Education Problem

Education, especially at the secondary school level, is a luxury for most people living around Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Mida Creek.

In 1991, their average monthly income was Kshs 400–800 (about £4–7, or $5–10), while secondary school fees work out at approximately Kshs 800-1000 per month (£7–9, or $10–13).

Whilst primary school is subsidised by the government and therefore more affordable, the comparatively high cost of secondary school fees means few families can afford it. In the year 2000, in Malindi District (where Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Mida Creek are located) 23,000 out of 25,000 children who qualified for secondary school did not attend, largely because they could not afford it.

Most people around the forest and creek remain bound by poverty and cannot afford the education which would offer them the opportunity of a better standard of living.

The provision of scholarships is a significant step in alleviating this problem.