistique. Un véritable Institut de beauté professionnel avec des matériels de technologie modern. 

What inspired you to start your company?

It all started in 2009 with a bad remark about what is being done in the country, in particular the quality of services in the field of aesthetics. After completing my  master’s degree in marketing-communication management and 10 years of experience in a business, and out of a patriotic spirit, I set myself a challenge, that of creating a brand that meets international standards. So as not to have any more comparisons with what was happening elsewhere, I decided to launch my own company, and OngleMania was born. At the same time, I went on to train abroad in professional make-up and nail styling. In addition to my new adventure, I put into practice all the skills I acquired throughout my career, into the company.

Tout est parti en 2009 d’une mauvaise remarque faite sur ce qui se fait dans son pays en particulier la qualité des services dans le domaine de l’esthétique. Après son master en management Marketing-communication et 10 ans d’expérience en entreprise, Par esprit patriotique, elle s’est lancée un défi, celui de créer une enseigne qui répond aux normes internationales, pour ne plus avoir de comparaisons avec ce qui se fait ailleurs, la jeune femme décide de se lancer cette fois-ci dans la création de sa propre entreprise: Ongle mania est née. Elle enchaîne en parallèle des formations à l’étranger sur le maquillage professionnel et le stylisme ongulaire. De plus, dans sa nouvelle aventure, elle met en pratique toutes ses compétences acquises tout au long de son parcours en entreprise.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

It is our services that meet the value chain of the beauty business, but above all a service that fits with the needs of customers and especially proximity to customers.

Pour l’assemble du groupe c’est des service qui répondent la chaine de valeurs du business de la beauté mais surtout un service qui colle avec le besoin des clients et surtout la proximité avec les clients. 

Tell us a little about your team

I have a very motivated, dynamic, efficient young team that likes challenges and believes in the project.

J’ai une équipe jeune très motivée, dynamique, performante qui aime le défis et qui croit au projet. 

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

No, I do not come from an entrepreneurial background. Entrepreneurship came neither as a calculated thing, nor claimed, it was on the basis of a frustration where I wanted to change the situation. I wanted to respond to a need that did not necessarily exist in the market, the negative criticism, and that there was no professional in Senegal to meet these needs. I wanted to change the situation by initiating more modern exhibitions; by training professionals who meet international standards; and especially by creating the first training school evolving in the trades of artistic look and beauty. OngleMania became the first network of nail shops in Senegal.

Non je ne viens pas d’un milieu d’entrepreneur; entrepreneuriat est venu comme ca ni une chose calculé, ni revendiquée c est sur la base d’une frustration ou j ai voulu changer la donne et j ai voulu répondre a un besoin qui n existait pas forcement sur le marché et des critique négative et qu’ il y a pas de professionnel au Sénégal répondre a ces besoin et changer la donne en initiant des salons beaucoup plus moderne et en formant des professionnels qui répondent aux normes international et surtout en créant la première école de formation de formation évoluant dans les métiers du look et de la beauté artistiques et Onglemania le premier réseau d’onglerie au Sénégal.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

I do not intend to stop here, my next step is to introduce a new product (WE) on the market (which is a brand of nail products and accessories); to launch PROBEDIS Buying center for beauty and nail equipment and accessories, seeking to resolve the problem of availability of quality products and equipment locally; and to create partnerships with larger local suppliers, primarily, from Africa and the rest of the world. I plan to write professional training papers in order to make FANTAISIKA a university of beauty and look at jobs that can accommodate all African students who so desire; and to expand the chain of ONGLEMANIA exhibitions in different regions and open the doors of the franchise to become the largest nail network in Africa. In this process of empowerment in the field of beauty and entrepreneurship, AFRO BEAUTY BUSINESS is being created to ensure a synergy of beauty professionals, and the final touch would be to make the first specialized university of beauty in Africa. 

Nogaye ne compte pas s’arrêter en si bon chemin, sa prochaine étape est de mettre en place un nouveau produit (WE) sur le marché ( qui est une marque de produits et d’accessoires d’onglerie); de lancé PROBEDIS Centrale d’achat matériel et accessoires de beauté et d’onglerie en voulant résoudre le problème de disponibilité des produits et matériels de qualité en local et créer des partenariats avec de plus grands fournisseurs locaux prioritairement, d’Afrique et monde; Faire l’écritures de formations professionnelles afin de faire de FANTAISIKA une université de la beauté et des métiers du look pouvant accueillir tous les étudiants africains qui le désirent; étendre la chaîne des salons ONGLEMANIA dans différentes régions et d’ouvrir les portes de la franchise pour devenir le plus grand réseau d’onglerie en Afrique. Dans cette démarche d’empowerment dans le domaine de la beauté et de l’entrepreneuriat, AFRO BEAUTY BUSINESS est en création pour assurer une synergie des professionnels de la beauté et la touche finale serait de faire la premiere université spécialisée de beauté en Afrique de l’ouest.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

To have been able to train hundreds of professionals in the beauty sector and to be able to participate or invite others to improve the image of the ecosystem.

d’avoir pu former des centaine de professionnel dans le secteur de la beauté et de pouvoir participer ou iciniter à redorer l image de l écosystème. 

What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

It’s about having self-confidence and staying authentic and focused whatever the obstacles. 

c’est d avoir confiance en elle et rester authentique et focus quelque soit les obstacle

To find out more contact Nogaye via email: onglmania@gmail.com or follow her on the Fantaisika website and through social media:

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