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Club members during a session

Girl Education Challenge - GEC

Wasichana Wote Wasome (Let All Girls Learn) Project

Midline Evaluation Report

Project Implemented by – CfBT Education Trust, AMURT, GCN and Concern Worldwide Midline Evaluation Conducted by Women Educational Researchers of Kenya (WERK)

April 2016

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TABLE OF CONTENT

LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................................. iv

LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................. v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ....................................................................................................................... vi

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... ix

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background to the Project .................................................................................................................. 1

1.1.1 Project Theory of Change and Assumptions ................................................................................ 1

1.1.2 Project Assumptions .................................................................................................................... 1

1.1.3 Summary of Interventions ........................................................................................................... 2

1.1.4 Reflections on the Theory of Change ........................................................................................... 2

1.2.1 Evaluation Approach .................................................................................................................... 4

1.2.2 Limitations of the Evaluation Approach....................................................................................... 6

1.2.3 Monitoring Approach ................................................................................................................... 7

CHAPTER TWO: KEY FINDINGS ............................................................................................................ 9

2.1 Impact of the Project on Marginalised Girls’ Learning. ...................................................................... 9

2.1.1 Impact of the Project on Literacy Outcomes Reading- English Scores ........................................ 9

2.1.2 Numeracy Baseline Outcomes ................................................................................................... 16

2.2 The Impact of GEC on Enabling Marginalised Girls to be in School .................................................. 20

2.2.1 The Effects of GEC on Attendance ............................................................................................. 20

2.2.2 The Effects of GEC on Retention ................................................................................................ 25

2.2.3 The Effects of GEC Interventions on Enrolment ........................................................................ 26

2.2.4 Unintended Effects Experienced in the Midline Evaluation ...................................................... 30

2.2.5 Closing the Gap in Attendance/Retention/Enrolment among Marginalised Girls .................... 30

2.3 Extent to Which GEC has Reached the Marginalised Girls ............................................................... 31

2.4 What has Worked, Why and with What Effects ............................................................................... 41

2.4.1 Project Performance against its Targeted Outputs ................................................................... 41

2.4.2 Effects of Interventions on Barriers to Girls’ Educational Outcomes ........................................ 46

2.4.4 Project Demonstration of Innovation and its Effects................................................................. 56

2.4.5 Lessons Learnt ............................................................................................................................ 57

2.5 Scalability and Sustainabilityof the Activities Funded by the GEC .................................................... 59

2.5.1 Project’s Sustainability Strategy ................................................................................................. 59

2.5.2 Extent to which the Project has Identified the Pre-Conditions for Scaling up and /or Sustaining

its Activities and Results...................................................................................................................... 62

2.5.3 How the Project has Strategically Engaged with Other Organisations to Achieve

Complementary Effects....................................................................................................................... 65

2.5.4 Project Leverage Additional Investment .................................................................................... 66

2.5.5 Plans for Delivering Sustainable Results .................................................................................... 67

2.5.6 Lessons learned about the Scalability and Sustainability of the Activities Delivered ................ 68

CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................... 70

CHAPTER FOUR: RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................. 72

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4.1 Improve Project Design and Delivery ................................................................................................ 72

4.2 Improve the scalability and sustainability of project activities and results ...................................... 73

4.3 Monitoring and evaluation of the project ........................................................................................ 73

4.4 Policy Influencing .............................................................................................................................. 73

4.5 Influence ongoing national curriculum reforms ............................................................................... 74

APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................... 76

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1.1. 1: Key Project Interventions ......................................................................................................... 2

Table 1.2. 1: Sampling Criteria, Sample and Data Collection Tools .............................................................. 6 Table 2.1. 1: Distribution and Composition of Cohort Girls .......................................................................... 9 Table 2.1. 2: ANOVA Results for the Baseline, Midline and Endline Tests ................................................. 10

Table 2.1. 3: Reading Achievement Levels Scale and Reading Task ........................................................... 10

Table 2.1. 4: Literacy Outcomes Achievement by Site and School Category ............................................. 11

Table 2.1. 5: Reading Achievement across Grades ..................................................................................... 12

Table 2.1. 6: DID Estimator ......................................................................................................................... 15

Table 2.1. 7: DID Estimator with additional Control Variables ................................................................... 16

Table 2.1. 8: Summary of Expected Tasks and Competencies Measured by the Numeracy Test .............. 17

Table 2.1. 9: Test Scores per Site and Group .............................................................................................. 18

Table 2.1. 10: Scores by Grade and Project Site ......................................................................................... 19

Table 2.1. 11: Independent Samples Test ................................................................................................... 20

Table 2.2. 1: Correlation of Cohort attendance and Internal Exams .......................................................... 23 Table 2.2. 2: Attendance of Beneficiaries by Class ..................................................................................... 24

Table 2.2. 3: Correlation between Beneficiaries’ Attendance and Performance in Internal Exams .......... 25

Table 2.2. 4: Crude Retention rate of the given grades from Baseline (2013) to Midline (2015) .............. 25

Table 2.2. 5: Proportion of Pupils at Risk of Dropping Out ......................................................................... 26

Table 2.2. 6: Proportion of Families with Difficulties in Educating Girls ..................................................... 26

Table 2.2. 7: Enrolment Trends based on School Data ............................................................................... 27

Table 2.2. 8: Enrolment Trends Based on Household Data ........................................................................ 27

Table 2.2. 9: Girls Interactions with Teacher Relative to the Boys ............................................................. 28

Table 2.2. 10: Proportion Teacher-Pupil Interaction by Teacher Gender by Class by Region .................... 29

Table 2.2. 11: Girls to Boys Ratios of Classroom Interactions by Class by County ..................................... 29

Table 2.2. 12: Summary of the proportions of different types of interactions by class by subject............ 30

Table 2.3. 1: Direct Beneficiaries ................................................................................................................ 31 Table 2.3. 2: Other Beneficiaries ................................................................................................................. 31

Table 2.3. 3: Target Groups by School ........................................................................................................ 32

Table 2.3. 4: Target Groups by Class ........................................................................................................... 32

Table 2.3. 5: Target Groups by Social Group .............................................................................................. 33

Table 2.3. 6: Extent to which GEC has Reached and Impacted on Marginalised Girls ............................... 33

Table 2.3. 7: Midline Girls’ Household/Individual Characteristics Split between Groups .......................... 40

Table 2.4. 1: Project Performance against Targets in Log-frame Outputs .................................................. 41 Table 2.4. 2: Summary of Barriers to Education Outcomes and Types of Project Interventions ............... 46

Table 2.5. 1: Summary Leveraging .............................................................................................................. 67

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1. 1: Wasichana Wote Wasome Theory of Change ........................................................................ 1

Figure 2.1. 2: Distribution of Numeracy Scores by Site and Grade ............................................................. 20

Figure 2.2 1: School Attendance Trends since Baseline.............................................................................. 21

Figure 2.2 2: Trend line for Cohort Attendance .......................................................................................... 22

Figure 2.2 3: Trend line for beneficiaries’ attendance ................................................................................ 24

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This report was made possible by the contribution of many individuals and organisations. The Women

Educational Researchers of Kenya (WERK) on behalf of the consortium partners - CfBT Education Trust,

Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT), Concern Worldwide and Girl Child Network (GCN), and

on their own behalf would like to appreciate the Department for International Development (DfID) for

their financial support in this endeavour. We would also like to most sincerely thank the Girl Education

Challenge (GEC) Fund Manager – PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PwC); led by Chris Lau and the team for

their technical support towards execution of the midline evaluation. Equally, we acknowledge the

Evaluation Manager (Coffey) for providing the data collection instruments and the GEC Country

Coordinator (fhi360) led by Sophia Ayoo. Further we acknowledge the Ministry of Education, Science

and Technology (MoEST) for facilitating our entry to schools

A critical component of the survey process would not have been possible without the support of the –

research team. We are grateful to the following the test experts drawn from MoEST, KICD, KNEC and

practicing teachers who developed and piloted the assessment tests: Rose Ndaana, Millicent Nyaguthii,

Beatrice Kiminza, John Kariuki, Grace Mwathe, Jane Akinyi, Zachariah Kabiru, Grace Maina, Dismas

Mogaka, and Charles Kado.We would like to recognise the exemplary work done by the 36

Researchers/supervisors and the 376 Research Assistants who collected the invaluable data necessary

for this report. In particular we would like to recognise the role played by the following individuals in the

research process: James Angoye, Irene Nyamu, Jafred Muyaka, Dr. Tabitha Ndiku, Dr. Charles Magoma,

Leo Odanga, Roseline Moraa, Flavian Waiswa, Dr.Kweyu Mulaa, Mary Chepkemoi, Dr. Francis Kirimi, Dr.

Mary Mutisya, Dr. Francis Likoye, Nelly Mpekethu, Mike Njeru, Winfred Kiogora, Hedwiq Ombunda,

Agatha Makhanu, Salome Nyambura, Risper Pete and Susan Mbuthia.

We also acknowledge the support received from 10 regional WERK partner organisations in mobilisation

of the researcher assistants and logistical support during the field work. Special gratitude goes to the 89

village elders who facilitated entry into the research communities. We appreciate the cooperation of the

household members, schools heads, teachers, pupils, community leaders, implementing partners and

members of school boards of management who participated in the study as respondents or informants.

Without their support this research evaluation would not have been a success.

We are indebted to the report writing team that worked closely with the Lead Researcher Dr. Charity

Limboro and Co-Lead Daniel Wesonga in the drafting of the midline report. The team comprised of:

Irene Nyamu, Dr.Kweyu Mulaa, Hanningtone Sitati, Peter Wainaina, Winnejoy Gatwiri, Winfred Kiogora,

Dr. Mary Mutisya, Dr. Teresa Mwoma and Dr.Rubai Mandela.

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LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome AMURT Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team ANOVA Analysis of Variance ASAL (s) Arid and Semi-Arid Land(s) BoM(s) Board of Management(s) BTSK Back to School Kits CBO(s) Community Based Organization(s) CC(s) Community Conversations CF(s) Community Facilitator(s) CfBT Centre for British Teachers CHEW(s) Community Health Extension Worker(s) CHEWs Community Health Extension Workers CHV(s) Community Health Volunteer(s) CHW(s) Community Health Worker(s) CQASO(s) County Quality Assurance and Standard Officer(s) CT Cash Transfer DEO District Education Officer DfID Department for International Development DID Difference in Difference DIM Instructional Method DQASO(s) District Quality Assurance and Standard officer(s) EA (s) Enumeration Area (s) EGMA Early Grade Math Assessment EM Evaluation Manager EMIS Education Management Information System FGD(s) Focused Group Discussion(s) FGM Female Genital Mutilation FM Fund Manager GCN Girl Child Network GEC Girls’ Education Challenge GoK Government of Kenya GPS Global Positioning System HH (s) Household (s) HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus ICT Information and communications technology IDs Identity’s IGA Income Generating Activity KEEP Kenya Essential Education Programme KICD Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development LMP Learners Marked Present M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MoEST Ministry of Education, Science and Technology MoH Ministry of Health MoU Memorandum of Understanding NACOST National Council for Science and Technology NGO(s) Non-Governmental Organization(s)

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OLS Ordinary Least Square OOS Out of School PbR Payment by Results PRIEDE Primary Education Development QA Quality Assurance RoC Right of Children RTI Research Triangle International SAGA(s) Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies SbTD School-based Teacher Development SES Social Economic Status SMC(s) School Management Committee(s) SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences TAC Teachers Advisory Center ToC Theory of Change TOT(s) Trainer of Trainer(s) TSC Teachers Service Commission Tusome Kiswahili word for Reading (a national programme) USAID United States Agency for International Development WERK Women Educational Researchers of Kenya WWW Wasichana Wote Wasome

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This is a midline report of the Wasichana Wote Wasome (WWW – ‘Let All Girls Learn’) project. The

project aims to improve school enrolment, retention, attendance and learning outcomes for

marginalized girls in Kenya. The initiative is implemented in eight counties - six in Arid and Semi-Arid

Lands (Turkana, Samburu, Marsabit, Tana River, Kwale and Kilifi) and two in urban slums (Nairobi and

Mombasa).

Evaluation Methodology

The evaluation adopted a longitudinal, quasi-experimental, mixed methods evaluation design. A total of

285 schools (240 intervention and 45 comparison) were surveyed. All head teachers participated in the

survey. In addition, 90 intervention schools were proportionately sampled across the eight counties for

classroom observation. In each school, purposive and convenient sampling was used to select two

teachers (teaching either Mathematics or English in class 2 and 5) for classroom observation. At

community level, 30 community conversation group members, 331 community leaders, 30 community

health workers, 8 county directors of education and education quality assurance officers were

interviewed.

Midlines tools: Quantitative and qualitative tools including household and school questionnaires,

classroom observation guide, interview schedules, Focus Group Discussion guide were utilised to

generate midline data.

Learning outcomes assessment: 2121 girls were assessed in literacy and numeracy. The literacy and

numeracy tests were administered to girls at household. The tests were developed by psychometricians,

calibrated by education experts and approved by both the Fund Manager (FM) and Evaluation Manager

(EM). The cohort girls were given tests of equal measure as those of the baseline. The Uwezo-type

literacy test was administered orally by trained enumerators for levels 1-5 and written for levels 6-10,

with the guidance of the enumerators who also timed the self- administered test. Outcome data was

merged using unique IDs (and names), dummy Tables were developed and initial outputs generated in

SPSS and Ms Excel. Regression analysis and independent t-tests were used to test for statistical

significance of the change, cross tabulations were used to establish relationships between variables,

while qualitative data was analysed thematically.

Ethical issues: The midline evaluation was guided by Wasichana Wote Wasome Project Corporate

Safeguarding Policy and the WERK Child Protection Policy.

Key Findings

Although the project encountered various challenges including introduction of the national wide Tusome

Project that had serious implications on the project design as well as delayed material development;

high teacher attrition, heightened insecurity in some counties, a large geographical spread in hard to

reach areas and contamination, the midline evaluation found that the project has made good progress

and is largely on track.

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a) Impact of the Project on Marginalised Girls’ Learning: The project registered positive impact on

marginalised girls’ learning. The girls’ English reading abilities were one level higher at midline than at

baseline. The overall mean for learning outcomes in English reading improved from 2.75 (reading a

paragraph with less than three mistakes) to 4.17 (reading a story with fluency and answering at most 2

comprehension questions correctly). In addition, there was a marginally higher increase in literacy

competences in intervention schools than comparison schools in Urban Slums and ASALs. The difference

in girls’ literacy competences between comparison and intervention schools was steeper in ASALs than

urban slums, an indication of geographic disparities in project achievement.

The DID estimator (0.365) at P = 0.006 at 95% confidence level confirms that the changes in reading

scores between Intervention and Comparison schools were statistically significantly different.

Numeracy Baseline Outcomes: The overall mean numeracy test score was 48.85%, (47.47% comparison

and 49.34% intervention schools). The t-test statistic (t = 1.684 with 2011 degrees of freedom; P-value is

0.092) shows that the numeracy means for Intervention and Comparison schools were not statistically

significantly different.

b) The Impact of GEC on Enabling Marginalised Girls to be in School: There was a 5% increase in school

attendance among the girls enrolled in intervention schools while their comparison schools counterparts

recorded no change. Household data indicated that overall, the number of Out-of-School (OOS) girls

reduced by 3% and it was eight times more in ASALs than in Urban Slums. The project (re)enrolled 60%

of the out-of-school girls identified.

c) The Effects of GEC on Retention: The overall crude retention rates of both girls and boys indicate a

rate of 101% and 100% respectively. The retention rate of 101% is indicative of the high level of

retention of girls by the project. More girls were also being retained in school- as there were fewer girls

at risk of dropping out in intervention schools (9%) than in comparison schools (12%).

d) The Effects of GEC Interventions on Enrolment: The number of girls aged 7-17 years not enrolled in

school reduced by 3% implying an increase in access to primary education among girls. Overall there was

an increase in enrolment by 13,857.

e) Unintended Effects Experienced in the Midline Evaluation: The number of schools has varied across

the project quarters as some have been dropped due to insecurity, others were closed down or merged

and others declined to participate. Among other things the project focused on is enforcing the re-

enrollment policy. Consequently teen mothers have re-enrolled and thus in some counties the project

has been branded a ‘teen mothers project’.

f) Closing the Gap in Attendance/Retention/Enrolment among Marginalised Girls: There is evidence

that project has made good progress in closing the gaps in attendance, enrolment and retention among

the marginalised girls despite the various challenges facing project implementation.

g) Extent to Which GEC has Reached the Marginalised Girls: There were mixed results on this objective.

Good progress in coverage has been achieved in the recruitment and training of teacher coaches,

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training of teachers on early grade literacy and numeracy, distribution of BTSK, establishment of school

clubs, cash transfers, participation of students in clubs, training of school club patrons, mapping and

(re)-enrolment of girls, recruitment and training of Community Health Workers/volunteers and making

of home visits. The project also made good progress in initiation of the community conversation

dialogues, schools with bilharzia interventions, training of teachers, holding galas, girls’ access to referral

for special needs. However, the project experienced significant delays in approval of guidelines for

registration of low costs schools (no school assessed and registered), community conversation reaching

maturity for phase out and capacity building for education officers.

h) What has Worked, Why and with What Effects: The project performance against target outputs was

generally good. The project targets in three dimensions addressing barriers girl in the community

(output 1), the girl at school (output 3) and the girl herself (output 4) were more successful. Slow

progress was noted in the other two dimensions- girl at home/household (output 2)and MoEST capacity

to support education for marginalized girls is increased (Output 5).

i) Value for money: Overall the project interventions demonstrates value for money by utilizing existing

national program’s learning materials rather than producing their own which would have been

duplication; the project also partnered with TSC for teacher coaching which realized enormous saving;

acquired solar lamps at a nearly half price and obtained discounts on purchase of class 5 reading

materials. On the converse the project experienced some inefficiencies: delays in project delivery

against project delivery plans largely as a result of alignment to national programmes and acquisition of

pre-requisite government approvals; challenges in beneficiaries targeting particularly cash transfer

beneficiaries; slow uptake of community conversations (CCs) owing to community own prior

experiences and CCs approach of no incentives which affected negatively delivery of other key project

components, and less optimal inter-linkages between project activities across thematic and geographical

areas.

j) Scalability and Sustainability of the Activities Funded by the GEC: The project has a sound inbuilt

sustainability and phase-out/scale up strategy that should receive more focus post-midline. The teacher

coaching for upper primary can easily be scaled up. The pre-conditions and opportunities for scale up

have been strategically thought through and already good partnerships and linkages with existing

national literacy programmes (Tusome and PRIDE) are being forged.

Key recommendations made include: Strengthening project design and delivery by improving synergy

and complementarity among project partners, strengthening systems for smooth phase out by

institutionalizing interventions and more balanced technical backstopping by thematic leads across all

geographical sites; re-aligning project activities such as CC, fast-tracking school registration, production

of materials to strengthen school clubs to enhance project performance; increase support for girls’

extra education costs; rolling out the sustainability and scalability plan e.g. by documenting existing

successful interventions/innovations; heightened policy influence such as the on-going curriculum

reforms to adopt successful project innovations.

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

This is the midline evaluation report for the GEC-Wasichana Wote Wasome project. This section outlines

the background to the project’s theory of change, monitoring and evaluation approach and research

methods.

1.1 Background to the Project

1.1.1 Project Theory of Change and Assumptions

The theory of change of Wasichana Wote Wasome project was premised on the four dimensions: girl

herself, girl in the community, girl at home and girl at school (Figure 1.1.1).

These dimensions are intertwined in a girls’ life thus affecting her either positively or negatively with

regards to enrolling in school, staying in school and learning so as to gain skills to improve her life

chances. In return the project rolled out interventions to address the barriers associated with all the four

dimensions in Urban Slums (Nairobi and Mombasa) and ASALs (Kilifi, Kwale, Marsabit, Samburu, Tana

River and Turkana). Since the baseline this theory of change has held true.

1.1.2 Project Assumptions

Assumptions on the girls at home and community: In slums, lack of money for school-related costs is a

limiting factor for some of the poorest families; In ASALs, lack of school materials can be a barrier. On

the other hand, young mothers lack the means to look after their children and attend school. At the

same time, households (communities) are not aware of support systems available to help vulnerable

girls (e.g. girls with disabilities/ girl carers/ vulnerable girls, etc.) attend school. Households are also not

aware of how to keep children healthy; Parents are not aware of the importance of enrolling children in

school at an early age.

Figure 1.1. 1: Wasichana Wote Wasome Theory of Change

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Assumptions on the girls in school: Teachers’ lack of knowledge of how to teach early grade maths and

literacy is inhibiting learning1; teachers treat boys and girls differently in school2, which leads to girls

being less successful in learning and poor school infrastructure is a barrier to girls’ attendance and

learning.

Assumptions on the girls themselves: Girls’ education outcomes are affected by low –self-esteem and

confidence, aspirations, and gender stereotypes among boys and girls, but girls who are healthier will

learn better.

1.1.3 Summary of Interventions

Table 1.1.1shows a summary of the project interventions:

Table 1.1. 1: Key Project Interventions

Dimension Intervention

Girl Herself Girls’ and boys’ clubs (established using CfBT’s whole school behaviour change methodology)

Health clubs in schools, supported by community health workers

Role modeling

Deworming & vitamin supplements

Girl at School Teacher coaching in early grade reading and gender sensitive pedagogy

Whole school behaviour change programme aimed at gender equality and improving adolescent health

Improvements to school infrastructure to make schools more girl friendly

Girl at Home Cash transfers: for the poorest households in urban slums

Distribution of back to school kits (uniforms and stationery)

Regular visits by community health workers

Customized support package for marginalised girls (e.g. young mothers) to enroll

Girl in the Community

Community conversations

Engaging with men and boys on girls’ rights to education

Information sharing around devolved funds for education and government policy

Mobilisation of community support to education

1.1.4 Reflections on the Theory of Change

Generally, the Theory of Change provides evidence that some interventions are achieving the desired

results, enabling girls to (re)enrol, be retained in school and learn. However, by and large there are still

some constraints that are limiting the performance of some interventions. Consequently, there is need

to critically reflect on, refine or realign the four pillars of the ToC based on the evidence and learning

from Midline evaluation:

Output 1: Community support girls’ right to education. Activities addressing the Girl in the Community

aim at changing the society within which the girl lives to be more cognizant of and supportive toward

girls’ education. They include community dialogues and awareness, enrolment campaigns and resource

mobilization. There is evidence that CCs and CHVs have been effective in mapping out of school girls and

that some of the girls have enrolled or re-enrolled as a result community dialogue and awareness and

1 The project has shifted to mid and upper classes to align with the national programmes

2 Baseline indicated no differential treatment of boys and girls by teachers in early grades but the quality of

interactions may differ.

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enrolment campaigns . However, available evidence suggests that nearly half of the CCs have not

matured or unlikely to mature within the life of the project to develop and actualize action plans to

mobilize resources to support girls’ education. CC strategy is an empowerment tool that requires ample

time for the communities to internalize their own needs and take action or start solving their own

problems based on their priority. This raises challenging questions about whether to continue with

activities that cannot be shown to contribute significantly to the outcomes in the theory. Further,

changing the attitudes of the community is a natural process that is not time bound. This means there is

time constraint that is limiting performance of CCs to achieve the desired results. Though the project

may adapt some of the CC approaches to the time-bound Wasichana Wote Wasome Project, it appears

there is little room for maneuver. Equally, other constraints such as Female Genital Mutilation, early

marriages, teen pregnancy, disability, dysfunctional families, gender discrimination, irrelevance of

school to lives of the learners still exist. The current interventions are unlikely to adequately address

these deeply entrenched and persistent practices.

Output 2: Home supports girls to attend school. Activities addressing the Girl at Home aim to improve

the home environment to facilitate attendance and learning. They include financial support to families

and positive and sensitive parenting training. There is evidence that parents/guardians are supporting

their daughters to attend school – a number of teen mothers have re-enrolled with the support of the

family who have taken over looking after the baby. Cash Transfer (CT) and back to school interventions

have also enabled more girls to attend school. However, CT is not conditional and as such carers are not

obliged to spend the money on education. This is a challenge in that there are other competing priorities

at the Household which includes basic needs such as food which may undermine choices or priorities

around education. Consequently, due to poverty households cannot meet direct costs of schooling

(urban slums) or indirect costs (ASALs), so girls will drop out. There are many school levies that

undermine girls’ schooling. There is also the persistent gender dimension that if parents were to make a

choice, between sending a boy or a girl to school, a boy will usually be given the priority. Further,

midline data suggests that more chores are still being given to girls which disadvantages their pursuit of

formal education. It is not clear whether the increase in reported chores are as a result of

empowerment and increased reporting though. There is also the question of sustainability of CT, BSTK,

Solar lamps after the exit of the project.

Output 3: Schools deliver quality, girl friendly education. Activities addressing the Girl at School aim at

strengthening the school environment to be more conducive to girls’ attendance and completion. They

include coaching teachers on literacy and numeracy, gender friendly pedagogy, provision of teaching

and learning materials, peace education, sensitisation for teachers on girls at school and infrastructure

improvement. Teachers who have gone through teacher coaching in literacy and numeracy reportedly

are teaching better. Lessons observed indicate that gender parity in interactions between teachers and

boys and girls have been realised . However, there still exists constraints in inform of child rights

violation (corporal punishments, bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination) in the school context

that may obstruct girls learning or may push them out of school altogether. The project did not have

strong enough interventions to counter this.

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Infrastructure improvement is another challenge – it has been slow due to bureaucratic tendering

procedures and may not therefore benefit the children within the life of the project to bring out the

desired change.

Output 4: Girl is healthy and aspires to learn. Activities addressing the Girl as a Person aim at

overcoming barriers within the girl herself by building her psycho-social competencies to deal with the

hurdles she faces. They include school clubs, role model talks and mentorship, child protection training,

life skills, psychosocial support, mother support groups, community dialogue and sanitation and

primary health interventions. The school clubs have proved effective in increasing girls self -esteem and

motivation to learn. However, lack of role models and increased chores impact negatively on girls

education. Also, the project has not generated evidence to demonstrate if girls are healthier, despite the

fact that massive data has been collected by CHVs home visits.

Lastly, there appear to be weak inter-linkages between the various interventions addressing barriers to

girls education. For instance, provision of back to school kits to teen mothers is not adequate to address

their needs and keep them in school. Also the work done by the CHVs, community facilitators, coaches,

BoMs and Club patrons do not inter-link, therefore limiting the impact of the interventions. Further, the

project strategy of utilizing thematic leads to implement project activities across all the 8 geographical

areas have not been as effective leading to lags and uneven implementation of some project activities in

some sites.

1.2 M&E Approach and Research Methods

1.2.1 Evaluation Approach

This midline evaluation adopted a longitudinal, quasi-experimental, mixed methods research design. It

sought information on the level of exposure of girls to Wasichana Wote Wasome project interventions

as outlined in the monitoring and evaluation framework - Literacy and numeracy tests were

administered to girls at households; and qualitative and quantitative data was collected from schools,

households, stakeholders and communities in the project sites.

Target Population and Sampling

Target population

At midline a total of 531 schools and school communities were targeted. This comprised 486

intervention schools (249 ASALs and 237 urban slums), a drop from the 5003 schools at baseline and 45

comparison schools (30 ASALs and 15 urban slums). These schools, their enumeration areas and

households therein as well as the county at large were targeted.

3 14 project intervention schools (13 in Nairobi and 1 Marsabit) were dropped for non-cooperation or closure

5

Midline Sample and Sampling

A total of 285 schools were surveyed. This comprised 240 intervention schools (124 from ASALs and 116

from Urban Slums) and 45 comparison schools4 (15 from the Urban Slums and 30 from ASALs). The

strategy for sampling the intervention schools was proportionate to the number of schools in the

counties and purposive in attaining more than 50% of the project schools while all comparison were

considered. All head teachers were visited during the midline survey. Ninety intervention schools were

also sampled proportionately across the eight counties for classroom observation. Purposive and

convenient sampling was used to select two teachers (teaching either Mathematics or English in class 2

and 5) for classroom observation.

At household level, 2295 cohort girls5: 1650 girls from intervention schools (825 urban slums, and 825

ASALs) and 645 girls from comparison (315 urban slums and 330 ASALs) had been reached at baseline.

At midline girls were sought purposively given that the main objective was to re-contact households

visited at baseline. Out of the 1984 cohort girls, 1023 (52%) were re-contacted. In this regard the project

had an attrition of 961 (48%) who were substituted. In total at midline the evaluation reached 2121

girls6 at their households and their distribution by project site and grade are summarised in (Annex 1).

WERK developed a midline evaluation protocol which consisted of lists of girls and their households to

be visited for each enumeration area. These lists contained information on girls (name, age and grade),

the parents/guardian names and contacts, and the assessment tests (Grade 4 & below or Grade 5 &

above) to be administered. Households that had moved out of the enumeration area were substituted

with those that had a girl of the same age, same school and same class. Where the household was

present but the girl had moved out of the enumeration area or not there because of other reasons, a

girl between ages 7 and 17 was selected using Kish Grid and the appropriate test administered. If none

available, the household was substituted and the preceding approach applied.

At community level, 30 community conversation group members, 331 community leaders, 30

community health workers, 8 county directors of education and education quality assurance officers

were interviewed. Their sampling was proportionate to the number of enumeration areas in each

county. All the implementing partners were also included in the sample.

Sampling Framework

This section summarises the midline target population, sample, data collection tools and procedures (Table 1.2.1).

4 6 comparison schools in urban slums declined to participate in the midline evaluation

5 Girls in class 7 and 8 were removed because by midline they would have completed class 8 bringing down the

number to 1984 cohort girls 6 An extract 137 girls where substitute to cater for girls who might be lost by endline.

6

Table 1.2. 1: Sampling Criteria, Sample and Data Collection Tools Dimension Category Target Population Sample Sampling Criterion Data Collection Tools

School

Headteachers 531 279 All School Questionnaire

Teachers All class 2 and 5 in intervention school

English or Maths

180 Purposive Interview

Classroom All class 2 and 5 in intervention school

English or Maths

180 Purposive Observation Schedule

Pupils- clubs 480 90 Purposive Focus Group Discussion (FGD)

Clubs- Patron 480 90 Purposive Questionnaire

Girls- Beneficiaries(BTSK, SL, CT) 486 90 Purposive FGD

Board of Management (BoM) 486 30 Convenient FGD

Household

Cohort Girls 1984 21217 Tracking Questionnaire

Care givers 1984 2121 Tracking Questionnaire

Community

CC Group 324 30 Purposive FGD

Community elders 486 331 Purposive Interview

MoEST Headquarter, County Directors of Education, CQASOs

8 8 All Interview

MoH CHVs or CHWs 324 30 Purposive Interview

Implementing partners

Lead and Partner 8 8 Purposive Interview

Data Collection Tools and Procedures The tools for the evaluation were both quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative tools comprised of:

i) household questionnaire and assessment tests for literacy and numeracy ii) school questionnaire –

targeting head teachers. The qualitative tools comprised i) classroom observation guide ii) interview

guide (class 2 and 5 teachers, community leaders, implementing partners, Community Health Workers,

Ministry of Education Science and Technology officials and iii) FGD guide (community conversation

members girls beneficiaries, School clubs members and BoM).

1.2.2 Limitations of the Evaluation Approach

The midline evaluation encountered some limitations. However, the project M&E framework had

anticipated some of the risks and put in place some counter measures which helped in minimizing the

effects of the limitations on the findings. These included:

a) Teachers strike: the protracted teachers strike in September 2015 was unusually long and

affected the evaluation calendar. The evaluation was conducted towards the end of the term

and into the national examinations period. In mitigation the midline evaluation was strategically

phased: Data from the schools was collected before the start of the examinations by

experienced researchers while household data collection followed after the national

examinations and fell on weekends. The existing partnership with school heads cultivated during

monitoring facilitated a smooth entry into schools despite the prevailing post-strike conditions

such as pressure to cover the terms syllabus.

b) Data Quality: Secondary data on performance disaggregated by gender was not readily available

in all schools. This limited the determination of progress made in learning achievements based

7This includes: 1023 re-contacted and 1098 substitutions

7

on national examinations. This was mitigated by using WERK’s quarterly performance data

collected over the last four quarters to determine progress made in learning achievements

during the project years. WERK had already anticipated this risk and rigorously trained the

enumerators/data collectors to collect data on pupils’ performance in their internal

examinations and put in place quality re-check measures of the collected data. Also school EMIS

records were incomplete and affected the computation of attendance trends. Post midline

monitoring should pilot use of technology-based applications for tracking attendance. The

project should also continue supporting independent quarterly monitoring but also involve

other stakeholders such as MoEST at county and sub-county level to strengthen school EMIS.

c) Raised expectations of receiving project support in comparison schools affected entry: WERK

and CfBT held consultation with mangers of affected schools to explain the project design and

win cooperation. However, 5 schools (2 Mombasa and 3 Nairobi) declined to participate in the

midline. In line with the research ethics policy on consent their decision was honored but

substitution of the affected girls was done as per the EM guidance.

d) Security and El-nino floods: the heavy rains hampered data collection in Subukia, Tana River

County. In mitigation data collection was extended by one more week with cost implication.

Because of insecurity some school were weeded out which was countered by boosting an equal

number of cohort girls who could not be traced in respective intervention or comparison

schools. In Urban areas the risk was anticipated at midline and coping mechanisms involved use

of local guides to gain entry and protection put in place.

e) Difficulty in recruiting qualified data collectors in ASALs: Data collectors were recruited from

within the neighboring counties and the experience of the enumerators who had been trained

and collected data for the last four quarters were used. Evaluation activities that required

expertise such as classroom observations, FGDs and interviews were assigned to senior

researchers. The qualified researchers also mentored and played a backstopping role to

enumerator throughout the exercise.

Ethical and child safeguarding policy issues

The midline evaluation was guided by Wasichana Wote Wasome Project Corporate Safeguarding Policy

and the WERK Child Protection Policy which ensured that no data was collected from children without

getting authority from their parents. All tools for data collection sought the consent of the respondent

to participate. In addition, all respondents involved were treated with sensitivity, confidentiality and

anonymity. All enumerators were trained on application of child protection guidelines in data collection.

1.2.3 Monitoring Approach

The project has a robust M&E strategy and framework in place. The overarching principles of the M&E

framework is to ensure there is rigorous and thorough data for both evaluation and monitoring

purposes in order to effectively assess impact of all interventions (and theory of change/hypothesis) in

the project sites. The project monitoring involved a two pronged approach namely internal monitoring

8

by each of the four consortium partners and independent monitoring by WERK. Regular Technical

Working Groups meetings were held to direct the monitoring process and share data.

This on-going monitoring is designed takes a pragmatic approach and aims to add value to the

programme by ensuring that partners are also well supported to be part of the process. Further, the

M&E framework is integrated into the overall design and management of the programme.

Quarterly monitoring by WERK included i) tracking cohort and beneficiary girls ii) conducting spot checks

iii) collection of school attendance data from class registers to gauge attendance and girls at risk of drop

out iv) tracking learning outcomes based on internal examinations in English and Mathematics.

Specially designed tools have been developed to collect the monitoring data. These are:

i) School data tool – collect enrolment and attendance from the class registers and conduct spot

checks (headcount).

ii) WWW Cohort Tracking - record the total number of days girls attended school in the previous

school term from the class registers and termly internal examination marks for English and

Mathematics.

iii) Beneficiary GirlsTracking- to collect attendance data and termly internal examination marks for

English and Mathematics.

iv) Validation of partner quarterly reports

9

CHAPTER TWO: KEY FINDINGS

2.1 Impact of the Project on Marginalised Girls’ Learning.

Learning levels were assessed for the cohort girls in reading English and Numeracy. Reading English

adopted the UWEZO approach and was reflective of the baseline administration as it combined the

administration of the original UWEZO test and GEC extension test. As such, the literacy outcomes

achieved are indicative of levels of achievement in reading competencies, both for fluency and

comprehension. Numeracy assessment adopted the Early Grade Maths Assessment (EGMA) scoring, in

which the girl aggregate score was converted to a percentage.

Distribution and Characteristics of Girls Assessed

The analysis of learning outcomes was based on data obtained from 1867 girls (822 re-contacted and

1045 substitutes). The 822 re-contacted girls included 608 from intervention school communities while

214 from comparison school communities. Moreover, of the 1045 substitute girls, 775 were from

intervention school communities while 270 from comparison school communities. The distribution and

composition of girls assessed for literacy and numeracy by project site and grade are summarised in

Table 2.1.1 below.

Table 2.1. 1: Distribution and Composition of Cohort Girls Baseline sample (re-

contacted + lost girls) Baseline sample (lost girls) Midline re-contacted girls

only (cohort approach) Midline sample (re-contacted

+ substitute girls) Midline substitute girls only Aggregate (re-contacted, lost,

substitute girls)

% sample Treatment Control Treatment Control Treatment Control Treatment Control Treatment Control Treatment Control

# % # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %

oosg 95 8% 49 10% 50 8% 26 10% 29 5% 14 7% 42 3% 21 4% 13 2% 7 3% 92 5% 47 6%

std 1 268 22% 105 22% 156 26% 58 23% 49 8% 29 14% 115 8% 60 12% 66 9% 31 11% 271 14% 118 16%

std 2 163 13% 79 17% 66 11% 32 13% 53 9% 37 17% 146 11% 66 14% 93 12% 29 11% 212 11% 98 13%

std 3 210 17% 63 13% 103 17% 32 13% 87 14% 36 17% 198 14% 70 14% 111 14% 34 13% 301 15% 102 14%

std 4 141 12% 78 17% 78 13% 48 19% 95 16% 34 16% 218 16% 86 18% 123 16% 52 19% 296 15% 134 18%

std 5 165 14% 40 9% 77 13% 22 9% 101 17% 24 11% 210 15% 60 12% 109 14% 36 13% 287 14% 82 11%

std 6 172 14% 53 11% 80 13% 38 15% 59 10% 20 9% 185 13% 57 12% 126 16% 37 14% 265 13% 95 13%

std 7 87 14% 16 7% 192 14% 54 11% 105 14% 38 14% 192 10% 54 7%

std 8 48 8% 4 2% 77 6% 10 2% 29 4% 6 2% 77 4% 10 1%

Total 1214 467 610 256 608 214 1383 484 775 270 1993 740

2.1.1 Impact of the Project on Literacy Outcomes Reading- English Scores

Literacy Test Administration

The literacy tests were developed by a team of psychometricians and calibrated by education experts as

well as the Fund Manager and Evaluation Manager. Piloting was conducted to i) determine if the tests

were of similar difficulty (this required piloting of all 3 tests (baseline, midline, endline) for the grade 4

and below and grade 5 and above sets of tests). ii) determine if there were ceiling effects: particularly

for the “cross-over grades”; which involved ensuring that the grade 4 and below pilot test included

grade 5, 6 and 7 girls (as by endline girls in the original grade 1-4 cohort will be required to write the

10

grade 4 and below level test) and iii) determine the issues of enumeration of the tests (difficulties in

administration).

The scatter plot of the pilot results indicated that there were no ceiling effects and the data showed that

the literacy tests had adequately picked up the range of grades across cohorts. In determining whether

the Difficulty Level was similar for the baseline, midline and endline tests, an ANOVA test was computed

for both grade 4 and below and grade 5 and above tests. Table 2.1.2 shows the ANOVA results, for grade

4 and below (F = 2.275, P = 0.105) and for grade 5 and above (F = 1.714, P = 0.183) tests. For both grade

4 and below and grade 5 and above, the P-values were greater than 0.05 which confirmed there was no

statistical significant difference between the three tests.

Table 2.1. 2: ANOVA Results for the Baseline, Midline and Endline Tests Sum of

Squares df Mean

Square F Sig.

Grade 4 and below Between Groups 26.052 2 13.026 2.275 .105

Within Groups 1557.388 272 5.726

Total 1583.440 274

Grade 5 and above Between Groups 9.911 2 4.956 1.714 .183

Within Groups 627.471 217 2.892

Total 637.382 219

Both grade 2 and grade 5 literacy test were administered orally on a one to one basis for level 1-5

(testing reading for fluency). If a girl failed any level between level 1-5 (i.e. did not move onto level 6)

the test was stopped and the girl’s score was recorded as per the enumeration instructions. Girls who

passed level 5, were given pen and paper for the level 6-10 portion of the test and overseen by the

enumerator. The girl wrote the entire level 6-10 portion of the test. The completed test was then scored

back at the office, by trained examiners. The score awarded was also determined by the enumeration

instructions. This was to minimize the enumeration complexity and increase consistency in marking and

scoring. The reading achievement levels referred to above are summarised in Table 2.1.3

Table 2.1. 3: Reading Achievement Levels Scale and Reading Task Mean Level Competence Tested Mean Level Competence Tested

English (Grade 4 and below) English (Grade 5 and above

Level 0 Nothing – Non Reader Level 0 Nothing

Level 1 Letters/Letter Sounds Girl reads or sounds any 4 out of 5 letters

Level 1 N/A

Level 2 Words Girl reads loudly any 4 out of 5 words correctly

Level 2 Words Girl reads loudly any 4 out of 5 words correctly

Level 3 Paragraph Girl reads Class 2level Paragraph loudly without making 3 or more mistakes

Level 3 Paragraph Girl reads Class 5 level Paragraph loudly without making 3 or more mistakes

Level 4 Story + At most 2 correct Girl reads Class 2level story without making 3 or more mistakes and answers at most 2 out of 5 questions correctly

Level 4 Story + At most 2 correct Girl reads Class 5 level story without making 3 or more mistakes and answers at most 2 out of 5 questions correctly

Level 5 Story and at least 3 correct Girl reads Class 2level story and answers at least 3out of 5 questions correctly

Level 5: Story and at least 3 correct Girl reads Class 5 level story and answers at least 3out of 5 questions correctly

Level 6 Factual/ recall Girl reads a story either aloud or silently and answers all the five questions correctly.

Level 6 Factual/Recall Girl reads two stories either aloud or silently and answers 5 questions correctly to be at this level. One story has 6 questions and the other had 2 questions.

11

Level 7 Comprehension Using the story read at Factual Level, the girl answers 2 out of 3 questions correctly to be at this level

Level 7: Comprehension Girl reads two stories and answers 4 questions correctly. One story has 3 questions and the other had 4 questions.

Level 8 Analysis Using the story read at Factual Level, the girl answers ALL the two questions correctly to be at this level

Level 8 Analysis Girl reads two stories and answers 3 questions correctly. One story has 2 questions and the other had 4 questions.

Level 9 Synthesis Using the story read at Factual Level, the girl answers the entire question correctly to be at this level

Level 9 Synthesis Girl uses stories in Level 6-8 to answers 6 questions (8 points). She must score at least 4 points to be at this level

Level 10

Evaluation Using the story read at Factual Level, the girl answers the entire question correctly to be at this level

Level 10

Evaluation Girl uses stories in Level 6-8 to answers 6 questions (6 Points). She must score at least 4 points to be at this level

Status of Literacy Outcomes at Midline

At midline, the overall mean for learning outcomes in English reading improved from 2.75 (reading a

paragraph with less than three mistakes) to 4.17 (reading a story with fluency and answering atmost 2

comprehension questions correctly). Therefore the girls’ English reading abilities were one level higher

at midline than at baseline. Further analysis of the midline English reading data (Table 2.1.4) showed

that:

There was a marginally higher increase in literacy competences in intervention schools than comparison schools in Urban Slums and ASALs. There was minimal additionality by the project on learning competencies.

The difference in girls’ literacy competences between comparison and intervention schools was steeper in ASALs than urban slums, an indication of geographic disparities in project achievement.

The mean change in literacy scores among girls in intervention schools in urban slums (1.49) were marginally higher than those in ASALs (1.43)

This might be attributed to the fact that learners in Urban slums are more likely to be exposed to interventions by other partners unlike those in the ASALs. Contextual factors might have had a role in urban slums: close school proximity and high attrition of teachers who had undergone teacher coaching may have led to some contamination. Also, most schools in Urban slums are low cost privates while those in ASALs are public and existing data show differences learning achievement levels. The ASALs were at floor level at baseline and catch up is easier when exposed to direct instruction methodology while the urban slum schools were at higher reading competencies which are harder to improve on. Lastly, children in ASALs usually have less school readiness compared to their urban slum counterparts who have more exposure to pre-schooling.

Table 2.1. 4: Literacy Outcomes Achievement by Site and School Category

Baseline Midline Change in Mean DID by Site

Mean N SD Mean N SD

Urban Slums

Comparison 3.42 232 2.245 4.84 217 2.085 1.43 0.06 Intervention 3.66 596 2.105 5.15 715 2.109 1.49

Total 3.59 828 2.146 5.08 932 2.106 1.49 ASALs Comparison 1.92 230 1.607 2.91 255 1.890 0.99 0.44

Intervention 1.90 604 1.621 3.33 620 1.959 1.43 Total 1.91 834 1.616 3.21 875 1.948 1.30

Total Comparison 2.67 462 2.091 3.80 472 2.202 1.13 0.40 Intervention 2.78 1200 2.072 4.31 1335 2.232 1.53

12

Total 2.75 1662 2.077 4.17 1807 2.235 1.43

Levels of Reading Achievement across Grades

This section presents a cross-sectional analysis of levels of reading achievement of the girls. It compares

the midline achievements for the out of school girls and those in grade 1 to 6 to the baseline

achievements. The results are summarized in Annex 2

An analysis of changes in levels of reading by grade as presented in Table 2.1.5 indicate that bigger gains

had been made in Class 3 (1.02) and Class 5 (0.52), and least in Class 4 (-0.34) and Class 1 (0.08). The

bigger gain in Class 3 seems to be in line with the intensity of teacher coaching given to this class

compared to others and the shift from Class 1 to allow the Tusome interventions. It is noteworthy that

in class 5, the project distributed approved readers in addition to piloting coaching in upper grade which

may explain the increased reading competencies.

Table 2.1. 5: Reading Achievement across Grades Baseline Midline Change in Mean DID by Grade

Mean N SD Mean N SD Class 3 Comparison 3.56 61 2.25 2.96 67 1.512 -0.60 1.02


OOS Comparison 0.78 46 1.28 1.05 19 1.026 0.27 0.58 Intervention 0.98 94 1.2 1.83 35 2.065 0.85

Total 0.91 140 1.23 1.56 54 1.798 0.64 Class 5 Comparison 4.54 39 1.73 5.12 59 1.521 0.58 0.52


Class 2 Comparison 2.14 74 1.26 2.45 64 1.259 0.32 0.17 Intervention 2.12 153 1.59 2.61 143 1.515 0.48

Total 2.13 227 1.49 2.56 207 1.44 0.43 Class 6 Comparison 4.15 52 1.35 4.79 56 1.951 0.63 0.17


Class 1 Comparison 1.19 101 1.14 1.74 57 1.576 0.55 0.08 Intervention 1.18 259 1.48 1.81 110 1.462 0.63

Total 1.18 360 1.39 1.78 167 1.497 0.60 Class 4 Comparison 3.83 78 2.03 4.40 84 2.157 0.57 -0.34


Levels of Reading Achievement across Grades and Sites

Out of School

The overall reading levels among out of school girls in intervention schools were higher than those in

comparison schools in both urban slums and ASALs. The reading levels among OOS girls in intervention

schools increased from level 1 to level 2 in both Urban Slums and ASALs (Annex 2). This is an interesting

finding which cannot be explained by the available data.

Class 1

13

The reading levels among girls in intervention schools increased from level 1 (mean 1.18 – reading

letters) to level 2 (mean 1.81 - reading words). Similarly, in comparison schools the reading levels

improved from level 1 (mean 1.19 - reading letters) to level 2 (mean 1.74 - reading words). The overall

change in mean for intervention schools over and above the comparison schools was 0.08 (Urban slums

-0.71 and ASALs 0.27). Thus, the comparison schools in urban slums out-performed the intervention

schools. This might be attributed to the phasing out of teacher coaching in this class to give way for

Tusome.

Class 2

The reading levels among girls in intervention schools increased from level 2 (mean 2.12 – reading

words) to level 3 (mean 2.61 - reading a paragraph). In comparison schools the reading levels improved

from level 2 (mean 2.14 i.e. Word level) to level 3 (mean 2.45 i.e. Word level). The change in mean over

and above the comparison schools was 0.17 (Urban slums -0.31 and ASALs 0.26).

The overall reading levels among girls in intervention schools in ASALs were twice higher (0.49) than

those in comparison schools (0.23). In Urban Slums the comparison schools had higher changes in mean

(0.78) than intervention schools (0.47).

Class 3

The reading levels among Class 3 girls in intervention schools were better than those in comparison

schools. In intervention schools, reading levels increased from level 3 (mean 3.09 – reading a paragraph)

to level 4 (mean 3.51 - reading a story and answering at most 2 comprehension questions correctly). In

essence the reading competence gained by girls exposed to the interventions was one level higher than

those of their counterparts in comparison schools. In comparison schools the reading levels dropped

from level 4 (mean 3.56) to level 3 (mean 2.96 i.e. Paragraph level). The overall reading levels among

girls in intervention schools (0.55) were higher than those in comparison schools (-1.19) in urban slums

while in ASALs the intervention schools (0.36) were lower than the comparison (0.45). The reading levels

were better among girls enrolled in urban slums than those in ASALs at midline just as it was at baseline.

The midline results also showed that reading levels among girls in intervention schools in urban slums

(mean 4.27 or level 4 ) were higher than those of girls in intervention schools in ASALs (mean 2.67 or

level 3).

Class 3 recorded the highest improvement of 1.02 (Urban slums 1.74 and ASALs -0.09) over and above

the comparison schools across all the classes..

Class 4

The overall change in mean for intervention schools over and above comparison school was -0.34

(Urban slums -0.42 and ASALs 0.06) implying that reading level in comparison school improved more

those of intervention school at midline. However, the reading levels among girls in both intervention

and comparison schools remained at level 4.

Class 5

14

The improvement of Class 5 girls’ reading competences in intervention schools (1.10) was twice better

than that of their counterparts in comparison schools (0.58). Girls’ reading levels in intervention

schools improved by one level, from level 4 (mean 4.08 or reading a story and at most 2 comprehension

questions correct) to level 5 (mean 5.18 or Story and 3 questions answered correctly) whereas in

comparison schools it remained at level 5 (Baseline mean 4.54 or Story + at most 2 questions answered

correctly and Midline mean 5.12 or Story plus 3 questions answered correctly). Class 5 posted the

second highest improvement in intervention schools over and above the comparison schools of 0.52

(Urban slums 1.17 and ASALs -0.34). There was higher improvement in urban slums as compared to

ASALs. The teachers in this class were coached on early grade reading and numeracy for the midline

year.

Class 6 Overall, the reading levels increased by 0.80 in intervention and 0.63 in comparison schools. Reading

levels among girls in both intervention and comparison schools increased by one level from level 4 to

level 5. Strikingly, girls in comparison schools (1.57) in Urban slums registered two times increase in

reading competencies that those in intervention schools (0.69) reversing the situation at baseline.

Conversely, girls’ reading levels in intervention increased by 0.99 while those in comparison schools

dropped by -0.24 in ASALs.

The Difference in Difference (DID) Estimator

Since the attrition rates were substantial (and consequently substitutions), the Difference in Difference

estimator was calculated using vertically merged data of the girls taken in two points in time (Baseline

and Midline). With this approach, the DID coefficients and the standard errors were estimated by OLS

regression where learning scores were regressed against treatment (0-comparison and 1- intervention),

time (0-baseline and 1-midline) and the interaction of treatment and time (treatment x time) variables.

The basic regression model is the following

Where:

are the literacy learning scores for each girl

is the constant

is achievement

are OSL model coefficients,

s a treatment dummy variable taking value 0 for girls in the comparison group and value 1

for girls in the intervention group (wave)

s a time dummy variable taking value 0 for baseline observations and value 1 for midline

observations (category)

is a standard residue term.

The estimator was computed at 95% confidence level (Table 2.1.6) and the DID estimator (0.394) at P =

0.018 (which is less than 0.05). This means that the score changes between Intervention and

Comparison schools are statistically significantly different.

15

Table 2.1. 6: DID Estimator

Coefficientsa

Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized

Coefficients

t Sig.

B Std. Error Beta

1

(Constant) 2.660 .102 26.069 .000

Wave 1.137 .143 .249 7.927 .000

Category .117 .120 .023 .976 .329

WaveXCategory2 .394 .167 .084 2.357 .018

a. Dependent Variable: LiteracyScore ( )

The Difference in Difference (DID) Estimator with Additional Control Variable (Covariates)

The simple DID regression works under the assumption that the learning trajectories of the intervention

and control schools would have been the same in the absence of the intervention. However, the

composition of the midline sample differs systematically between the intervention and comparison

schools. There is imbalanced regional composition of the midline sample; in particular the midline

intervention schools have a higher percentage of girls in ASALs than the comparison schools. In addition,

the sample differs in grade composition; specifically the intervention schools have a higher percentage

of girls in higher classes than the comparison schools. Also the midline sample consisted of girls who had

reached the ceiling effect at baseline and did not take the extension test. To obtain a more precise DID

estimator, three additional control variables were included in the regression model:

Dummy variable for project site taking value 1 for ASALs and 0 for Urban Slums

Dummy variable for grade at baseline taking value 1 for cohort grades above and including class

5, and 0 otherwise, and

Dummy variable for baseline ceiling effect taking value 1 for girls who scored level 5 and above

but never took the extension test, and 0 otherwise

A representation of the new regression equation is:

Where:

are the literacy learning scores for each girl

is the constant

is achievement

are OSL model coefficients,

16

s a treatment dummy variable taking value 0 for girls in the comparison group and value 1

for girls in the intervention group (wave)

s a time dummy variable taking value 0 for baseline observations and value 1 for midline

observations (category)

s a Project Site dummy variable taking value 1 for ASALs and 0 for Urban Slums

s a Grade dummy variable taking value 1 for cohort grades above and including class 5, and 0

otherwise

s a Ceiling Effect dummy variable taking value 1 for girls who scored level 5 but never took

the extension test, and 0 otherwise

is a standard residue term.

The estimator was computed at 95% confidence level and the DID estimator (0.365) at P = 0.006 (which

is less than 0.05). This means that the score changes between Intervention and Comparison schools are

statistically significantly different.

Table 2.1. 7: DID Estimator with additional Control Variables

Coefficientsa

Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized

Coefficients

t Sig.

B Std. Error Beta

1

(Constant) 2.976 .088 33.652 .000

Wave .945 .115 .207 8.253 .000

Category -.192 .095 -.037 -2.015 .044

WaveXCategory2 .365 .132 .078 2.760 .006

WithCeiling 1.698 .136 .168 12.506 .000

ProjectSiteDummy -1.491 .059 -.328 -25.340 .000

GradeBLDummy 1.878 .064 .397 29.573 .000

a. Dependent Variable: LiteracyScore ( )

2.1.2 Numeracy Baseline Outcomes

Data on the numeracy scores was collected using the Early Grade Maths Assessment (EGMA) test of

achievement. The test was self-administered at each respondent’s home with guidance from the

enumerator, and timed to take a maximum of 20 minutes. The test had 52 items but the final score was

calculated as a percentage. Since there was no previous baseline data on the numeracy levels, the

scores presented in this report, although collected at the mid-point of the project serve as baseline data.

These will be compared with the end-term evaluation to ascertain the addition to learning of the WWW

project interventions.

Rationale for EGMA test:

17

The EGMA test was preferred over the UWEZO standardised tests because it allows for one test to be

administered across all grades by capturing the easiest of grade 2 test items through the hardest of

grade 5 and above items. The combination overcomes the challenges of ceiling effect for girls who

should have taken the harder test since it is easier to enumerate. Further, it makes future comparison of

the mid and end-term test scores much easier.

Prior to the actual data collection, the two tests (for mid-term and end term) were piloted, with the

main goal being:

1) To determine if the mid-term and end term tests were of similar difficulty 2) To confirm if the test was robust enough to pick up competencies for all grades (i.e. no ceiling

limits). 3) To determine the time required to administer the entire test.

Pupils between the ages of 7-17 years were required to solve a set of 11 mathematical problems that

were graduated from simple counting and matching to complex analysis of data regardless of age and

grade. The Table below summarizes the main tasks that pupils were expected to perform. All tasks had

an example provided except for the last two higher order tasks (Table 2.1.7).

Table 2.1. 8: Summary of Expected Tasks and Competencies Measured by the Numeracy Test

Section Mathematical Problem Solving Skills/Competencies required Task Number of items in the

Section

1 Girls can count pictures of trees and draw an arrow to match them with the correct number

Count and match (using pictures)

4

2 Girls can discriminate between two numbers by determining which number is greater.

Quantity Discrimination 4

3 Girls can correctly sum up two digit numbers Addition of numbers 4

4 Girls can correctly subtract two digit numbers Subtraction 4

5 Girls can perform simple and direct multiplication of single digit numbers

Multiplication (simple/direct) 4

6 Girls can perform simple division of both single and double digit numbers

Division 4

7 Girls can perform the long multiplication method with two digit numbers

Multiplication (long) 4

8 Girls can identify and predict sequence, series and patterns occurring in a given set of data (prediction based on logical sequence).

Geometry (recognition of patterns, sequence and series)

6

9 Girls can correctly perform summation of simple fractions. Fractions 6

10 Girls can read a descriptive mathematical problem and solve the problem based on information provided.

Word problem solving 6

11 Girls can analyse data and interpret the information by correctly answering related questions

Data Handling (Analysis, & interpretation)

6

Numeracy Test Score Results

The numeracy total score was 52 and the findings presented are in percentages. The mean numeracy

test score was 48.85%, where comparison had a mean percentage of47.47% and intervention schools

18

49.34%. This overall picture masks sizeable disparities across project sites (Urban slums vis-a-vis ASAL

areas) and within intervention and comparison schools in both sites (Table 2.1.8).

Table 2.1. 9: Test Scores per Site and Group

Project Site & Type of Intervention Mean Std. Deviation

Urban Slums Intervention 55.97 22.671

Comparison 55.03 23.905

Total 55.75 22.965

ASALs Intervention 42.06 24.563


Total 41.67 24.731

Total Intervention 49.34 24.587


Total 48.85 24.857

Once these are taken into consideration, stark variations begin to emerge. Most salient are the fairly

huge differences in the mean numeracy outcomes between urban slums and ASAL areas which is quite

noTable at 14.1%. First, the total mean scores for both urban slums comparison and intervention

schools is 55.75% while that of ASAL( intervention and comparison schools) is 41.67%. Secondly, a

comparison of intervention schools in both urban slums and ASALs also shows a 13.9% variation

between scores for girls within urban slums intervention schools recording 55.97% against 42.06% in

ASAL intervention schools. Thirdly, a similarly distinct difference is observed between urban comparison

and ASAL comparison schools scores (14.4%). Further, in both instances of intervention (55.97) and

comparison (55.03), girls in urban slums outperformed their ASAL counterparts. This is unsurprising

given the usual assumptions of unequal opportunities, and relatively better quality of schools, staffing

and better education quality in urban areas8.Conversely, the intra-school differences in ASAL sites are

quite minimal, indicating closeness between comparison and intervention schools where the difference

in mean scores is only 1.4%.

Analysis of the EGMA Score Tests by Grade

An analysis of the numeracy score by grade of the respondents was quite insightful in indicating the

aggregate gradual and positive direction of the numeracy competencies across the years of grades.

Given that this was a test applied across all grades, it was not surprising that girls in grade 8 scored

highest in all the project sites as well as in both intervention and comparison schools. What seems

surprising is the mixed results between urban intervention and ASAL intervention schools. Whereas in

grade 8 the average comparison schools score was 40%, the scores were much higher in intervention

schools in urban slums (44.5%).However, it was the converse situation in ASAL intervention schools;

with 21% against a score of 37% in comparison schools in the same site. Table 2.1.9 gives the summary

of the numeracy mean scores per geographical region, grades and the study groups.

8 The project intervened in numeracy in 2014 but stopped in 2015. It is not clear whether the minimal difference in

girls’ numeracy scores between comparison and intervention school could be attributed to this.

19

Table 2.1. 10: Scores by Grade and Project Site

Intervention Comparison Overall

Means Urban Slums Not Enrolled 16.03 17.31 16.67

Std 1 25.30 22.50 24.35

Std 2 37.53 37.38 37.49

Std 3 42.37 41.43 42.12

Std 4 45.86 51.47 47.61

Std 5 59.23 64.52 60.41

Std 6 64.32 73.80 66.22

Std 7 74.21 71.42 73.68

Std 8 76.31 86.97 77.93

Total 55.96 54.98 55.73

ASALs Not Enrolled 17.71 10.36 15.43

Std 1 16.66 20.22 17.89

Std 2 26.18 29.70 27.18

Std 3 37.20 33.05 36.07

Std 4 40.81 38.95 40.33

Std 5 46.52 57.37 49.31

Std 6 58.74 55.62 57.84

Std 7 69.61 75.17 70.97

Std 8 73.60 40.87 68.57

Total 42.09 40.77 41.73

Total Not Enrolled 17.55 11.66 15.58

Std 1 19.64 20.99 20.10

Std 2 31.12 32.85 31.59

Std 3 39.74 37.07 39.03

Std 4 43.15 45.49 43.82

Std 5 53.77 61.13 55.53

Std 6 62.14 64.47 62.70

Std 7 72.55 73.08 72.66

Std 8 75.48 72.78 75.07

Total 49.34 47.52 48.87

Given that the project targets grades 2 and 5 for teacher coaching and support learning materials

development, any insightful analysis of the midline data would require looking at the tests scores for

grades 1, 3, 8 and 6. This further analysis yielded interesting results particularly in ASAL comparison

schools. In all cases (urban and ASAL), the test scores for grade 3 remained higher for comparison

schools. On the other hand, the test scores for grades 6 and 8 were higher in ASAL comparison schools

standing at 30.6% and 37.4% respectively, against 28.18% and 21% in comparison schools. The converse

was true for intervention schools in urban areas at 37.8% against 34% in the comparison schools.

20

Comparison of Numeracy Scores between Intervention and Comparison Schools

Independent group t-test was used to compare the difference in numeracy means between Intervention

and Comparison schools. The test assumed that the variances for the two groups are equal. The test

statistic t = 1.684 with 2011 degrees of freedom. The corresponding two-tailed P-value is 0.092 which is

greater than 0.05 (Tables 2.1. 10). Therefore, there is statistically significant evidence that the numeracy

means for Intervention and Comparison schools are not different.

Table 2.1. 11: Independent Samples Test

F Sig. t df Sig. (2-tailed)

Overall Equal variances assumed 1.269 0.260 1.684 2011 0.092

Equal variances not assumed 1.653 846.272 0.099

Urban Slums Equal variances assumed 1.216 0.270 0.526 1026 0.599


ASALs Equal variances assumed .208 0.648 .844 983 0.399


2.2 The Impact of GEC on Enabling Marginalised Girls to be in School

2.2.1 The Effects of GEC on Attendance

The midline attendance data was captured from the registers within the project schools (both

comparison and intervention) for all the 8 counties. The attendance data focused on term two (May to

August 2015). Data captured the total number of school sessions from the registers. Thereafter, the

Figure 2.1. 1: Distribution of Numeracy Scores by Site and Grade

21

average sessions for comparisons and intervention school were computed. A summary of midline school

attendance rates in urban slums and ASAL areas are presented alongside the baseline findings in Table

2.2.1 and Annex 3.

Table 2.2. 1: School Attendance Data from Class Registers

Baseline Midline

Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total

Urban Slums Comparison 82% 81% 82% 80% 81% 81%

Intervention 86% 77% 82% 87% 85% 86%

Total 86% 78% 82% 85% 83% 84%

ASALs Comparison 78% 81% 80% 79% 80% 79%

Intervention 81% 80% 81% 81% 84% 82%

Total 81% 80% 81% 81% 83% 82%

Overall Comparison 80% 81% 81% 80% 81% 81%

Intervention 83% 79% 81% 83% 84% 84%

Total 83% 79% 81% 82% 83% 83%

Overall attendance for girls in intervention schools increased by 5% while in the comparison schools it

remained at 81%. Attendance for girls in intervention schools improved by 8% in the urban slums while

ASALs recorded a 4% increase. In comparison schools, attendance for girls in the urban slums remained

at 81%, while in ASALs it dropped by 1%. This improvement of school attendance in intervention schools

can be attributed to the project interventions. The project quarterly monitoring data was used to

generate trends for attendance are shown in Figure 2.2.1. The trendline equations indicate that the

intervention had a stepper gradient (1.5) than the comparison (0.6), hence there was more increase in

attendance among girls attending intervention schools than comparison.

81

77

79

83

81

79

76

79

81

84

y = 0.6x + 78.4

y = 1.5x + 75.3

72

74

76

78

80

82

84

86

Baseline (Term I 2014)

Q7 (Term II 2014) Q8 (Term III 2014) Q9 Term I 2015 Midline (Term II 2015)

Pe

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Comparison Intervention Linear (Comparison) Linear (Intervention)

Figure 2.2 1: School Attendance Trends since Baseline

22

Results presented in figure 2.2.1 reveal that since quarter 7 the attendance in intervention schools has

been growing steadily but only overtook the comparison after quarter 9. This can be attributed to the

projects interventions between quarter 9 and the time of conducting the midline.

The project also had headcount and learners marked present in the registers attendance spot checks

between baseline and midline. For the midline evaluation, three spot checks (quarter 10, quarter 9 and

quarter 8) were considered and are captured in the Outcome Spreadsheet for classes 1 to 6. The

detailed version of the spot checks is annexed (annex 4).

This finding resonates with the informants assertions during qualitative interviews that the project made

a difference in their lives. Below is an excerpt of a focus group discussion with members of a school

board of management:

…..Nowadays children attend school regularly and absenteeism has reduced. The main reasons that have made reduction in absenteeism are:- community conversation activities have made parents realize the importance of education to their children and they encourage their children to attend school regularly, provision of sanitary towel to girls, WASH activities in schools, provision of school uniform by the project, incentives such like solar lamps.…., (BOM FGD, Nov 2015).

For comparison, the study further sought to establish the school attendance of the cohort girls. To

achieve this, monitoring data from baseline through midline was utilized. The findings show that cohort

girls’ attendance in intervention schools dropped from baseline (91%) to (87%) at quarter 7 and then

remained constant through midline. For those in comparison schools, it has been oscillating; it hit its

highest (91%) in quarter 9 and dropped to its lowest (85%) at midline (Figure 2.2.2 and Annex 4).

90 90

86

91

85

91

89

87 87 87

Baseline Q7 Q8 Q9 Midline

Comparison Intervention

Figure 2.2 2: Trend line for Cohort Attendance

23

In order to establish whether the attendance affected exam performance, the midline evaluation

correlated between attendance and performance in internal examinations for cohort girls. This was

done based on data segregated by regions (Urban Slums and ASALs) and comparison- intervention

(Table 2.2.2).

Table 2.2. 1: Correlation of Cohort attendance and Internal Exams

Attendance Vs. English Attendance VsMaths

Pearson (r) Sig. (2-tailed) N Pearson (r) Sig. (2-tailed) N

Urban Slums Comparison .390**

.001 65 .315* .011 65

Intervention .036 .462 428 .118* .015 429

ASALs Comparison -.256**

.001 161 -.087 .272 160

Intervention .297**

.000 326 .266**

.000 324

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

The results show a positive and significant correlation for girls attending comparison schools in Urban

slums in both English and Maths examinations (r=0.390 at P=.001 and r=0.315at P=0.011). Similarly in

ASALs girls attending intervention schools had positive correlations (r=0.297 at P=0.000 and r=0.266 at P

= 0.000). These positive significant correlations denote that there is increase in performance with

increase in attendance. Nonetheless, only girls in ASALs comparison school registered an indirect

negative correlation (r=-0.256 at P=0.001); an indication of decline in performance with increase in

attendance. This is indicative of other intervening factors that could be negatively influencing

performance.

Qualitatively the study investigated the factors hindering consistent attendance by girls and it was

evident that some parents kept their girls in the lower classes at home to look after their young siblings

while they went out to fend for their families. Others send their children out for child labour and the

excerpt below recounts some of the challenges undercutting girls’ regular school attendance.

….The main problems reported by girls is forced circumcision, child labour and distance of school from our villages…. (FGD Girls, November 2015)

…..Challenges encountered in this region are: child labour e.g. girls are overworked at home while boys will even stay out at night in the field to graze cattle, or go for Moran dances. For example ‘a parent in this community can even lead’ a girl out to another relative to go and assist in household chore’, lack of support to meet all the needs of my community e.g. security, basic needs, illegal drinks, fight poverty, socio cultural traditions which do not support development such as archaic traditions such child marriages/not educating girl child, FGMs, less value attached in formal education….(Community Leader Interview, November 2015)

To establish attendance for beneficiaries, their mean attendance were computed per grade (Table

2.2.3).The results indicate that attendance of BTSK beneficiaries improved in classes 1, 2, and 8,

remained constant in class 3 and dropped in classes 4, 5, 6 and 7. This means that there was improved

attendance in 50% of the beneficiaries of the BTSK. Among those who received the cash transfers,

attendance improved in class 6 while all other beneficiaries of CT had a drop in attendance.

24

Table 2.2. 2: Attendance of Beneficiaries by Class

Grade

Baseline9 Midline

BTSK CT Solar Lamp BTSK CT Solar Lamp

Mean N Mean N Mean N Mean N Mean N Mean N

Class 1 90% 24 91% 5 - - 93% 4 88% 32 82% 17

Class 2 89% 25 96% 5 - - 92% 20 88% 37 89% 33

Class 3 89% 22 95% 2 - - 89% 18 88% 50 85% 24

Class 4 90% 34 95% 11 - - 83% 21 88% 50 95% 29

Class 5 90% 32 93% 6 - - 88% 26 88% 58 88% 40

Class 6 93% 31 78% 4 - - 88% 29 88% 48 89% 28

Class 7 94% 20 98% 5 - - 93% 33 86% 33 90% 62

Class 8 89% 10 100% 3 - - 90% 19 87% 21 86% 74

TOTAL 91% 201 93% 41 - - 89% 170 88% 329 88% 307

In addition, five-quarter line graph (quarter 6-10) demonstrates existence of variations in attendance for

the different beneficiaries (Figure2.2.3). to compare attendance trends for the BTSK, CT and solar lamps

beneficiaries against general school attendance, the beneficiaries attendance was plotted was alongside

the overall termly attendance of girls in intervention schools (the dotted line). The results show that,

despite the drop in attendance for beneficiaries, they maintained attendance levels beyond the 80%

threshold and also above the overall attendance of girls in intervention schools.

9This data is based on quarterly monitoring data for quarter 6 (January – March 2014)

94

90 90

91

89

94

91 91

91

88

92

88

79

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79

81

84

75

77

79

81

83

85

87

89

91

93

95

Baseline (Term I 2014) Q7 (Term II 2014) Q8 (Term III 2014) Q9 Term I 2015 Midline (Term II 2015)

Pe

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BTSK CT Solar Lamps Girls in Intervention Schools

Figure 2.2 3: Trend line for beneficiaries’ attendance

25

To establish the nature of relationship between attendance and performance for the beneficiary girls

the study correlated attendance and performance in internal exams. Table 2.2.4 highlights the

correlation between beneficiaries’ attendance and performance in internal exams.

Table 2.2. 3: Correlation between Beneficiaries’ Attendance and Performance in Internal Exams

Code Attendance Vs. English Attendance Vs. Maths

Pearson (r) Sig. (2-tailed) N Pearson (r) Sig. (2-tailed) N

BTSK .166* .019 198 .040 .580 198

CT .160* .015 231 .077 .244 231

Solar Lamp -.093 .099 314 -.109 .056 310

The results show that girls benefiting from back to school kits (BTSK) and Cash Transfer (CT) had a weak

direct positive significant correlation, showing that an increase in attendance resulted in very limited

improvement in the performance of both English and Mathematics. However the beneficiaries of solar

lamp had a negative and not significant correlation.

2.2.2 The Effects of GEC on Retention

The evaluation established crude retention from baseline to midline. It was obtained by dividing the

enrolment of pupils in their class in 2015 with the enrolment of pupils in their specific presupposed class

in 2013. The overall crude retention rates of both girls and boys indicate a rate of 101% and 100%

respectively (Table 2.2.5).

Table 2.2. 4: Crude Retention rate of the given grades from Baseline (2013) to Midline (2015)

Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Class 6 Overall Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls

ASALs 102% 105% 111% 106% 105% 111% 101% 101% 102% 98% 88% 75% 102% 100%

Urban Slums 108% 105% 107% 111% 100% 109% 96% 102% 97% 100% 84% 89% 99% 103%

Total 104% 105% 110% 108% 103% 110% 99% 102% 100% 99% 86% 81% 100% 101%

Ideally, rates far below 100% indicate low levels of retention thus high incidence of dropout while rates

approaching 100% indicate a high level of retention and low incidence of drop out while those above

100% indicate presence of repetition and new entrants to the grade. However, the established crude

retention rates in project schools have helped in estimation of the retention capacity of project schools

in ASALs and in urban slums. Further the study established that there was an almost gender parity in

retention of boys 102% and girls 100% in ASAL schools but not the case in Urban slums where there was

slightly more girls 103% than boys 99% being retained in school. Also in lower grade (grade 1) there was

a high retention rate and an almost gender parity retention of boys 104% and girls 105% while in upper

grade (grade 6) there was a sharp decline in retention and gender disparity of retention with more boys

86% being retained in the project schools compared to girls 81%. A sharp drop in retention rates of both

boys and girls and particularly girls in upper grade (grade 6) implies significant dropout rates in contrast

to lower grades (grade 1).

26

Additional hints for retention were captured from the school registers of term two (May to August 2015)

by computing the proportions of boys and girls who attended 80% of the sessions and above. Those who

didn’t meet this threshold of 80% were deemed to be at risk of dropping out. The analysis segregated

for girls and boys and, comparison and intervention school. The results are discussed in Table 2.2.6,

Annex 5 and Annex 6.

Table 2.2. 5: Proportion of Pupils at Risk of Dropping Out

Baseline Midline Difference

Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total

Urban Slums

Comparison 4% 5% 4% 10% 9% 10% -6% -4% -6%

Intervention 6% 10% 8% 12% 11% 11% -6% -1% -3%

ASALs Comparison 9% 11% 10% 13% 12% 12% -4% -1% -2%

Intervention 7% 9% 8% 9% 8% 9% -2% 1% -1%

Overall Comparison 8% 9% 8% 12% 12% 12% -4% -3% -4%

Intervention 7% 10% 8% 10% 9% 10% -3% 1% -2%

At baseline, girls in all geographical locations stood a higher risk of dropping out of school. However, the

overall findings at midline show that in intervention schools, the proportion of girls at risk of dropping

out has declined by 1% while it went up in comparison schools by 3%. However the proportion of pupils

(girls and boys) at risk of dropping out in both urban slums (comparison and intervention schools)

increased. A similar trend was also observed among pupils (girls and boys) attending comparison schools

in ASALs and boys attending intervention schools in ASALs, where the risk increased from 9% to 13%.

On the other hand, the findings show that whereas in the baseline school dropout was higher among

girls in both ASALs and Urban Slums, during the Midline there were fewer girls than boys at risk of drop

out. The study further sought to interrogate data from household that points on the parents’ ability to

educate girls and the results in Table 2.2.7

Table 2.2. 6: Proportion of Families with Difficulties in Educating Girls

Baseline Midline

Urban Slums ASALs Total Urban Slums ASALs Total

Difficult to afford 84.8% 61.6% 73.7% 71.7% 46.3% 59.4%

Can afford 15.2% 38.4% 26.3% 28.3% 53.7% 40.6%

Overall, findings indicate a reduction in the number of care givers/parents who found it difficult to

afford the education of their girls and a contrasting increase in the number of care givers/parents who

could afford their girl’s education. This could be attributed to the project interventions.

2.2.3 The Effects of GEC Interventions on Enrolment

The midline evaluation captured enrolment from the school register and the household survey.

27

Enrolment Trends based on School Data

The enrolment data from the project schools captured at midline is compared to baseline in Table 2.2.8

below. Overall, there was an increase in enrolment by 13,857. All counties recorded an increase, with

Turkana recording the highest (4,936) followed by Kilifi (4,489). Tana River had the least (432).

Table 2.2. 7: Enrolment Trends based on School Data

Baseline Midline Variance

Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total

Turkana 7,742 6,591 14,333 10,321 8,948 19,269 2,579 2,357 4,936

Samburu 2,734 1,933 4,667 3,175 2,234 5,409 441 301 742

Marsabit 1,746 2,146 3,892 2,039 2,668 4,707 293 522 815

Kwale 6,186 6,135 12,321 6,572 6,320 12,892 386 185 571

Kilifi 23,722 23,151 46,873 26,188 25,174 51,362 2,466 2,023 4,489

Tana River 12,899 11,586 24,485 12,747 12,170 24,917 -152 584 432

ASALs 55,029 51,542 106,571 61,042 57,514 118,556 6,013 5,972 11,985

Mombasa 4,267 5,486 9,753 4,496 5,882 10,378 229 396 625

Nairobi 30,294 31,514 61,808 30,630 32,425 63,055 336 911 1,247

Urban Slums 34,561 37,000 71,561 35,126 38,307 73,433 565 1,307 1,872

Total 89,590 88,542 178,132 96,168 95,821 191,989 6,578 7,279 13,857

Enrolment Trends Based on Household Data

As shown in Table 2.2.9, overall, the number of school girls aged 6-15 years not enrolled in school

reduced from 9.7% at baseline to 6.4% by midline, implying an increase in access to primary education

among girls. The increase in girls’ enrolment rates was higher (4.8%) in comparison schools (at baseline

89.5% and in midline 94.3%) compared to 2.8% (at baseline 90.6% and in midline 93.4%) in intervention

schools. Also, in both intervention and comparison schools, more girls were enrolled in Urban slums

97.0% than in ASALs 89.9%. However, the number of out of school girls in ASALs has dropped by 5.3%

(at baseline 15.2% and in midline 9.9%) compared to 0.6% (at baseline 3.3% and in midline 2.7%) in

urban slums. This show that although there is a general increase in enrolment across all sites, the

increase is higher and sustained in Urban Slums while remaining very slow or fluctuating in ASAL

schools.

Table 2.2. 8: Enrolment Trends Based on Household Data

Baseline Midline

Intervention Comparison Total Intervention Comparison Total

Urban slums Enrolled 97.6% 93.3% 96.7% 97.1% 98.0% 97.0%

Not Enrolled 2.4% 6.7% 3.3% 2.9% 2.0% 2.7%

ASALs Enrolled 84.0% 87.0% 84.8% 89.5% 91.6% 89.9%

Not Enrolled 16.0% 13.0% 15.2% 10.5% 8.4% 9.9%

Total Enrolled 90.6% 89.5% 90.3% 93.4% 94.3% 93.6%

Not Enrolled 9.4% 10.5% 9.7% 6.6% 5.7% 6.4%

28

Girls’ Share of Interactions with the Teacher Relative to the Number of Boys in Class

The total number of interactions per class for each gender was pondered by the total of number of

either girls or boys to establish proportions of girls to boys in classroom interactions at baseline and at

midline. Results in Table 2.2.10 indicate that both in class 2 and 5, there was equal participation unlike

at baseline where disparities were noted.

Table 2.2. 9: Girls Interactions with Teacher Relative to the Boys

Baseline Midline

Girls to Boys Ratio of Interaction Girls to Boys Ratio of Interaction

Class 2 53:47 63:63

Class 5 39:40 57:57

Total 48:44 61:60

Similarly, the narrations of teacher-pupil relationships from classroom observation data in schools

where CfBT had trained teachers demonstrated an empowering classroom atmosphere. The teachers

were observed effectively appreciating boys and girls who gave correct answers through applause and

positive remarks as well as taking time to correct wrong answers in a friendly manner. The following

excerpts demonstrate this:

All of the pupils seemed to like their teacher. If anyone didn’t understand what was going on, the teacher would make sure she takes time to help that pupil. This teacher seemed to be a very intentional teacher because everything she did was for a reason. I felt that the students were all learning to the best of their potential. The teacher having benefited from CfBT coaching was very skilled. She was also the school club patron (Classroom Observation, Class 2 Mathematics, Tana River School B).

Some CfBT trained teachers though doing well on interactions were reported to display a certain degree

of negativity whereby boys were appreciated and girls scolded as exemplified below:

At 9.37 and 9.38, she complements boys who respond to questions. She asks the class to clap for them….. At 9.56, as she is marking, she comes across a pupil who does not have an exercise book and is therefore not writing. She tells her ‘mjinga ni nani? Hizo za mihogo ulizokula mihogo si unge nunua vitabu?’ [who is the fool? you should have spent the money you bought cassava on a book’] (Classroom Observation, Kilifi School C)

Influence of the Gender of the Teacher on Girls’ Share of Interactions

At baseline the gender of the teacher was found to influence discrepancies in classroom interactions for

Grade 2 and Grade 5 in both ASALs and Urban Slums. At baseline there was a mix in both class 2 and 5

where one gender was above the other either in urban slums or ASALs. However, at midline near parity

was achieved. For the male teachers-girls interactions were slightly more than those of boys while for

female teachers-boys interaction were more than those of girls. In the ASALs, where the teacher gender

was female there was a consistent trend where boys interaction proportions were higher than those of

girls (Table 2.2.11). Although these findings allude to an alienation, the differences in the ratios are 1

and 2 with only the ASALs-class 5 for the female teacher having an abnormal difference

(6) at midline unlike at baseline where some were as great as 11. Thus the evaluation affirms that this

29

does not negate the fact that teacher coaching has had an impact on teachers’ interaction with learners.

The midline evaluation did not collect enough qualitative data to explain this scenario.

Table 2.2. 10: Proportion Teacher-Pupil Interaction by Teacher Gender by Class by Region

Baseline Midline

Girls to Boys Ratio Girls to Boys Ratio

Male Class 2 Urban Slums 151:157 -:-

ASALs 34:25 52:48

Class 5 Urban Slums 159:138 86:82

ASALs 19:26 45:44

Female Class 2 Urban Slums 61:56 92:93

ASALs 33:38 46;48


ASALs 55:38 45:51

Total Class 2 Urban Slums 80:72 92:93

ASALs 34:29 49:48


ASALs 26:28 45:47

The proportions of interactions by class and by county revealed different scenarios for the different

counties at midline as shown in Table 2.2.12. Kilifi, Nairobi, Samburu and Turkana recorded higher girl

interactions than boys in class 2 while in class 5 it was Kilifi, Marsabit, Mombasa and Tana River. In class

2, there was no county with parity while Marsabit had blatant discrepancy for girls. In class 5, Nairobi

recorded parity in the interactions while Turkana had glaring discrepancy for girls.

Table 2.2. 11: Girls to Boys Ratios of Classroom Interactions by Class by County

Girls to Boys Ratio

Kilifi Kwale Marsabit Mombasa Nairobi Samburu Tana River Turkana

Baseline Class 2 56:48 31:14 34:51 66:93 81:70 22:21 22:19 54:56

Class 5 17:23 24:25 38:85 50:32 55:59 15:7 31:28 23:46

Midline Class 2 66:52 65:78 40:59 101:108 77:70 29:21 55:60 38:29

Class 5 26:19 33:46 56:53 75:71 1:1 35:37 64:75 53:87

Quality of Teacher- Pupil Interactions

Five interactive activities in the classroom were examined to further establish the proportions of

involvement by girls to boys in English and Mathematics lessons (Table 2.2.13). With regards to “learner

dominates the class”, boys dominated girls but parity was achieved in class 2 mathematics. The aspect

of “teacher marking pupils’ work”, in all categories except for English class 5 girls had a higher

proportion than boys. Nonetheless, it’s noteworthy that English class 5 (31:32) was almost parity

proportions for girls to boys. In considering “learner asks questions to the teacher” parity was evident in

English class 2 and Mathematics class 5. For “learner responding to teacher's questions” there was near

parity in English class 2 (52:53). Finally for “learner writing on the chalkboard” English both class 2 and 5

recorded parity in the proportions of girls and boys.

30

Table 2.2. 12: Summary of the proportions of different types of interactions by class by subject

Ratio Class 2 Class 5

English Maths Total English Maths Total

1 Learner dominates the class Girls: Boys 1:8 3:3 2:6 2:3 1:4 2:4

2 Teacher marking pupils work Girls: Boys 31:25 53:40 40:32 31:32 47:41 39:36

3 Learner asks questions to the teacher Girls: Boys 1:1 1:0 1:1 4:2 3:3 4:3

4 Learner responding to teacher's questions Girls: Boys 23:18 40:38 73:64 30:35 52:50

5 Learner writing on the chalkboard Girls: Boys 9:12 12:14 10:13 3:3 8:8 6:5

2.2.4 Unintended Effects Experienced in the Midline Evaluation

Among other things the project focused on is enforcing the re-enrolment policy. Consequently teen

mothers have re-enrolled and thus in some counties the project has been branded a ‘teen mothers

project’.

The number of schools has varied across the project quarters as some have been dropped due to

insecurity, others were closed down and others declined to participate. In addition, most schools have

incomplete registers, and in fact, in some instances schools had the registers completely missing.

Delays in delivery and unmet expectations of interventions such as CTs, BTSKs and Solar lamps resulted

to dissention by some schools during midline data collection thus need to hold discussions with the

school management to ensure cooperation. Delivery of both BTSK and Cash transfer to the beneficiary

experienced some delays and was done in specified allotments during given periods. During midline

evaluation the impact of cash transfers and BTSK varied depending on the duration of receipt by the

beneficiaries. Some Solar lamp beneficiaries reported that the solar lamps they had received were faulty

since they had failed to charge after 2 months.

2.2.5 Closing the Gap in Attendance/Retention/Enrolment among Marginalised Girls

The project has attempted to close gaps in attendance, enrolment and retention despite the various

challenges of implementation. Some respondents concur that the targeted marginalised girls are now

less marginalised as expressed during an FGD discussions in Turkana County:

...Attendance has improved because children have the BTSKs” (FGD CC Turkana, November 2015)

….Enabling children from poor backgrounds to attend school, most families are poor and could not even afford school uniforms for their children (CC FGD, November, 2015)

…..For retention we look for those from the very poor, we also check for school records, to see those who don’t attend every day, we interrogate them and visit them at their homes to check how they live……, (CC FGD, November 2015).

….Quite a good number of girls who had dropped out were mapped, the correct beneficiaries were mapped, community members especially the parents opened up and revealed that their

31

children had dropped out. Many girls were re-enrolled back to school, (Community Leader interview, November 2015)

….Most parents are now enlightened about enrolling their girls in school because of home visits and talking to them…. (FGD BoM, November 2015)

2.3 Extent to Which GEC has Reached the Marginalised Girls

This section explains the extent to which GEC interventions have reached and impacted on the

education of the target marginalised girls. The girls were aged 6-17 years, and living within the urban

slums and ASALs in Kenya. Specifically, these girls have been excluded from accessing education

opportunities over the years due to early child bearing, mental and physical disability, caring for the sick

relatives, betrothal and early marriage. Other marginalised girls include those living under extreme

poverty, street children, girls under 16 years who work for paid (and unpaid) labour, orphans and those

living with HIV and AIDS. Tables 2.3.1-2.3.5 are a summary of the targeted direct and indirect

beneficiaries

Table 2.3. 1: Direct Beneficiaries

Beneficiary type Total project number Total number of girls targeted for learning outcomes that the project has reached by midline

Comments

Direct learning beneficiaries (girls) – girls in the intervention group who are specifically expected to achieve learning outcomes in line with targets. If relevant, please disaggregate girls with disabilities in this overall number.

136,000

95, 821

Table 2.3. 2: Other Beneficiaries

Beneficiary type Number Comments

Learning beneficiaries (boys) – as above, but specifically counting boys who will get the same exposure and therefore be expected to also achieve learning gains, if applicable.

96,169

Broader student beneficiaries (boys) – boys who will benefit from the interventions in a less direct way, and therefore may benefit from aspects such as attitudinal change, etc. but not necessarily achieve improvements in learning outcomes.

Midline : 96,169 Endline: 136,000

Broader student beneficiaries (girls) – girls who will benefit from the interventions in a less direct way, and therefore may benefit from aspects such as attitudinal change, etc. but not necessarily achieve improvements in learning outcomes.

136, 000 ( end line target)

Teacher beneficiaries – number of teachers who benefit from training or related interventions. If possible

2715 Training includes 1. Gender responsiveness

32

/applicable, please disaggregate by gender and type of training, with the comments box used to describe the type of training provided.

pedagogy 2. Direct Instruction

Methodology 3. General pedagogical skills 4. Mainstreaming Disability 5. Child protection 6. Data collection an reporting

Broader community beneficiaries (adults) – adults who benefit from broader interventions, such as community messaging /dialogues, community advocacy, economic empowerment interventions, etc.

Community members reached through CCs =14,035

Community dialogues are being held in all school catchment areas to elicit support for girls’ education

Table 2.3. 3: Target Groups by School

Project definition of target group (Tick where appropriate)

Number targeted through project

interventions

Sample size of target group at midline

School Age/class

Lower primary √ 38477 514

Upper Primary √ 57344 940

Lower Secondary

Upper Secondary

Total: 95821

Table 2.3. 4: Target Groups by Class

Project definition of target group

(Tick where appropriate)

Number targeted through project interventions


School Class

Class 1 √ 13218

Class 2 √ 12668

Class 3 √ 12591

Class 4 √ 12651

Class 5 √ 12547

Class 6 √ 11915

Class 7 √ 11242

Class 8 √ 8989

Total: 95821

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Table 2.3. 5: Target Groups by Social Group

Social Groups Project definition of target group (Tick where

appropriate)

Number targeted through project

interventions


Disabled girls √ 1417

Orphaned girls

Pastoralist girls √ 28391

Displaced girls

Slum-dwellers √ 39980

Child labourers

Poor girls √ 25406

Disadvantaged caste/ethnic minority

Affected by HIV/AIDS

Young mothers/expecting √ 618

Street Children

Other (please describe)

Total: 95821

In the context of the activities of this project, these girls were marginalised in terms of both attendance

and learning outcomes. Table 2.3.6 summarises the extent to which the project addressed

marginalisation of girls through cash transfers, solar lamps and back to school kits provisions.

Table 2.3. 6: Extent to which GEC has Reached and Impacted on Marginalised Girls

GEC Intervention towards the marginalised girls Planned End line Project Target

Project Achievements

Extent to which GEC

has reached the target (%)

Variance between achieved and

planned targets (%)

1. Cash transfer (home financing) 6,700 5,683 85 15

2. BTSK 14,000 10,000 71 29

3. Solar lamps 10,375 6,829 66 34

4. Child rights clubs

Operational clubs 480 480 100 0

Number of galas 90 44 49 51

Club patrons trained 500 447 89 11

Student champions trained 500 617 123 23

Number of students participating in clubs 10,000 17,113 171 71

5. No of girls that have been enrolled 5,046 7,450 148 48

6. Health

De-worming 60,000 171,628 286 186

Girls accessing referral for special needs 6,000 3,000 50 50

Schools with bilharzia interventions (TR) 25 25 100 0

7. Teacher coaching

Teacher coaches recruited and trained 76 76 100 0

Teachers trained on EGRA and EGMA 2000 2715 136 36

Trained on gender 1,500 2715 181 81

Clusters holding meetings regularly 90 88 98 2

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GEC Intervention towards the marginalised girls Planned End line Project Target

Project Achievements

Extent to which GEC

has reached the target (%)

Variance between achieved and

planned targets (%)

8. HT and BoM/SMC training

Gender sensitive planning 500 538 108 8

Schools with gender sensitive SDP 500 432 86 14

9. Community

CHW attached to mature CC for sustainability 500 0 0 100

Home visits made 20,000 61,997 310 210

CHW/CHV recruited and trained 836 816 98 2

CC dialogue 350 324 93 7

No. of CFs trained in dialogue 919

CC completed entry 398

CF trained on social accountability 919 561

No. of social accountability forums 150 87 58 42

Community facilitators trained on Youth circles 42

Training on social accountability approaches (Board of Management)

1,000 649 65 35

ToT on youth circles 150 85 57 43

No. of base and youth circles 30 24 6 20

No. of mature communities phased out 193 0 0 100

10. Education

EMIS training 8 8 100 0

Education stakeholders fora chaired by MoEST held in 8 counties

16 9 56 44

Number of qualitative reports completed 3 1 33 67

District capacity building (training of QASOs in Behaviour change program

32 9 28 72

Training for 16 County Directors to support QA and supervision of teaching (MoEST & TSC)

16

0 0 100

Number of County Education Officers receiving EMIS support

70 35 50 50

Guidelines for registration of schools approved 1 1 1 0

Number of complementary schools assessed 30 0 0 0

Number of low fees schools in targeted slums registered with MoEST

25 0 0 100

National dissemination conference held 2 0 0 100

Training of 32 teacher advisory centre (TAC) tutors/ QASOs/ Staffing Officers on QA supervision visits to support sustainable improvement in teaching standards

32 0 0 100

The Table above shows the direct/individual benefits of GEC interventions to the target girls, as well as

the indirect benefits that are associated with the other individuals who benefited from the project. In

reference to the particular interventions of GEC, the targeted marginalised girls benefited from BTSK,

Cash Transfers, solar lamps, teacher coaching and child rights clubs operationalization. The planned

endline target of BTSK is 14,000 girls of which 10,000 girls have received BTSK in line with project work

plan. The educational benefits of this intervention are consistently echoed by the positive comments

from some of the beneficiaries whom we interviewed. A girl from Kilifi County had this to say about the

BTSK:

35

The BTSK benefited me because when I used to stay at home I had no school uniform. When I was given, that’s how I came back to school. I had no school uniform (FGD Girl beneficiaries, November 2015).

Another girl from a primary school in Turkana County reported this:

It (BTSK) has helped because when we were sent home previously our parents said that they do not have the money and therefore we lagged behind in our studies. Now the ‘government’ (of course GEC project) has brought uniforms and now you can see people wearing uniforms (FGD Girl beneficiaries, November 2015).

In an interview with the teacher of a Primary school in Turkana County, it became clear that the BTSKs

have helped girls to enrol and re-enrol in school. In his words,

When CfBT came, they assisted much by buying bags and uniforms. When they (girls) saw the bags and uniform, that has helped the girls to come back to school. … So parents are also saying that ‘I will not have a problem if that is given’ (Teacher Interview, November 2015)

However, some beneficiaries of BTSK indicated that the kits that they received did not have all the items

that were expected. For instance, girls in a primary school in Tana River County complained that they

received undersize shoes, while other BTSK did not contain mathematical sets, shoes, socks and books.

In their own words, some of the girls said the following:

Girl 1: But I didn’t get a mathematical set, and my shoes are undersize; I wasn’t pleased with those shoes.

Girl 2: I got a bag, uniform, socks… the size of socks is ok but the shoes are undersize. I told her (the teacher) that I wanted to have them changed. Nothing has been changed yet. They are still at home

Girl 3: I got a bag and books, socks and shoes. I missed out on a mathematical set (FGD Girl beneficiaries -Turkana County)

There was however, clear accountability in BTSK in which any reported anomalies are corrected by the

suppliers. At the time of data collection it was reported that the project through the suppliers were in

the process of correcting all the reported anomalies.

In reference to the beneficiaries of cash transfer, the financial support was aimed to boost the economic

status of the families which would consequently help them enrol and support their girl’s education. The

overall planned target is 6,700 households and 5,683 households had received this financial support

against midline target of 5,700 representing an achievement of 99.7% against the midline target and a

variance of 15% against the end line target. According to one of the interviewees at Likoni (Mombasa

County), cash transfer was meant to ‘help most parents to enrol their girls to school. ‘Citing the

challenges associated with cash transfer, the same interviewee responded thus:

Although there is cash transfer, it comes a bit late. The child delays to go back to school as she waits for the money. There are some cases where the cash transfer money is not enough

36

especially when the school requires additional money for example; money for development, remedial classes and registration. (CHW Interview- Mombasa County)

This comment indicates that school levies, such as examination fees, charges for extra tuition and school

development funds are persistent burdens that continue to interfere with learning for girls.

Solar lamps were one of the other direct benefits to the target marginalised girls in the ASALs. The

planned overall target of issuing 10, 375 solar lamps has been achieved at 66% (6, 829) but the midline

target of 5000 has been exceeded by 35%. When we interviewed the girls who received these lamps,

many of them could not hide their joy and appreciation as they shared with us their education

achievements. At a primary school in Turkana County, one girl told us,

My parents would say that there is no money to buy paraffin. With the solar lamp, I continue reading even late at night, that’s why I am now succeeding. (FGD Girl beneficiaries -Turkana County)

At a primary school in Marsabit County, two beneficiaries said the following about the solar lamps:

Girl 1: It (solar lamp) helped me with my studies at home. Now I do my homework well.

Girl 2: Now we don’t buy paraffin. We just use the solar lamp and I use it to read at night (FGD Girl beneficiaries -Marsabit County)

Kilifi County had the largest proportion of the distribution of solar lamps 17% (1200) against the 6,829

solar lamps distributed. However, some girls in Kilifi County reported that solar lamps were faulty, while

others indicated that they failed to charge after 2 months. For example, a girl beneficiary of the solar

lamp in a primary School in Kilifi County requested the interviewer to inform GCN that the solar lamps

they had been delivered to them had spoilt. In her own words: “Tell them (GCN) that some of those

solar lamps got spoilt (FGD Girl beneficiaries -Kilifi County). Other girls in the same focus group

discussion in the same County indicated that the solar lamps that they had received were already faulty.

“For me it is the same, in august I had a problem with this lamp. You leave it like this and it goes off.”

Another beneficiary of another Primary School in Kilifi County said, “If you charge it, it doesn’t light or it

lights shortly and then goes off. Almost all of them are behaving the same.”

Reporting on the achievements Child Rights Clubs in the target schools, Table 2.3.1 also shows that the

planned target of 480 clubs was achieved at 100%. In addition, the planned target participation of

10,000 club members increased by a variance of +71%. By implication, pupils in the project schools were

much interested to participate in the planned activities of Child Rights Clubs. This interest may be

attributed to training of the club patrons (at 89%) and the awareness that was created during the

training of Student Club Champions (with a variance of + 23%). The Clubs activities are also associated

with the improved physical and psychosocial wellbeing of the target marginalised girls. One of the club

patrons noted this during an interview,

We discuss matter to do with children rights and sexuality. The girls can now exhibit assertiveness and their discipline has also improved (RoC Club Patron- Kilifi County).

37

During the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the club members, girls also reported that the club

activities empowered them with skills to defend themselves. They also expressed readiness to attend

school and learn successfully. During an FGD with the members of RoC Club in one of the schools in Kilifi

County, the girls had this to say,

Our self-esteem has increased and we also respect other people. If someone is bullied, we report to the teacher. We counsel those who have low self-esteem. We also learn about hygiene, self-esteem, to respect our bodies, moral values, good manners and balanced diet (FGD ROC club- Kilifi County).

At a primary School in Tana River County, the ROC Club members reported that they discuss issues

which affect both boys and girls in school. One of them (a boy) said:

We talk about them (girls) not getting married but staying in school until they finish. We also discuss about how to bring back the pupils who have left school. We also discuss about school attendance, class work (FGD RoC club- Kilifi County).

Another pupil said,

We also read and write about cleanliness and class work

At the community level, the GEC project had several activities that aimed at improving the school

attendance and learning outcomes of the targeted marginalised girls. To begin with, community health

workers/community health extension workers/community health volunteers (CHWs/ CHEWs/CHVs)

were inducted in the project so that they could integrate WWW interventions in their work under the

Ministry of Health (MoH). As presented in Table 2.3.1, 98% of the target CHWs and volunteers were

recruited and trained. At the time of data collection none of the Community Conversations (CCs) had

reached maturity for CHWs to be assigned to them for sustainability, the findings however indicate that

the project is in line with their plans and will need to ensure CCs reach maturity and are phased out

before project ends.

In establishing the extent to which the roles of CHEWs had impacted on the target marginalized girls,

CHEWS were interviewed at the community level. In Samburu County, the CHEW of one of the villages (a

female) had this to say,

I identify girls who do not go to school through door to door house visits and talk with their parents and also report on health and educational related issues at the sub county levels with engagement with WWW. As a CHV I also act as the middle person between school, households and administration. For example I refer the sick to bigger hospitals. My work also involves visiting of health clubs in schools to discuss health issues and also talk to girls to give them confidence in tackling their issues. …. Through the door to door campaigns, many parents are now taking their children to school. For example, I helped in enrolling 5 girls to my neighbouring school (CHEW Interview –Samburu County).

Further, on contribution of WWW in the last 2 years, the CHEW had this to say;

The project has helped in education of girl child, returning children who have dropped out of school, gender balancing, and helped girls to know their rights and parents to send their

38

children to school. However there have been resistance by some parents who even chase us from their homes. There is also lack of basic provisions for children who are poor, some parents accuse us loving girls more than boys, early marriages, pregnancies, other times we find out that some families have moved out of villages with their children and leaving no contact or leads for follow ups. I personally also feel that the Kshs. 2000 we are given per month is very little for sustaining our services (CHEW Interview –Samburu County).

These achievements of CHEWS activities are indeed supported by the high number of home visit

(61,997) against a planned target of 20,000 (variance of + 210%). However, some CHEWs also cited

some challenges which are affecting the target girls in this project. For example, a female CHEW in

Marsabit County indicated that ‘there are children in the Manyattas who have mental problems, yet

there are no special schools around, so the children just remain in the home.’ She further reported that

most of the school age girls who are engaged for marriage are hardly allowed by the ‘old men’ to return

to school. She also added that there is low enrolment and high dropout rates of girls who come from

homes where the parents do not understand the value of education. Furthermore, the older girls who

are re-enrolled often drop out immediately after CHEWs return them to school. As she stated,

The ‘big’ girls feel out of place when they find themselves learning with younger kids, thus they drop out (CHEW Interview- Marsabit County).

Apart from the activities of CHEWs, community conversations (CC) were also launched in all GEC target

communities. The overall purpose of CC was to promote community awareness and sensitization

towards the education outcomes of marginalised girls. According to the field findings which are

presented in Table 2.3.1, 919 community facilitators (CF) were trained in CC dialogue, while 561 CF were

also trained on social accountability. In addition, 42 CF were also trained on Youth circles. Out of these

trainings, 93% of the project target CC dialogues were achieved. This success is also attested by one of

the GEC partners, “We carry out CC with concern World Wide. We have 56 CCs being managed by 18

TOTs. These TOTs train the community groups on the importance of taking back their kids to school. This

is usually done on a weekly basis. Every month we collect reports to monitor attendance we are

thereafter able to disaggregate the data,” (Field Officer, Turkana County)

The GEC project intervention on teacher coaching achieved planned project target significantly. As

evidenced in Table 2.3.1, all the teachers who were targeted for coaching were recruited and trained

(100%). In addition, the project trained2715 teachers on early grade literacy and numeracy exceeding

the target of 2000 by 36%.Midline finding further indicate that both trained and untrained teachers on

gender were aware of gender responsive pedagogy. This could be attributed to teacher coaching on

early grade literacy where skills on gender responsive pedagogy would have been integrated in the

training. During the teacher interviews some teachers had this to say,

I have learned a lot through the CfBT coaching. The quality of my teaching has improved. I engage both boys and girls in participating in classroom lessons and so I am using the child centred lessons (Teacher interview -Tana River County).

Moreover, another teacher in Nairobi County noted,

39

We learnt that we should not discriminate while teaching. There is this project [ya Watoto Wasichana Wasome], Let all girls learn, we should involve both boys and class and we should not show the boys that they are better than the girls. Girls should not be given different activities than boys all should be the same and taught together (Teacher interview -Nairobi County).

In regard to training on gender sensitive planning among the head teachers and school management

committees (SMC), the project achieved and surpassed its target (of 500 trainees) by 8 %. Conversely,

this achievement was not even in all the Counties particularly in Mombasa County where training of

head teachers and SMCs on gender sensitive planning was not done. This could explain the fact that

schools with gender sensitive school development plan was 86% (432 schools out of the project target

of 500). The variance of 14% can be explained by the fact head teachers and SMCs in Mombasa County

had not been trained on gender sensitive planning.

On the health component, 171, 628 children, out of the project target of 60,000 received de-worming.

This was an achievement of 286% largely because of collaboration with government and De-worm the

World Initiative. On the other hand, the midline target of 3000 referrals had been achieved at 100%

which translates to 50% achievement of the endline 6,000 children target. This was evident from an

interview with a community health worker interview in Kilifi and a girl beneficiary interview in...

There is one village I visited and found an epileptic girl of 16 years who has never been to school but the mother of the girl did not know that her daughter was epileptic. The girl kept on shaking and the family could not understand. I let the family know that their daughter was epileptic and that she needed medical attention. After talking to the mother about it, she agreed to take her epileptic daughter to the hospital. There is also another village across the road where another man claimed that he did not understand his child. The father said that sometimes the child becomes insane and other times he becomes quiet. It is a boy child. I advised the father of the child to take him to the hospital since he could not understand his own child. Many parents here do not understand their children and our work together with another mother is to talk to parents during the meetings. (CHW Interview- Kilifi County)

As part of data management processes in learning and attendance outcomes, a template for Education

Management Information Systems (EMIS) was developed and education officers were trained.

According to the findings, the MoEST District Quality Assurance and Standard officers (DQASOs), County

Quality Assurance and Standard Officers (CQASOs) and their Data Clerks were trained on EMIS in all the

8 counties of this project. This was achievement of 100%. However, there was low achievement in the

project target with regard to education stakeholders’ forum (at 56%), completed qualitative reports

(33%), training of District Quality Assurance Officers (DQASOs) on Behaviour Change Program (for school

children) (at 28%) and the number of County Education Officers receiving EMIS support (50%). The

results also indicated that several other GEC target projects had been launched at Midline, thus no level

of achievement was reported. Amongst them were: training of 16 County Directors of Education on QA

supervision of teaching and the training of 32 Teacher Advisory Canters (TAC) Tutors on QA support for

sustainable support in teaching. The others include: one (1) approval for the guidelines for registration

of schools, assessment of 30 complementary schools, registration of 25 low fees schools in the slums

(with MoEST) and holding two (2) national dissemination conferences (one after midline and the other

after the end line).

40

Household Characteristics

In establishing difference in some of the major household/individual characteristics of cohort girls re-contacted at midline, re-contacted cohort girls were split between intervention and comparison group. Further, an independent sample t-test (P value) was determined to establish statistical difference in characteristics between intervention and comparison groups. Overall, both intervention and comparison group characteristics were similar except in 6 characteristics with major difference between the groups. For instance, there was a significant difference in the number of girls who reported availability of electricity in their households in intervention and comparison group at p-value =0.015. More girls in intervention group reported availability electricity in their households compared to girls in comparison group. In addition, more girls in intervention group indicated that they were able to access medical treatment over the past twelve months compared to girls in comparison group, a significant difference at p-value = 0.000. However, more girls in comparison group than intervention had difficulty in communicating (understanding or being understood) a significant difference at p-value = 0.025 (Table 2.3.7).

Table 2.3. 7: Midline Girls’ Household/Individual Characteristics Split between Groups

Characteristic Intervention

%

Comparison %

(P value)

1 Non-traditional house (concrete, bricks or wood, flat in a block of flats, single rooms in a large dwelling structure)

46.3% 49.6% 0.217 (> 0.05)

2 Traditional house / hut (thatch or mud, Informal structure or shack/Tent)

53.6% 50.6% 0.217 (> 0.05)

3 Main Source of drinking Water; piped into dwelling – formal, vendor or truck

33.4% 32.6% 0.817 (> 0.05)

4 Main Source of drinking Water; public outdoor tap/borehole/wells/pond/rivers

66.6% 67.4% 0.817 (> 0.05)

5 Availability of Electricity 57.5% 49.1% 0.015 (< 0.05)

6 Availability of Toilet in the dwelling compound or shared 79.4% 79.2% 0.946 (> 0.05)

7 Availability of mobile phone or any kind of phone in the household 88.0% 82.0% 0.017 (< 0.05)

8 Availability of cash Income 47.1% 48.5% 0.607 (> 0.05)

9 Unable to meet basic needs without charity 43.5% 41.2% 0.249 (> 0.05)

10 Able to access medical treatment over the past twelve months 44.2% 33.3% 0.000 (< 0.05)

11 Decision making about Girl’s Education done by Caregiver 95.2% 92.6% 0.025 (< 0.05)

12 Care givers who listen to views of [GIRL] when making her education decision

71.5% 65.3% 0.008 (< 0.05)

13 Girl’s HH members Involved in school committees/ BoM, SMC and PTA

17.9% 18.1% 0.953 (> 0.05)

14 Girl received scholarship/bursary over the past 2 years 6.0% 4.4% 0.175 (> 0.05)

15 Girl with difficulty seeing (cannot see at all or with a lot of difficulty) 2.1% 1.3% 0.359 (> 0.05)

16 Girl with difficulty hearing (cannot hear at all or hears with a lot of difficulty)

0.7% 1.0% 0.644 (> 0.05)

17 Girl with difficulty walking or climbing steps (Cannot walk at all or walks with a lot of difficulty)

0.2% 0.6% 0.295 (> 0.05)

18 Girl with difficulty remembering things or concentrating(Cannot remember at all or remembers with a lot of difficulty)

1.2% 1.7% 0.560 (> 0.05)

19 Girl with difficulty with self-care (washing, dressing etc) 3.2% 3.0% 0.202 (> 0.05)

20 Girl with difficulty in communicating (understanding or being understood)

2.5% 0.8% 0.025 (< 0.05)

41

2.4 What has Worked, Why and with What Effects

2.4.1 Project Performance against its Targeted Outputs

Table 2.4.1 below summarises the project’s performance against its target outputs as set out in the

project log frame. The midline targets referred to in Table 2.4.1 relate to the latest cumulative target of

the project at midline evaluation.

Table 2.4. 1: Project Performance against Targets in Log-frame Outputs

Output and Output indicators Baseline Survey

Midline Target (planned)

Midline Target (achieved)

Variance between achieved & planned targets

Achievement level

Output 1: Communities support education of marginalised girls

1.1 Number of children (sex disaggregated) enrolled in primary schools Class 1-8 in communities supported by the project

Urban: girls-37000

boys-34561

ASAL: girls-51542

boys-55029

Total: girls 88552

boys 89590

Girls: 95000 Boys: 96000

Total 191000

Girls: 95,821

Boys:96,169

( includes class 8 of 2014 but excludes data from 15 schools)

+821

+169

Total: +990

Target achieved

1.2 % of girls aged 5-15 out of school in target communities

Urban: 3.3% ASALs: 15.2%

Overall: 9.7%

Urban: 3.3% ASALs: 15.2%

Overall: 9.7%

Urban: 3.0% ASALs: 10.1% Overall: 6.6%

Urban: 0.3% ASALs: 5.1% Overall: 3.1%

Target achieved

1.3 Number of out of school girls identified through community mapping and number among those who are supported to enrol/ re-enter school.

Urban: 0 ASALs: 0

Total: 0

5000 identified , 2000 supported to enrol/ re-enter

9371 mapped out and 5598 supported to enrolled

+4371 mapped and +3598 enrolled over and above the projected

Target achieved

1.4 % of community members who agree that vulnerable girls in their communities can attend school

57% (Both gender) 70% 71% community leaders who agree that vulnerable girls in their communities should attend school

Target achieved

1.5 Number of girls at risk of dropout identified through community mapping and number among those who are receiving community support

Urban: 0 ASALs: 0

Total: 0

6000 identified, 4000 supported

10586 girls at risk of dropout,

10389 girls received community support

+4586 identified and 6389 additional girls received community support

Target achieved

Output 2: Households support their daughters education

2.1 % of households allocating girls with chores that take several hours or more per day

ASAL 35.4%

Urban slums-17.2%

ASALs 25%

Urban slums: 14%

ASALs : 39.6% Urban Slums : 24.8%

ASALs -14.6

Urban Slums : -10.8

Target not achieved

2.2 # of Back to school kits distributed and Attendance rates for girls who have received back-to-school kit

NIL 8000 kits 10000 BTSKs Distributed

+25% Target achieved

42





Achievement level

89% are attending at least 80% of the time

2.3 Number of households with marginalised girls visited by CHWs and among those number accessing additional health and social support services that facilitate their girls' school attendance as a result of project activities.

Urban: 0 ASALs: 0

Total: 0

Number of HHs visited= 8000,

Number accessing additional support = 2500

8915 HHs visited

4181 girls referred for Health

18077 girls accessing additional health and social support

+41997 Target achieved

2.4 # of cash transfers dispersed and Attendance rates for girls from families benefitting from cash transfers

CTs disbursed: 6,000 families

% attending at least 80% of time: 60%

5683 Household

Distributed.

Mean attendance for CT Beneficiaries 88%.

89% are attending school at least 80% of the time

95%

Target not achieved in distribution but surpassed in attendance.

Output 3: Schools provide a safe and supportive environment for girls in learning

3.1 % trained teachers using CfBT early-grade lesson plans and materials

Urban: 0% ASALs: 0%

Total: 0%

60% 51% of teachers in classrooms observed were using CfBT early-grade lesson plans and materials

Target not achieved

3.2 % of girls interacting with the teacher at least once during a lesson.

Grade 2:

Urban slums-54% ASALs-52%

Grade 5:

Urban slums- 52%

35% Class two 49%

Class five 48.1

+14% class 2 and + 13.1% class five

Target achieved

3.3 Number of project schools with an accepTable gender sensitive school development plan and number of which are being implemented

Urban Slums: 0 ASALs: 0

Total 0

425/500 432/500 +7 Target achieved

3.4 % of girls reporting being happy at school most of the time

85% of girls reported being happy most/ all of time

90% of girls report being happy most/ all of time

The question reporting on this indicator was removed

3.5 % of girls reporting never feeling 0 65% of girls 75.4% +10.4% Target achieved

43





Achievement level

afraid at school

Output 4: Girls improve their health, self-confidence and aspirations to learn

4.1 Number of girls in target schools reporting concerns to teachers/school management, demonstrating increased empowerment

621 girls Baseline plus 500

405 716 Target not achieved

4.2 Number of project schools with operational child rights clubs and health clubs and homework clubs

57% reported (NB level of operationalization not yet confirmed)

Urban slums – 0

ASAL – 0

Total - 0

480

480 0 Target achieved

4.3 Number of success stories from clubs of transforming peer group, community or school behaviour towards health and girls’ education as a result of project activities, documented by project

Urban slums – 0

ASAL – 0

Total – 0

80

101 success stories documented

+21 Target achieved

Output 5: Ministry of Education capacity to support education for marginalised girls is increased

5.1 Number of reports from district education officers DQA (DQASO and CQASO) demonstrating awareness and embedding of gender issues

Urban slums–0

ASAL–0

Total – 0

30 29 1 Target achieved

5.2 Suggested standards for Education approved by MoE. Number of schools assessed by MoE for registration. Number of schools registered.

6 (out of 182) LCP schools in Nairobi, 16 (out of 26) in Mombasa

4 complimentary schools registered

Suggested standards for Education approved.

No school registered

Target not achieved

Key Drivers behind the Delivery of Project Outputs

Community Leaders (District Commissioners, District Education Officers, Chiefs and Village Elders):

Provided authority, guidance and security to visit the sampled schools and the households. Helped in;

identification of the marginalized girls in the community which were the project’s target, formation of

Community Conversation (CC) groups and spearheaded cooperation of the communities with project

staff.

Community Health Workers/Volunteers (CHVs/CHWs): Facilitated de-worming of children in the project

schools, identification of out of school girls in the community and girls at risk of dropping out of school

through community mapping and also facilitating their enrolment/re-enrolment.

Head teachers and Teachers: Provided the required documents; registers, class lists, examination

records among others and permitted classroom observations. Teachers patronized school clubs

supported by the project and agreed to coaching following their appointment by their head teachers.

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The teachers also applied the teaching skills they acquired from teacher coaching and used the project’s

teaching and learning materials. Both head teachers and teachers enhanced implementation of the

project activities.

National Council for Science and Technology (NACOST): Authorized carrying out of research in the eight

Counties (Marsabit, Samburu, Nairobi, Mombasa, Tana River, Kilifi, Kwale and Turkana). This facilitated

monitoring and evaluation of the project and keeping track of the project progress.

Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEST): Authorized implementation of the project in the

500 schools in the eight Counties (Marsabit, Samburu, Nairobi, Mombasa, Tana River, Kilifi, Kwale and

Turkana).

DFID: Provided funds for project implementation in the eight counties.

Supportive Policy Environment: the prevailing policy and legislative environment (constitution of Kenya

2010, basic education act 2013, national education sector plan 2013/14 -2017/18) provides for support

for the marginalized and focuses on education quality equity and learning outcomes. This made it easier

for the programme to roll out.

Key Barriers to the Delivery of Project Outputs

Government Relationship: At the outset of the implementation, the project obtained government

authorisation through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the MoEST. A similar

MoU was also signed at the County level with MoEST in all the eight counties of project implementation.

It however became apparent during those early stages of project implementation that this authorisation

was not sufficient and that the project required authorisation from some Semi-Autonomous

Government Agencies (SAGAs) including the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Kenya Institute

of Curriculum Development (KICD). Authorisation from TSC in particular was critical given their

constitutional mandate to manage teachers, an important resource that the project needed to work

with. The relationship between MoEST and its SAGAs was unfriendly and this impacted on the project

operations. The project has worked with both MoEST and TSC regarding approvals of activities to be

implemented. However, this was time consuming and often resulted in delays in implementation of

activities and increased transactional costs. It took the project almost a year to establish a cordial

working arrangement that involved MoEST and its SAGAs for smooth project implementation.

Emerging national priorities and programmes: This project was designed in 2012 and awarded in 2013.

The design of the learning component of this project was largely informed by a pilot that was conducted

jointly by CFBT and RTI and jointly funded by USAID and DFID. The WWW project was thus designed to

take to scale the learning improvements in early grades using the same approaches and strategies as the

USAID/DFID pilot. In 2014 the USAID/DFID pilot was completed and the findings conclusively showed

that the approach improved early grades learning outcomes and thus the plan to scale the approach

nationally was put in place. In view of these findings and in preparations for the national scale up, the

WWW project was directed by USAID/DFID and MoEST not to produce other learning materials. This

greatly impacted the learning component of the project as it meant that this component would not be

45

delivered as originally designed. Teacher coaching was carried on without the support of requisite

learning materials for both the pupils and teachers. This caused confusion to the WWW approach and

often led to lack of adherence of approach owing to absence of guiding and support materials.

MoEST with support from USAID and DFID decided to scale up the early grades reading using the piloted

approach and which WWW was already implementing in 500 schools. This called for coordination and

cooperation to avoid duplication and wastage of resources and WWW was asked to phase out of early

grades. This was a major shift from the project design; even though it was a gradual and managed

process the change was nevertheless quite huge. This meant that the project was to apply the direct

instructional approach to untested grades and where there was no proof that the approach works.

Matters were complicated by KICD who declined to support the development of materials in line with

this approach for upper grades citing lack of evidence that this approach works in these grades. The

project therefore moved in 2015 to upper grades without proof of methodology and without tested

learning support materials.

Other projects and stakeholders: The coordination of activities both at the national and county levels

remains weak. Attempts have been made by the project management teams through county

stakeholders’ forum to coordinate activities and bring about synergies but with weak government

leadership this has not yielded desired outcomes. As a result of weak coordination, there has been

overlap of projects and confusion in the implementation with some projects having adverse effects on

WWW. For instance, in the Coastal region, the Aga Khan Foundation expanded their programme and

without consultation included 27 WWW project intervention schools as their project interventions

schools. There is no synergy in the two projects and in some cases they utilise quite different

approaches. For example, the Aga Khan Foundation project uses The Reading to Learn approach which

is the exact opposite of the approach direct instructional method used by WWW. This has caused

tremendous confusion and the efforts to harmonize and coordinate are yet to yield results.

Security: Both the ASAL and urban slums are insecure places. ASAL areas are prone to inter-community

conflicts surrounding use of natural resources and especially over pastures and livestock. In Turkana for

example, for the greater part of 2015, a total of nine project schools at the border of West Pokot and

Turkana Counties were inaccessible due to security challenges. In both ASALs and Urban Slums, small

firearms are easily available exacerbating the insecurity challenge. Kenya is also faced with terrorism

threat largely from the Al-Shaabab and most the coastal counties are hard hit. In 2015, owing to the

heighten terrorism and inter-tribal conflicts; there was temporary cessation of the project activities in

Tana River County.

Teacher Strike; National teachers’ strike has happened every year since 2013 with increasing severity. In

September 2015, the teachers’ strike took unprecedented five weeks with no learning taking place in all

46

public schools. Strikes are very disruptive to project planning and implementation, making the project

to change plans and in some instances to postpone activities.

Challenging Weather including el-nino: the adverse weather phenomenon of El nino predicted for 2014

did not happen but in 2015 it happened with ferocity. The weather affects migration patterns

particularly in the ASALs areas and in addition; it affected the infrastructure and community

components of the project. For example, most of the community conversations did not happen during

the el-nino period in the later part of 2015 because of impassable rivers and roads.

2.4.2 Effects of Interventions on Barriers to Girls’ Educational Outcomes

Table 2.4. 2: Summary of Barriers to Education Outcomes and Types of Project Interventions

Evidence of barrier

(Tick as appropriate)

Effects on outcomes


List the type of project intervention that addresses this

barrier

Potential barrier Evidenced at baseline?

Evidenced at midline?

Attendance?

Learning?

ECONOMIC FACTORS

Poverty √ √ √ √ Cash transfers to poor households

Cost of school (fees, books, uniforms, etc.) √ √ √ √ Provision of school levies to most needy and back to school

kits

Domestic chores and livelihood activities √ √ √ √ Targeted community conversations to address domestic chores. No direct

livelihood activities were undertake by

the project

SCHOOL BASED FACTORS

Poor quality of education and teaching √ √ √ √ Teacher training and coaching/mentoring

and learning materials

Long distance to school √ √ √ √

Lack of adequate facilities √ √ √ Support of renovations and constructions of facilities such as toilets and desks

Inadequately trained teachers √ √ √ √ Teacher training and coaching/mentoring

Inadequate teaching or learning materials √ √ √ √ Provision of approved learning

materials

Under resourcing (class size) √ √ √ √

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Evidence of barrier


Effects on outcomes



barrier



Attendance?

Learning?

Lack of female teachers

Lack of adequate sanitation facilities √ √ √ √ Provision of sanitary pad and

construction of toilets

Availability of schools

Teachers treat boys and girls differently √ √ √ √ Teacher training and coaching/mentoring

Teacher absenteeism √ √ √ √

Shortage of teachers √ √ √ √

Corporal punishment

Language of instruction not mother tongue

Poor school management

Poor governance of girls' education

ATTITUDES AND SUPPORT

Negative attitudes towards girls' education √ √ √ √ Community conversations and

home visits by CHVs

Lack of family support and parental involvement girls' education

√ √ √ √ Community conversations and

home visits by CHVs

Negative perceptions of the relevance of education √ √ √ √ Community conversations and

home visits by CHVs

Social exclusion √ √ √ √

VIOLENCE AND SAFETY

Insecurity and fear of violence √ √ √ √

Lack of safety or harassment at school √ √ √ √ Empowerment through clubs and

incidence reporting mechanism

Sexual harassment and violence √ √ √ √ Empowerment through school clubs

Unsafe journey to school √ √ √ √

PERSONAL FACTORS

Early pregnancy √ √ √ √ Empowerment through school clubs

Early or forced marriage √ √ √ √ School re-enrolment through CCs and CHVs visits

Issues around general and sexual health √ √ √ √ Empowerment through school clubs

Issues around disability √ √ √ √ Teacher training and

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Evidence of barrier


Effects on outcomes



barrier



Attendance?

Learning?

support to special schools.

Lack of motivation, confidence, aspirations √ √ √ √ Empowerment through clubs and role models.

OTHER

Low levels of education in family √ √ √ √

(a) Economic Factors

During the baseline survey 73.7% of households (urban slums =84.8%, ASALs=61.6%) reported that they

could not afford to send their girls to school because of poverty. Results from interviews attributed this

to high poverty levels in urban slums and ASAL areas. Poverty was reported both within ASALs and

urban slums in midline just as it was at baseline as evidenced by the following verbatim report:

….because of poverty, pupils come to school……without basics such as pencils, exercise books, uniforms and school bags…. (Teacher Interview, Nairobi County, November, 2015)

…most of the parents are poor and raising the money required to cater for various requirements is challenging, for example paying PTA teachers and money for exams….. (Teacher Interview, Turkana County, November 2015)

The case reported below illustrates how poverty hinders access to education;

Poverty seems to be endemic in Nakamane. We were told that residents have to contend with only a single meal in a day. The land is dry and agricultural activities are limited on the banks of river Turkwel. However, a few members of the community have access to the land that border the river. Such lands are privately owned. It was also reported that during the first two weeks of every school term, Nakamane primary school remains closed because pupils do not show up for learning. Relief food from the government and other donors is said to reach the school around the third week of the school term. It was also observed whenever the school ran out of stock for food; there was a drop in school attendance by pupils. (Case study of girl in the community, Turkana County, June 2015)

During the midline study, only 59.4% of households (urban slums=71.7%, ASALs=46.3%) reported to

being unable to send their girls to school. The households explained that they found it difficult to afford

the necessary fees to send girls to school, meaning that girl’s education competes with other household

expenditure and thus not guaranteed if other more pressing needs arise. The findings indicate that

number of households who could not afford to take their girls to school because of poverty reduced by

14.3%.

49

Respondents reported that due to poverty, school children could not afford to pay examination fees or

buy learning materials such as books and pens. Whereas, the household survey at baseline study did not

factor the cost of schooling when interrogating potential economic barriers, in the midline survey it was

evident that lack of school materials such as textbooks and pens was a barrier to girl’s access to

education. Of the households surveyed, 51.2% (urban slums - 66.6%, ASALs - 34.4%) reported that the

cost of schooling had stopped girls from going to school.

During the baseline study, 41 out of the 289 households with out of school (OOS) girls reported that

situations at home that caused girls not to go to school included obligations such as childcare and

housework. Out of the 41 households, 40 were from ASALs while one was located in urban slums.

However, during the midline survey, four out of 232 households with OOS (one in urban slums, three in

ASALs) reported that girls had dropped out of school due to household related obligations. Girls from

two households (from ASALs) had dropped out of school with an aim of taking up paid employment by

the time of baseline study. During the midline study, only one girl (from ASALs) was reported to have left

school for paid employment. The results seem to point towards a reduction in the girls who dropped out

of school with an aim of taking up paid employment.

Project Interventions to Counter Economic Barriers

Some of the WWW project’s interventions aimed at countering poverty and the cost of school include;

Cash Transfers (CT) to poor households, Back to School Kits (BTSK), provision of school levies to the most

needy, Targeted Community Conversations (CCs) to address domestic chores as barriers to girls’ access

to education. The CCs were also meant to help communities mobilize resources so as to support the

education for the girl child.

It was assumed during the baseline study, that lack of money for school costs was a limiting factor for

some of the poorest families. Thus, interventions through CT, BTSK and School levies were meant to

offset opportunity costs and reduce the risk of girls dropping out of school. The CT was originally

designed to support poorest households in urban slums.

However, during the baseline study, it was established that poverty was not only characteristic of urban

slums but also of ASALs. Therefore, the CT was extended to the dry areas such as Marsabit. According to

the implementing partner, most of the cash transfer funds were used by most families to support

education especially in the urban slums. However, in ASALs, logistical challenges have slowed the ability

to reach intended beneficiaries. Below is some of the anecdotal evidence on the impact of cash transfer

on the girl’s school attendance.

………….Cash transfer has helped most parents to enrol their girls to school…. (CHW in Mombasa. Case study on 8/11/2015)

……..some of our parents have been put under Cash Transfer (CT) by CfBT. We can now see some difference in the girls from CT families. Such pupils were near- naked now they are smart. The girls are able to enrol and despite the amount being very little we can now see girl

50

retention in school than it was previously….’ (Teacher interview in Mombasa during a case study on 2/11/2015)

…if you get enrolled in the cash transfer (program), it is mandatory for you to pay some fraction to the school, since you have been prioritized because of the (school) girl……… (A Participant in CC FGD, Mombasa County. Case study on 7/11/2015)

The BTSK were reported to have improved school attendance by the beneficiaries as they could now

concentrate with their studies without worrying about school uniform, books and even sanitary towels.

The effect of BTSK was felt both in urban slums and ASALs. The girls who benefited from the

intervention were happy to talk about how the kits had helped them to stay in school. This is evidenced

by case studies drawn from the various sites of the project where different girls reckoned that the kits

were both a priority and timely in ensuring that they stayed in school.

Respondent 1: Shoes help me to move faster

Respondent 2: the back to school kit (BTSK) having books, shoes, uniform, pens are a priority for me

Respondent 3: – my books had been torn and thus the BTSK came in handy

Respondent 4:- the BTSK was a priority to me

Respondent 5: before I would be sent back home when I came with torn uniform.

(BTSK Girls FGD in Mombasa County, Case study on 5/11/2015)

…..I got a school uniform and shoes and now attend school daily. The solar lamp helps me do homework at home. I am now happy and I go to school every day. I improved from position 52 to 6…..’ (BTSK beneficiary in Kwale County. Case study on 5/11/2015)

An interview with Ujamaa School board of management (BOM) in Mombasa revealed an increase in

enrolment courtesy of BSTK and CT interventions.

…when they heard that there is free school uniform, shoes, and money, they started bringing their children in large numbers…’ (FGD BOM, Mombasa. Case study on 9/11/2015)

(b) School Based Factors

Some of the school based factors acting as barriers towards girl’s access to education include poor

quality of teaching, lack of adequate facilities (such as Classrooms, Toilets and Text books), teacher

related (i.e. absenteeism) and quality of classrooms.

51

The baseline study revealed that only 44.3% of girls were satisfied with the availability of textbooks in

school. It was also evidenced that only a half of the girls were satisfied with the quality of classrooms

and toilets at 54.7% and 50.7%, respectively. Also

during the same study, only half of the girls

interviewed in ASALs were satisfied with the quality

of teaching. In the midline study, the girls who

were satisfied with the availability of textbooks

were 52.9%. This indicates an increase of 8.6% on

the level of satisfaction with availability of text

books. The same study also revealed that those in

both urban slums and ASALs who were satisfied

with the quality of classrooms and toilets were at

60.3% and 57.5%respectively, while satisfaction

with the quality of teaching among the girls was at

67.2% of the total sample surveyed in the ASALs.

These findings suggest an improvement in the levels of satisfaction with the quality of classrooms and

toilets by 5.6% and 6.8% respectively, while satisfaction with the teaching quality improved by 17.2%.

Various case studies drawn from both ASALs and urban slums support the findings that inadequate

school facilities have been a hindrance towards provision of education. For example, some girls were

seen sitting on the floor during learning in one of the schools in Kwale County (Plate 1). Other examples

are shown in the excerpts drawn from case studies as indicated below:

……….we have few desks, some of them (pupils) are even sitting four in one desk….’ (Teacher interview during a case study in Kilifi County on 5/11/2015)

………They also lack enough teachers. Like I handle 81 pupils and among am the only teacher for all other subjects. They lack enough learning resources like books they have to share like 5-6 for one book….’ (Teacher interview, Turkana County, during a case study on 5/11/2015)

……..The ratio of books to children is one to three i.e. one book for every three children. As a result, learning ends in school….’ (Teacher interview during a case study in Mombasa County on 2/11/2015)

Teacher-Pupil ratio is generally high across the schools in both ASALs and urban slums based on the

information gathered during case studies.

………the other problem is teaching staff is lean. We are six teachers against 8 classes… (Class two teacher interview in Turkana County on 3/11/2015)

……..You find that those schools along the road, we call them our town schools, they range from 80. That is a ratio of 1:80. That is one teacher for 80 pupils…..’ (Teacher interview in Tana River County, during a case study on 5/11/2015)

Figure 2.4. 1: Learners Sitting on the Floor of a Classroom.

Photo taken on 2/11/2015

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Project Interventions to Counter School Based Barriers to Education Provision The WWW project undertook various activities that were meant to address the school based barriers.

These interventions include; teacher coaching, support of renovations and constructions of facilities

such as toilets and desks, provision of approved learning materials and SMC/BOM training.

In order to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools, the project organized teacher

coaching and mentoring as well as provision and learning materials. The participants in the program

were also coached on how to teach early grade numeracy and literacy.

It was also evident during classroom observations, that teachers who had been coached under WWW

project were performing better in terms of teacher-learners interactions as well as use of teaching and

learning aids in the classroom. The teachers observed interacted positively with both boys and girls.

They also used the Direct Instruction Method (DIM) while training the learners. The WWW project

trained teachers further employed positive learning reinforcement strategies for example use of

clapping, dancing and singing as a way of appreciating learners who answered questions during the

lesson.

Information provided by the implementing partner indicates that support through improvement of

learning infrastructure has been implemented in some counties like Marsabit and in Kilifi. This included

construction of fences and toilets as reported in the following except:

…….we have Shariani primary school that requested for a fence since the town is moving very close to the school hence making it easy for children to sneak from school. We have Chodari primary school that has an acute shortage of toilets and we therefore are in the process of finding a contractor that can build a four door toilet doors for the girls and the existing ones to be left for the boys. The third is Gongoni primary school that requested for a fence since it has a road passing in between the school administration and the classrooms. It is therefore very dangerous for the pupils as motorbikes, bicycles and passers-by pass through the school. In the other sub county we have Arabuko primary that will be supported with a four door toilet block. We have Mashamba primary school whose toilets will be rehabilitated and Kanani primary school that will get a fence….’ (Interview with implementing partner in Kilifi County, November, 2015)

(c)Family Support and Personal Factors

The main attitudinal barriers identified as hindering the provision of education to the girls stemmed

from conditions within the community and the family of the learner. It was reported during the baseline

study that marginalised girls were being “hidden” within the communities and that there was negative

attitude towards girls’ education. The general consensus appeared to be that though attitudes towards

girls education has been changing over time, support was still not very strong. Thirty seven percent

(37%) of the 150 community leaders interviewed during baseline were categorical in their view that

nothing was being done to make it easier for girls’ to access education. However, the project’s

intervention through the mapping of out of school girls by the CCs, there was improvement in

enrolment and retention of the out of school girls.

53

In terms of parental involvement in girls' education, it was reported during the midline study that 11% of

girls in urban slums were unable to do their homework home due to lack of family support. In the ASALs,

the figure was higher at 26%. This finding was corroborated by interview responses by girls as follows;

Respondent 1: I do all the work at home compared to two years ago. Respondent 2: my time for homework reduced

Respondent 3: I have more chores at home than it was last year. I don’t have time for homework

Respondent 4: for me there is increased household chores which has reduced my time for homework

Respondent 5: has to take more chores nowadays

Respondent 6: chores time increased (BSTK girls FGD in Mombasa on 2/11/2015)

Majority of the girls in both urban slums and ASALs were self-confident and decisive. An overwhelming

number of girls (98%) expressed positive attitude towards schooling. Most schools in both Urban Slums

(60%) and ASALs (55%) had children’s clubs. The child rights clubs were part of the WWW project

intervention in order to boost the motivation and self-confidence of learners.

During the midline study the members of Child rights club talked freely and eloquently in the focus

group discussions, an indication that the clubs had helped to enhance self-confidence and talent

development. The members also confessed that the clubs had helped them to develop talent as follows:

Respondent 1: I used to be shy but how I can talk before a crowd

Respondent 2: I never used to run but now I do short races in athletics

Respondent 3: before the RoC club I never used to act

Respondent 4: I’m now confident. I am not shy

Respondent 5: I’m now able to carry out first aid process

Respondent 6: before the club, I had started singing but got de-motivated, then came RoC club, I’m now singing. (Child Rights Club FGD in Mombasa County, November 2015

2.4.3 Project Interventions Demonstration of Value for Money

The following are the projects demonstration of value for money

Although initially this was a challenge in terms of delays, it saved on resources in the end as the

project did not produce its own learning materials in view of the national programmes (Tusome

and Primary Education Development (PRIEDE)) that are focusing on improvement of early grade

reading and numeracy respectively. In 2015, the project partnered with national learning

programme (Tusome) to acquire reading materials for grade two. The materials were obtained

54

at discounted rate. However, the challenge was that the materials were acquired late in the

project cycle.

We waited for one year before we got the materials for class two at our own request, which we had to negotiate with USAID and DFID directly. The non WWW project schools did not receive class two reading materials but we (WWW) received our two classes around June of 2015. (Implementing partner interview, Nairobi December 2015)

The project partnered with TSC in teacher training and coaching. In this arrangement TSC is

providing 70% teacher coaches and paying their full salaries. The project is providing logistical

support to these teachers. Through this partnership the project has significantly reduced the

cost of hiring coaches as illustrated in the excerpts below:

For the TSC coaches we give them uhmm…. what we call a retainer, I think it is 12,000/- or so and then we give them a performance based bonus which comes to 10,000/- . Some might get 5,000 and if you do extremely well they can get up to 12,000/-. And then they get transport. So for TSC secondary coaches they can get up to around 30,000/- or so. Some will get 20,000/- maximum 35,000/-.

So the ones we employ, we give them a salary and then we give them facilitation. The salary is 68,000/- and I think facilitation comes to about 15,000/- maximum 20,000/-. So the facilitation would mean either a motor bike or transport. Then they will get either a phone or a Tablet and then you give them a performance related bonus. They are all caped to a certain limit.

The savings made from engaging 70% of TSC teachers has been used to extend the project

resources to achieve more outputs by hiring relief teachers in schools were coaches have been

drawn from as illuminated below:

…that is why have been able to do other extra things like hiring SMC teachers and other things and still within the same budget and we had not asked for additional resources but we have been able to do more with the same resources so you can say that we have been able to get more leverage (implementing partner, December 2015).

Procurement of text books for upper primary. The project negotiated with publishers and

purchased textbooks for use in class 5 at an average discounted cost of 35%. This has enabled

the project to buy more books and to cover more grades than originally designed as explained

by an implementing partner:

Our original design was that we will produce the materials to support learning. But in the end, we had to agree and support what the Ministry was saying, use the existing materials. So we said we will actually vet the materials that are existing and see the ones which we are comfortable to use rather than produce new materials (implementing partner interview, December 2015).

The project realised leverage on solar lamp procurement obtaining it at 50% the market value.

The project used the saving to double the number of beneficiaries.

The project has realised community support in renovations and rehabilitation works averaging

7% of total works. This has allowed the project to realise more than planned.

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Working with existing clubs instead of establishing new clubs has enabled the project ensure

that there are child to child clubs in all schools that are full primary schools as noted in this

excerpt:

There are actually four hundred and eighty clubs meaning that only twenty schools that do not have clubs. The reason being that there are schools that only reach class four or class five and clubs is mostly focusing on upper primary.

However, on the flip side the project has experienced some challenges that have impeded smooth delivery of its outputs:

Delayed implementation of the project interventions - Project interventions such as

infrastructure was delayed because it was linked to community strategy which is an

empowerment tool that take more than a year to arrive at a stage where they can discuss issues

affecting them.

There were reported cases of delays in disbursement of funds that has impacted negatively in

achievement of project milestones within the stipulated time as noted in the excerpts:

But as concerning my organisation, I have had no problems getting funds as to when I need them, but I do get some complaints from partners we work with about cash-flow, delays in funds reaching field offices, and I think we have discussed these issues with the director and project leads, and mostly some of these problems have been resolved (Implementing partner, November 2015).

Sometimes the flow of funds is usually an issue. At times we spend a month or so with no cash and when the funds come, it becomes difficult to deal with planned activities because there is a lot of pressure to deliver. (Implementing partner, November 2015).

Most cost-effective interventions:

The interventions that have proved most effective in delivering the project outputs are

discussed in this section

Teacher coaching has been hailed as a great achievement in imparting relevant skills to teachers

I have improved personally as a teacher. CfBT has changed my teaching style. It has also changed my attitude; as you know teachers like to work with the talented/gifted, now we integrate the learners and go down to that learner who is weak and carry them along also.(Teacher interview, November 2015).

Regular households visit is changing community attitudes and support for girl’s education. The

majority of schools enrolments including re-entries have been through the Community Health

Volunteers (CHVs) household visit. This s a cost-effective approach given that the CHVs are only

given a stipend of Kenya shillings (KES) 2000 per month as per the government policy. The CHVs

were trained and provided with revised tools that incorporate education indicators for their use

in their household visits. This was effective in all the eight counties of implementation in the

sense that the strategy supported mapping of …out of school girls and enrolment of….

Girls from households receiving cash transfers had higher attendance than other girls and hence

indirectly contributing to better learning outcomes. The cash transfers were originally fully

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unconditional but the project noted that parents were moving children to other schools largely

informed by school performance. Effects of cash transfer on the project were enhanced when it

was made semi-conditional with the introduction of criterion of a household having a girl to

qualify. It is overwhelmingly clear that the households receiving the cash transfers had put the

money into good use and ensuring support for their children to attend school regularly. There

were good indications that most of the households had invested the money in various income

generating activities of different types and scales.

Back to school kits played a big role in increasing attendance and reducing the risk of drop outs.

Targeting was done right through a stakeholder participation to ensure transparency.

Evidently, clubs have made contributions in empowering girls to report issues that affect (refer

to clubs).

2.4.4 Project Demonstration of Innovation and its Effects

Integration of proven approaches to bring about the desired changes. The project brings

together a number of interventions which have been proven on their own to holistically

address barriers to girls’ education. It is the first time in Kenya all these approaches

comprising of the girl at herself, the girl at the household and the girl at community are

being integrated under one project. However, post midline there is need to reflect on the

finding and consider any necessary changes

Integration of technology in teacher coaching. The project has embraced technology to be

able to track coaching and monitor progress through use of Tablets. The project has

trained coaches and loaded learning materials into the Tablets to enable coaches provide

standardised assessments and real time monitoring. The Tablets are GPS enabled to

provide location details to minimise on cheating by coaches.

Using evidence from lower primary, the project has also adopted a semi-direct instructional

approach of teaching in upper primary school:

The uhmmm…other innovations we have had is in terms of technologies in adopting the direct instructional approach to upper primary however we do not have enough evidence that it is working or not but we have innovated or adopted that approach to suit upper primary. What we just want to know is will it click.

The project has improved the targeting of community conversations to enhance

effectiveness. After about a year of implementation, the project realised that it was not

reaching all sections of the society and started targeted community conversations for the

youth (morans in ASALs and base cycles for urban areas). The project has now developed

and has piloted tools for this groups and implementation is on-going.

Value addition to existing community health strategy. In consultation and partnership with

Ministry of Health, the project added project related indicators into the standard MoH tool.

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The CHVs who are using this tool are now with minimal additional work collecting relevant

education indicators for the project at the household without having to set up a parallel

system.

The project plans to have young mother support group considering that young mothers are

at higher risk of dropping after re-enrolling and the project wants to establish a peer

support group to reduce their risks of dropping out of schools.

2.4.5 Lessons Learnt

This section explores lessons learnt

The Community has resources and capacity to support girls’ education: The communities

are aware of the need for girls’ education but weigh this against economic and livelihood

realities. The community tends to make decisions based on short term needs and this

tends to be at expense of long-term gains. To change community attitude require time and

persistence. Community conversations provide a process of empowerment to critically

analyse their decision making and it consequences in addition to looking into resources

available to support their decisions. This is a slow process whose pace is largely dictated by

the community dynamics. This is successfully if implemented over a longer period. In the

project experience, the community requires about three years for the approach to start

yielding tangible results to be able to support to girls’ education. This is feasible where

there are no other projects and or where the community does not have long history of

dependence on hand-outs from NGOs and other benefactors. Where there is the case the

approach then required about 5 years to deliver on education results. The process is,

however, faster when directly linked to other benefits or interventions such as cash

transfers as this tend to increase number and frequency of meetings and hence leading to

attainments of results faster. The approach as originally designed has largely not worked

for the following reasons a) the time period is too short to bear results; b) the approach is

an empowering tool that can be applied for any sectors and hence focusing on an issue that

is not of great interest to the community is difficult and c) this activity was intended as a

precursor to other activities and there was no deliberate link at the outset with benefits to

the communities.

Household visit is a good strategy in enrolment of girls: The household visits are a very

successful intervention that yielded enrolments and increased school attendance. The

Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) were already known and trusted by the community

and it was relatively easy to ride on this system by introducing an education agenda

through them. The CHVs were already visiting households regularly and given trainings

already undertake by MoH, it was relatively easy for CHVs to understand and embrace the

additional work on education. The success was thus driven by a) a system that is already in

place, b) relatively enlighten CHVs that made training easier, c) prior exposure and

interactions of CHVs with the community.

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Cash Transfers boosts attendance: CT has worked well as evidenced by the school

attendance of children from households benefiting from this intervention. This worked

because of the following a) good selection criteria for beneficiaries, b) a participatory and

open process of selection, c) community asserting accountability including putting pressure

for funds to be used in investments and social sectors.

Back to school kits has been largely successful in addressing the risk of dropping out of

school and less successful for enrolment: The factors for success include a) a wide

stakeholders involvement in identification of beneficiaries including teachers, parents,

community and pupils, b) tailor made package of the kits that met felt needs and b)

including boys as beneficiaries to gain wider support and acceptance. For enrolment, this

was less successful because a) the barriers for non-enrolment were largely economic and

this was not fully addressed by the provision of the kit and ii) the kit did not address the

early marriage and stigma (young mothers) which are key drivers of non-enrolment.

Teacher coaching has worked well under the following conditions a) TSC/MoEST approval

and support, b) regular support and supervision of teacher coaches by CFBT/TSC/MoEST, c)

use of technology (Tablets) to track activity and standardise coaching and d) regular skills

training and reinforcements and e) establishment of community of practices for peer

learning and lesson sharing, f) provision of adequate learning support materials including

appropriate text books and other learning accessories.

School clubs empower girls: Schools clubs have empowered members and increased the

confidence and self-aspiration of members This has been successful under the following

conditions a) where there is harmonisation and or coordination of all clubs in the school to

avoid having too many clubs that compete or conflict, b) commitment of patrons

particularly in the initial stages to support the formation and nurturing of the clubs, c) good

leadership from the student champions and d) supportive school administration that

provides space for the clubs to undertake their activities.

Infrastructure improvement started late in 2015 and has been well received by both the

community and the schools. Early findings indicate the following conditions are important

for success a) local ownership of the process through involvement of stakeholders, b)

community/stakeholders contribution of resources, c) alignment and direction from school

vision and school development plans and d) support from MoEST.

Concentrating interventions creates more impact: The project is too widely spread

geographically and within the Counties. The project operates in five hundred schools that

are scattered in eight counties that are very difficult or hard to reach areas.

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2.5 Scalability and Sustainabilityof the Activities Funded by the GEC

2.5.1 Project’s Sustainability Strategy

From its design, WWW project was characterised by long-term thinking about posterity of the systemic

and structural changes that the project aimed to bring about within the education system in general,

and among the community schools. This perspective was reiterated by one implementing partner staff

who was categorical that a fundamental element of the design was that:

it needed to be sustainable. So it was not something that you just juxtaposed it into a system, do it and go away but it was about how do you make it sustainable so that it is systemic? In a way that uhhhhm… when the project comes to an end it will continue to achieve its objectives.

Consequently, the theory of change and selected interventions were geared towards a transformative

agenda that is expected to continue beyond the lifespan of the project. The midline evaluation sought

for evidence of this embedding of sustainability mechanisms into project activities, procedures and

strategies, as well as the various ways in which implementing partners, project beneficiaries, children

and communities interpreted and pursued sustainability of the project interventions. Towards this end,

in-depth/ key informant interviews, focus groups discussions with club members and beneficiaries as

well as community conversation groups, classroom observations provided useful information and

insights.

Key themes that emerged on sustainability included;

a) A whole systems approach to keeping marginalized girls in school that engages the girls and communities

The four pillars (the school, household, community, the girl) of the project were selected to deliberately

attack the problem of low learning achievements among learners from various angles thus minimizing

structural barriers to girls’ education as the overarching goal. In addition, not only has the project

created an interconnectedness between the four pillars, but has used evidence from previous

experience to show the importance of having these four issues linked to government systems such as

health and the larger education system within the school and beyond. Community conversations are

foundational to the WWW becoming self-sustaining. Awareness of the multifaceted nature of the

challenge seems to be well understood not just by the project implementers but also the school

communities. This is significant in the fight against gender discrimination and the exclusion of girls from

participating in education. Evidence shows that the strategy of engaging communities using community

conversations (CCs) is workable, opening avenues for community members to reflect and discuss taboo

or often difficult conversations on reproductive health, parenting styles, health, education for girls and

the best ways to keep these girls in school. Such dialogues have provided the impetus to mobilize

further support for girls beyond what the project offers- for example foodstuffs for the most needy,

clothes and even uniform for those who are not direct beneficiaries, yet they are needy.

A clear example of CC success was the Ujamaa Community Conversation group and the two of the

schools that it is connected to. Both the school children and teachers recognized the efforts being made

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by the CC to educate community members about the benefits of educating girls, and encouraging their

participation. Even girls in the community are aware of the efforts being made and they affirm that such

efforts are making a difference for them.

b) Community participation and ownership of project processes and outcomes

It is clear that the community has embraced the WWW project, believes in its ideals, and is investing

their own resources in order to realise the project goals. CCs can be a catalyst for the formation of a

cohesive community which would give them social capital to move beyond the project and to tackle

poverty and improve opportunities for girls not just in education but in other social-economic areas.

One implementing partner interview pointed out that:

there are other spin-offs that have come out of it which would include communities taking up new roles with some of them mutating to become NGO’s and CBO’s. So some of those groups that started off as community conversations have said wao! So how about becoming a CBO. And others have said, how about becoming a community thing that has a commercial orientation. So we know for example in other places like Mombasa where the majority of women have said, lets come together and start a business of making soap. They’ve come together in other places and said-ok, we have come together and we are not only going to look for girls who are out of school but we are going to put a boarding for girls. Those things have come up (Implementing Partner Interview, November 2015)

Community participation was not only conditional to the success of this project but also fundamental in

keeping girls in school, and changing the community’s attitudes towards girls once they got involved in

education matters. This thinking is reflected in the point made here that

….so we said that if we work with the community, then the community will not only release the children to go to school, they will also support the schools themselves and then the schools will become a partner of the community in matters of education and that was one pillar to say, if you work with the community, you will have children going to school” (Implementing Partner, Nairobi).

Similarly, by considering the opportunity cost of sending girls to school in urban slums and ASAL areas

and incorporating unconditional cash transfers was a good strategy that pointed to efforts at making the

program sustainable.

It should however be noted that CCs as a strategy for mobilization, participation and sustainability was

only successful in two out of eight counties. It is therefore, strongly suggested that the whole concept of

CC needs to be interrogated further and some adaptations made if it is to have substantial influence on

the future results of the project.

c) Capacity Building, Social Accountability and Leveraging other Existing Initiatives

By anchoring WWW project funds largely on teacher coaching and capacity building of key actors in

education, particularly the girls and their communities, and cash transfers, the main strategy that

supports the project’s theory of change can be realised, as previous evidence has shown. This meant

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that investments into major resources such as infrastructure development and operational costs are left

to the primary duty bearers such as the central and county governments and their development

partners. It also leaves room for SMCs to source for alternative funding options.

Specifically, the project has endeavoured to train school management committees to develop gender

sensitive school development plans that would ensure marginalised girls in their communities are

enrolled, stay in school and learn. The skills gained also allow them to demand greater accountability

from the school management for free primary education funds, as well as enhance their understanding

of developed funds, and how they can be harnessed to support their school plans. An implementing

partner pointed out that

the aspect of social accountability recognizes that there are other sources of funding that are coming to the schools or coming to the County outside the project and it’s about thinking about how those resources can be properly utilized to serve the interests of education particularly for the girl child” (Implementing Partner Nairobi, November 2015).

The ability of this project to effectively link SMCs with such resources will ensure communities with

positive attitudes towards girls’ education continue to improve the quality of education at local levels.

This becomes possible as SMCs are trained on resource mobilization, citizen participation and

accountability, and how to develop and implement gender-friendly school development plans.

d) Ministry Ownership of the Project and Linkages to other National Programs

There is evidence that the project made a deliberate effort to align its activities and strategies to

government policies in anticipation of a smooth transition to full government ownership eventually.

Activities such as home visits, referrals to health facilities, teacher coaching and gender sensitive

pedagogical skills are particularly reliant on government resources and structures in the ministries of

health and education. This approach is imperative given the time-bound nature of donor-funded

projects. It however requires a lot of creativity and tenacity to achieve collaboration between public and

civil society organisations –especially one where there are guarantees that the government will continue

to fund the programme. One project education manager argued that though the need to work with

government is acknowledged, it has not been easy to implement, and that for sustainability, it needs to

be pitched at the highest levels to gain the political will of senior officials in the two government

ministries and SAGAs involved including TSC.. He argues that such efforts should be the focus post-

midline with the aim of institutionalizing complements of WWW within the ministry work plans. He

observed that the

Ministry has not been effectively involved in terms of real ownership, to the extent that many times the senior management of the Ministry is in the dark. Like the PS or the CS do not know about these projects. That’s because we did not know the right contacts and if we did it is as individual projects so it was high transactions costs and of course confidentially it would have meant that for you to be able to have a lot of traction, you needed to buy them. I’m using that term to say that you needed to either give them a lot of workshops or give them per-diems or some things like that. The second one in terms of sustainability is the one of Ministry of Health is questionable. The reason why it is questionable is what I mentioned that we haven’t engaged

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so much with the national government we have engaged at the county level. So the fact that they are collecting some of the education indicators, will they continue beyond the project? I think the answer will be no. the reason is that it has not been institutionalized at the national government level but there is still opportunity to do that (MoEST Officer, November 2015)

By utilizing some of the already available resource, the opportunity for successful scale-up has been

increased. In this regard, almost all the project staff believe that teacher coaching is largely sustainable.

However, this will be dependent on TSC being able to allocate some resource to facilitate the work of

the teacher-coaches. They argue that coaching is:

…fully embedded within the TSC. What could be a challenge is whether TSC will give it resources to support the mechanisms because what it really needs is the logistics in terms of facilitating the coaching. The coaches are 90% TSC and so that will remain with the Ministry. So the issue is TSC to allocate resources to support the mechanism. To support like you know by either to give them a motor bike or fare; it is really what we are doing currently. So I think if we are to stop now, actually it is not sustainable given that the Ministry has not got the resources to support it beyond the project but the resource would remain in the Ministry since the coaches themselves are within the Ministry.(Implementing partner officer- Nairobi).

2.5.2 Extent to which the Project has Identified the Pre-Conditions for Scaling up and /or

Sustaining its Activities and Results

Besides the concerted efforts to ensure scalability and sustainability at the design stage, discussions with

various implementing partners’ staff demonstrated very deliberate and reflective analysis of the pre-

conditions for realising the project goals and aspirations during the entire implementation process. At

the political/ policy/level, there was a genuine interrogation of multiple and interconnected factors to

ensure the project were correctly targeted. An important consideration remained that of dealing with

the unintended effects of Free Primary Education on the quality of education and exclusion of certain

categories of children in ASALs and Urban slums. This is how one of the officers sees the problem

I can call it the politicization of free primary education, parents took a back sit- many parents took a back sit in terms of their input towards education of their children especially those in the public schools, then when it comes to the private schools, these so called low cost private schools, even by their origin, they are day care centres by origin and the way the economy; the social-economy of the slums operate, is such that there is very little time to waste if you are to survive. Because you’re daily labour determines your ability to put food on the table and therefore because of that rush against time, parents have gradually transferred the responsibility of taking care of their children to the schools and that’s how the schools survive, that is how they flourish.

The imperative thus will be a re-engagement with communities which will be critical to the success of

the project. Consequently, the CC strategy will be absolutely vital- regardless of whatever adjustments

will be made.

Similarly, effects of the government’s introduction and nationalisation of PRIEDE program which will

implement the EGMA program had to be rationalised in order to avoid duplication and wastage of

resources. This affected how the project would be implemented and the support materials since

production of materials to support early grade literacy had to be suspended. The concerns raised were

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that the project might become irrelevant or redundant since the government had now taken over early

literacy programming. As one observed, this was a big risk to the future of WWW because:

Forty nine percent of the project is affected, what do you do? Do you run with the remaining 51% or do you change? So that was really the dilemma that we were faced with. And so, we had to align with the new programmes that were coming on board. So, how did we align? The alignment was that uhmm… we would co-ordinate in a way that we are not in the same classes with Tusome at any time. So in other words we were going to cede early grades to Tusome and GPE but we were going to do it in a phased approach. So as they come on… because they were also doing it in a phased approach, starting in class one in 2015 and moving to both classes one and two in 2016; So, if you look at our project documents it’s says that our major interventions is in class one, two and three. But by the end of the project we will not be focusing on those classes because we will have moved out of those classes” (Implementing partner, Nairobi).

It is still not yet clear how scaling up of GPE and Tusome programmes by government will affect

sustainability, but the nationalisation has meant a natural scale-up that is likely to positively affect

future outcomes of the project. This is an area that will need closer monitoring over the next two years

of the project.

Another consideration which was already alluded to in the previous section was an understanding of

who the main actors in education are and making deliberate efforts to building relationships with them

both for the immediate smooth project implementation as well as for post-project continuity. One

implemented partner pointed out the missed opportunity to closely collaborate with TSC right from the

start of the project, but later realised the significance especially once TSC became a constitutionally

autonomous agency responsible for teacher management. A programme manager remarked

…. the main relationship would have actually been more with TSC because that’s who we deal with more than the Ministry (during implementation). So we could have probably forged a closer relationship with the TSC. We have an MOU with the ministry but we do not have an MOU with TSC. We have agreements with the TSC on the project but actually we have signed an MOU with the ministry. It may have been actually the other way round to say that we have an MOU with TSC because really in terms of learning, our biggest engagement is with the TSC. So that’s one thing that we would have done differently (Implementing Partner, Coast).

Although the project is now working very closely with TSC and getting a lot of support from them, the

institutional arrangement at national level is still not clear. It will be necessary to clarify how WWW will

manage the intersect between TSC and MOEST for synergy, and be sure of how that feeds into the

sustainability strategy (who will play what role post project).

The Opportunities for Sustainable Change a) Adopting a whole school approach to improvements: This would mean that whereas WWW advocates

for the gender friendly school plan, a whole school approach would integrate aspects of health, pedagogy, infrastructure development and other development matters into one school plan that can then be monitored centrally. Ione officer with whom the idea has gained traction says

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We should expand the whole thing of the school development plan to schools thinking of strategies that they can come up with to improve teaching and learning in their own schools. And I think that should be our sustainability model…….We can borrow from the child friendly school’s framework because that is the essence of it, doing a lot with nothing-with the available resources, like schools looking inside. I think what we should ………. make sure that the program facilitates the schools to exploits their full potential. I think post-midline that should be the focus (Implementing partner, Nairobi).

b) Becoming a catalyst for system change: Along the same lines of enhanced social accountability that the program is trying to inculcate among community members, the consortium could also be an influencer of education change at the county and national levels of government. By frequently sharing about what has worked well, and building on the local experiences, one interviewee observed:

If we can become the catalyst of planting that and making it a practice in the schools that we are working in and it is owned by the county, it becomes like… it gets into the plan of the school gets into the plan of the county and it also becomes one of the set targets by the county then we are strengthening the system and we have hope for sustainability as opposed to the current situation where it is like the Ministry facilitating our programme as opposed to us supporting the programme (Implementing Partner, Coast).

c) Complementarity of expertise: There are two levels at which this could be realized. One would be by

finding ways in which the WWW consortium could benefit from cooperation and linkages with the

other GEC grantees especially in matters of ICT and working with children with disabilities. According

to the quarter 9 report, an attempt was made to have Leonard Chesire train 76 coaches and 8 TAC

tutors on disability. Such efforts should be scaled up in all the counties. The second way is to turn

nationalization of the literacy program by government into a huge opportunity by leveraging the rich

experience from WWW to influence, drive and accelerate change in the counties where TUSOME,

PRIDE and WWW are being implemented. Whereas PRIDE and TUSOME still focus on literacy, they

have not taken the holistic approach that focuses on the girl in school, at home, and community.

Using monitoring and evaluation data, the consortium can show benefits of the whole approach and

lobby for adjustments in the program in ASAL counties and urban slums.

d) Phasing the methodology to higher grades: From the annual Uwezo reports, evidence shows that

the skills and competencies at completion of primary school cycle of education has remained

relatively the same since 2009. This means that an enormous opportunity exists for the consortium

to phasing- up the strategy in higher grades.

e) Continuous collection of data and analysis rather than waiting till evaluations is done: The

consortium has a good M&E framework which allows for collection of very rich data. However, It

would appear that the full potential of the data to affect policy and project practices has not been

fully exploited. There is an opportunity to undertake joint monitoring and continuously analyses the

data in ways that can help schools to set up school-based information management systems to

support school improvement plans and county government efforts to improve education quality.

f) Reducing contamination in comparison schools: There is an opportunity to harmonize the

pedagogical principles underpinning Read to learn approach to literacy and Direct Instruction

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method that WWW uses in order to ensure the gains made in one are not eroded in the other, and

also reduce the effect of contamination in comparison school. This is particularly instructive when it

is considered that the research design in this study is a longitudinal quasi-experimental, there would

be value added that the effects of contamination are reduced, if not entirely eliminated. In the

event that comparison schools become intervention schools for another program has consequences

for the expected overall outcome of the project as well as scalability. The project needs to make

concerted efforts to negotiate and harmonize the Aga Khan and WWW pedagogical principles.

Annex 7 summarizes the opportunities and evidence for sustainable change within the project by

looking at specific activities and what the general perceptions are. Some participants felt that some

initiatives were more likely to be sustainable and continue beyond the project for various than other,

and gave various reasons for their arguments.

2.5.3 How the Project has Strategically Engaged with Other Organisations to Achieve

Complementary Effects

(a) Who the Project Engaged with and to What Effect

There has been wide and strategic engagement of the project that has boosted project performance

networking and sustainability. In some of the geographic regions there has been a stakeholders mapping

that was done to identify other actors in the area of education. Attempts were then made to create a

forum in which each partner could share what they were/are doing. Attempts are made to conduct at

least one stakeholder forum per county in the coast region, but the frequency may vary in other

counties. Some of the partners that WWW has engaged include the Aga Khan Foundation, various

community based organisations (CBOs), smaller NGOs like Hatua Likoni, Department of Children

Services, MoH, MoEST, religious leaders and private schools proprietors. The expectation is that they too

gain an appreciation of what WWW is about and what it aims to achieve. Secondly the forum helps to

gain their support and reduce conflicts/competition.

The section below outlines the engagements and the effects.

RTI – to harmonise and align to the national reading programme (Tusome). Effect – WWW did

not develop own learning materials and waited for materials from Tusome. Delays in acquisition

of learning materials from RTI affected WWW implementation but this strategic engagement

allowed WWW to obtain learning materials from RTI at production cost. It also allowed for

WWW alignment to the national programme thus avoiding duplication and overlap.

KEEP – Kenya Essential Education Programme funded by DfID and managed by Adams Smith

International; allowed for harmonisation and synergy including joining efforts for the approval

for registration of low cost private schools guidelines. The guidelines have just been approved

(Jan).

Leonard Cheshire – supported WWW on mainstreaming of disability. They trained WWW on

mainstreaming of disability in all our schools and is now reaching and supporting more girls with

disability.

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De-worm the World Initiate – partnered with them on de-worming and currently De-worm the

World is covering four of WWW project counties.

(b) Project Influence on the Changes in the Behaviour and Practice of Others

The project has successfully influenced change of behaviour and practices others. These include the

following:

The project has positively influenced the teacher practice of I Choose Life who have adopted

WWW approach in driving learning outcomes.

RTI has learned best practice from WWW on replacement teachers for TAC tutors working as

coaches –consequently RTI is pursuing this approach with TSC with a view of adopting it.

Some schools have scaled up the whole DIM strategy to all grades- e.g. Tulia Moyo in Mombasa

which arranged coaching of all their teachers.

Consideration of young mothers as part of the marginalised group of girls and including them in

the distribution of back to school kits. One respondent said:

Yes the project is all geared towards groups that are marginalised. We are looking at girls with special needs. For instance we include children with disabilities through the two special schools in the cost that are part of the project. We also have child mothers who were not initially beneficiaries of cash transfer who are now part of the target group-this is a marginalised group, and of course the fact that WWW is targeting girls in hardship areas means we are reaching places that have never been reached before-like if you go to Tana River and similar places, they are very hard to access and we are intervening in equal measures are we are doing in urban areas of Mombasa and Nairobi-we reach them with the back to school kits, they get the cash transfer, they have CCs, they have school clubs, and we have teacher coaching- we do all that. (Implementing partner, Coast).

In many informal schools, the coached teachers feel more empowered to venture into other

schools where they have a competitive advantage due to the skills they have acquired. Others

have since enrolled to formal training in teachers colleges.

One of the unintended effects is that children from comparison schools in urban slums have

transferred from these schools so that they can benefit from changes happening in the

intervention schools. One comparison school principal lamented this unintended effect and has

since refused to participate in the project in the future.

2.5.4 Project Leverage Additional Investment

The project had leveraged additional investment estimated at £735,660 therefore achieving 67% of the

target (Table 2.5.1). Most of the leveraging was realised from in-kind contribution by government

through teacher coaching (50% of the additional resources) and construction of school infrastructure by

county governments and communities. Other sources included savings from rents and contribution of

Ministry of Health in de-worming. Kilifi and Tana River counties generated the highest amounts of

leverage while Kwale had the lowest (See annex 8 for a list of additional leverage investment).

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Table 2.5. 1: Summary Leveraging

2.5.5 Plans for Delivering Sustainable Results

Project plan for overcoming challenges to sustainability to deliver its outcomes after the end of the GEC

The project has a good plan post-GEC. These are summarised below;

Strong relationships have been forged with government including with MoEST, TSC and KICD.

The teacher coaches are largely government employees (TSC) and hence the capacity and

continuity is likely beyond the life span of this project. Furthermore, the materials used for

teacher coaching have been approved by the government through Kenya Institute of Curriculum

Development (KICD) who are responsible for curriculum development and vetting in Kenya.

Community conversations are progressing well albeit at a slow pace. The community are being

empowered through this project to take charge of their development agenda including girls’

education agenda. The community support for girls education is slowly and steadily emerging

for example, community raising funds for construction of girls’ dormitory in Kwale County. As

Community conversation mature, the support for girls’ education will also increase. Currently

communities have developed their action plan including mobilising their resources to support

girls’ education. This is expected to continue beyond the project period.

Education agenda and indicators have been incorporated into the Community Health Strategy.

This government strategy that will go beyond the project period. The challenge is to have this

discussed and agreed a national policy that can be scaled beyond the project intervention

schools. The project will work with the government on this policy.

The government has embraced cash transfer as part of social protection only for a limited

category of citizens (older persons and orphans and vulnerable children), in certain geographical

areas (mostly in ASALs and urban slums). The project should work with other stakeholders to

advocate for widening of the policy to widen cover of social protection to support education of

marginalised girls including in the slums.

County Achieved (£)

Kilifi 193,599

Tana River 140,000

Marsabit 9,557

Nairobi 6,492

Kwale 82

Samburu 1,000

Turkana 557

Mombasa 440

General 383,933

Total 735,660 (67%)

Target 1,100,000

68

Dissemination of lessons learnt: The project has unique lessons and the deliberate knowledge

management strategy is being developed to share the lessons as widely as possible.

2.5.6 Lessons learned about the Scalability and Sustainability of the Activities Delivered

a) What Should be Done Differently

Consolidate the project’s geographic location to avoid spreading too thin, and deepen efforts

within smaller geographical confines for impact. One interviewee among the national partners

commented…

Our project is too widely spread. We are spread two ways; one is geographically and two is within the Counties themselves we are geographically too spread. If I was to do it again I would do it differently, I would probably take schools in one zone rather than different schools in different zones because that also affects in terms of costs because you find that you have one school here and another one in the other corner. So probably I would have taken a different approach. The Counties might be ok but I would probably try and concentrate them in one area so that there is more learning and concentrate within the Counties rather than spreading it too thin. If you look at for example in Turkana we are in the safe schools but in half the County. Logistically it’s a nightmare. (Implementing partner, Nairobi)

The donor also agreed that the target area quite accurate in terms of need, but

…. CFBT was too ambitious. Too many Counties and all of them very difficult in their own ways. The ASAL areas they are vast, they are far. But anyway, the targeting was right but I think they were too ambitious”(GEC Coordinator, Nairobi). She qualified that the funding allocated is sufficient for the 500 schools but she the supervision of such an expansive group of schools across cross-cutting counties is a huge challenge. (GEC Coordinator).

Simplify the project management and reporting structures which are currently said to be

cumbersome, and do not encourage accountability between partners. A better method

suggested by some of the implementing partners would be to have a project secretariat that

draws staff from among the partners. The members are then brought together to work as one

team under one accountable team leader who then takes responsibility to communicate and

liaise with the other partners this way, individual organisational expertise is harnessed while

overcoming the bottlenecks of organisational bureaucracies that come with independent

operations of each organisation and the need to still fulfil specific project obligations.

Tweak the CC approach: Community conversation approach is a good empowerment tool but

needs a longer time span to yield desired project results. In view of project time scale, CCs

should be further tweaked to better deliver on education results and to reduce the maturation

period without compromising on the sustainability principles inherent in the approach. This will

allow the project to re-conceptualize and re-align CCs with the project time frame.

Re-examine the role and management of Child rights /Health clubs: It is necessary to look at

how functional, the level of autonomy and creativity as well as how and if their activities impact

on children’s confidence and self-esteem levels.

69

Working more closely with TSC and having clear partnership agreements.

b) What the Project will or would do the same and why

It overwhelmingly clear that the households receiving cash transfers had put the money into

good use to support their children to attend school regularly. There were good indications that

most of the households had invested the money in various income generating activities of

different types and scales. However it is evident that they need more skills to do what they are

doing better to enhance their income and make their businesses more sustainable. It is

therefore important to consider Income Generating Activities training to augment the cash

transfer currently being provided in the project.

The project is currently involving boys and men in some project activities to gain their support

for girls’ education for example in the school clubs and the youth/moran circles. The boys and

men need to be targeted more as enablers of girls’ education. Boys for example can be targeted

to provide security for girls from and to schools and to reduce violence in school against girls.

Violence and abuse in schools perpetuated by teachers is high. Whereas teacher have been

equipped on pedagogy and learning delivery, violence and child abuse will continue to be a

deterrent in schools.

One of the issues that has come up strongly in the ASALs is the dilemma of workforce to tend

livestock which is the mainstay livelihood. Children are withheld from going to school to tend to

livelihood activities. The link between livelihood and education needs to be explored and the

project should undertake or partner with others on livelihood options that allow children to go

to school.

CHVs have delivered well on enrolment, retention and on referral. The enrolment attained by

the project has largely being achieved through this approach. The project proposes to keep this

approach as currently is.

70

CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION The Wasichana Wote Wasome project was holistically designed to address four key barriers to

marginalized girls education that affect the girl at home, at school, in the community and herself. The

project’s theory of change is holistic and well throughout to effectively address the perceived barriers

based on the tested experiences of the consortium partners. In spite of the enormous challenges

encountered (introduction of the national wide Tusome that had serious implications on the project

design and material development, high teacher attrition, heightened insecurity in some Counties, the

large geographical spread of hard to reach areas, contamination etc.) the project is largely on track.

The project has resulted in increased achievement of learning outcomes among cohort girls. The English

reading levels among girls attending intervention schools were higher than those of their counterparts

enrolled in comparison schools. Though there were increased learning outcomes in comparison schools

as well, perhaps due to the introduction of the national Tusome literacy program, the gains made in

intervention schools are attributable to the program. Geographical disparities persists in the learning

outcomes gains with the urban slums recording higher increases in reading levels than in the ASALs. The

findings on numeracy which is a baseline revealed no statistical significant difference between test

scores for comparison and intervention schools.

With regards to the impact of GEC on enabling marginalised girls to be in school, the evaluation found

that there was a notable increase in attendance in intervention schools above the comparisons. This is

supported by the qualitative findings from stakeholders (communities, teachers and board of

managements) who alluded to increase in school attendance for girls as a result of GEC intervention.

The qualitative evidence attributes the gains in attendance mainly to sanitary towels and uniforms as

the main factors. Empirical evidence based on those attending less than 80% of school days revealed an

increase in those at risk of dropping out. This indicates a lower ability of the project to retain girls in

school at midline compared to baseline.

With regard to the extent to which GEC has reached and impacted on the marginalized girls, the project

has made good progress in reaching the targets. Good progress has been achieved in the recruitment

and training of teacher coaches, training of teachers on early grade literacy and numeracy, distribution

of BTSK, establishment of school clubs, cash transfers, participation of students in clubs, training of

school club patrons trained, mapping and (re)-enrolment of girls, community Health Workers/volunteers

recruited and trained and home visits made. The project also made good progress in initiation of the

community conversation dialogue, bilharzia interventions in schools, training of teachers on gender

responsiveness, holding of schools galas and access to medical referral for special needs. Nonetheless,

significant delays were experienced in the approvals of guidelines for registration of school leading to no

low cost private school being assessed and registered with MoEST at midline, EMIS and capacity building

for education officers had been achieved at 50% largely because of teacher strikes and the constantly

changing MoEST priorities and calendar of events.

With reference to what has worked, why and with what effects, the projects performance against target

outputs was average. The project has delivered on enabling schools to provide a safe and supportive

environment (output 3), and supporting girls to improve their health self-confidence and aspirations

71

(output 4). The project however has made slow progress on three outputs (community support

education of marginalized girls- output 1; household support for their daughters education- output 2

and MoEST capacity to support education for marginalized girls is increased). The project has also

realized some gains at the households’ level with the number of households reporting difficulty in

supporting girl’s education due to poverty reducing.

Overall the project interventions demonstrates value for money by utilizing existing national program’s

learning materials rather than producing their own which would have been duplication; the project also

partnered with TSC for teacher coaching which realized enormous saving, acquired solar lamps at a cost

of 50% and obtained discounts on purchase of class 5 reading materials. On the converse the project

experienced some inefficiencies: delays in project delivery against work plan; low quality of goods and

services for example school uniforms and shoes; slow uptake of community conversation (challenges of

CCs uptake owing to community prior experience and CCs approach of no incentives) which affected

negatively delivery of other key project component and limited inter-linkages between project activities

across thematic and geographical areas.

Lastly, the project has a robust sustainability strategy inbuilt in the design and is likely to continue post

GEC subject to strengthening systems, partnerships, and reinforcing implementation of the activities

that are lagging behind.

72

CHAPTER FOUR: RECOMMENDATIONS The following are the recommendations emanating from the midline evaluation which can strengthen delivery for the second half of the project life.

4.1 Improve Project Design and Delivery

Generally the project design is holistic and addresses key barriers to marginalised girls’ education.

Midline evidence suggests that some interventions are achieving the desired results, enabling girls to

(re)enrol, stay in school and learn. However, by and large there are still some bottlenecks to project

delivery. Consequently, there is need to critically reflect on, refine or realign the interventions under

the four pillars of the ToC based on the evidence and learning from midline evaluation

Concentrate on systems strengthening to prepare for phase-out through institutionalizing

interventions: School clubs be linked to existing MoEST co-curricular structures; BoMs activities

such as gender responsive school development planning be more embedded in MoEST; target

headteachers/deputy headteachers to support school EMIS (keeping of proper records such as

class attendance registers); building capacity of the counties to include issues of girls education

(access, quality, equity and learning outcomes); streamlining referrals to work within existing

health provision systems; closer working relationships/linkages between CHVs, coaches and

BOMs in monitoring pupil daily school attendance and the TSC through Curriculum Support

Officers to assume more control of teacher coaching and related trainings.

There is need for increased synergy and complementarity among project partners: more

enhanced technical backstopping by thematic leads across all geographical sites with partners

utilizing their comparative niches to enhance project delivery, more streamlined reporting lines

in which partners report direly to the project and not through their organizations and where

feasible the lead partner (CfBT) having full control of all WWW consortium staff.

Re-align project activities to enhance delivery: community conversations as currently designed

requires more than five years to fully yield intended results and this outwits the project time

scale. The project should therefore consider further tweaking of approach to fit into the time

scale. Focus should be on CCs that are likely to mature within the life of the project to develop and

actualize action plans to mobilize resources to support girls’ education. Attention should be also be paid

to Counties that are lagging behind ( such as Tana River and Turkana). Engaging ToTs to fast track

dialogues and giving Community Facilitators adequate support to deliver on their mandate is needed.

Adequate monitoring of CCs should also be top priority. Alternatively, the project could consider

enhancing the successful community health strategy to effectively complement the CC

approach. Other activities that need re-strategizing or fast-tracking include production and

distribution of GEIAH materials to strengthen school clubs; school infrastructure development

needs to be realistic given the time-frame and desired change it can generate; Cash Transfers

targeting ASALs may be too late and may have to be dropped; school logs for reporting girls

concerns should be introduced urgently; fast-tracking registration of APBET institutions and

QASO reports should be reviewed to assess progress on gender responsive reporting.

73

Improved targeting of BTSK beneficiaries to include children with disabilities coupled with timely

delivery. If procurement procedures allow, the project should consider decentralised procurement of

BTSK ( to County level) to enhance delivery and accountabilities.

The project should consider increasing support for girls’ school levies such as examination fees,

development fees among others.

The project should address operational challenges such as disbursement and flow of fund that

have so far slowed down the pace of project implementation.

4.2 Improve the scalability and sustainability of project activities and results

Documentation and knowledge management for learning from existing successful project

interventions/innovations e.g. upper grade coaching , how CTs have transformed livelihoods etc.

to preposition the project for scale up or phase-out should be done in a structured way.

Embed the project more in the existing systems at school levels, county, MoEST, MoH, TSC

structures so that the consortium should play more of a facilitative role in the last phase of the

project. The project should start implementing its exit/ scale up strategy early enough in

preparation for phase out or scale up.

Configure communication: The project should share existing innovations through appropriate

communication and messaging. This may require investments in relevant personnel to support

the project.

Capacity building of key stakeholders should continue: BoMs on social accountability,

monitoring attendance and resource mobilization; QASOs, TAC Tutors and TSC officials at county

levels on EMIS, gender responsive reporting; Teacher coaches – refresher training and new

training for schools with attrition and teachers (reinforcement on teacher training on GIEAH to

bolster retention efforts).

In-line with the project plan, urgent attention should be given to activities to be implemented in

comparison schools to stem their fading support to the project. Discussions with stakeholders

on the implementation strategy should begin without further delay.

4.3 Monitoring and evaluation of the project

Granted, the project has in place a robust M&E framework which should be fully implemented

to support monitoring of the progress for the remaining project phase and adduce evidence at

endline. Quarterly M&E data should promptly inform programming.

Work with QASO and TSC officials to strengthen school level EMIS to enhance accuracy of data

e.g. on pupil attendance from school registers

Institutionalize joint monitoring involving consortium partners, TSC, MoEST, BoM, GEC

Coordination Office.

4.4 Policy Influencing

74

The project should influence policy upstream to institutionalize coaching, uptake of literacy and

numeracy coaching at upper grades and uptake of other interventions that have worked well.

Build on lessons learned from counties such as Marsabit to influence County Education

Development Plans for uptake of issues of girls education.

Sharing of evidence from girls education at County, National and International forum should be

supported. The project should be more engaged in national level education reform efforts in

order to ensure gains made in early literary interventions within WWW project areas are

entrenched and extended to all grades among other national level education agenda.

4.5 Influence ongoing national curriculum reforms

The project has demonstrated successful innovations in curriculum delivery especially the teacher

coaching and mentoring model in both upper and lower primary. The project should draw a

memorandum for the relevant curriculum reform panel that can enable adaption and

institutionalization of teacher coaching/ peer mentoring in the primary school curriculum delivery.

The School-based Teacher Development (SbTD) approach would be more ideal in delivering this

model though.

75

Appendices

76

APPENDICES

Annex 1: Distribution of Girls Assessed by Site and School Category

Category Total

Urban Slums ASALs

Intervention Not Enrolled 4 43 47

Std 1 40 80 120

Std 2 71 93 164

Std 3 106 108 214

Std 4 107 132 239

Std 5 147 113 260

Std 6 156 103 259

Std 7 130 75 205

Std 8 56 22 78

Total 817 769 1586

Comparison Not Enrolled 2 19 21

Std 1 19 43 62

Std 2 24 42 66

Std 3 36 38 74

Std 4 47 44 91

Std 5 39 37 76

Std 6 40 40 80

Std 7 30 25 55

Std 8 6 4 10

Total 243 292 535

Total Not Enrolled 6 62 68

Std 1 59 123 182

Std 2 95 135 230

Std 3 142 146 288

Std 4 154 176 330

Std 5 186 150 336

Std 6 196 143 339

Std 7 160 100 260

Std 8 62 26 88

Total 1060 1061 2121

77

Annex 2: Baseline and Midline Literacy Means by Grades

Baseline Midline Change in

Mean

Change in scores in

Intervention Schools

over and above the

Comparison

Mean N SD Mean N SD

Out of School Urban Slums Comparison 1.25 16 1.880 .50 2 .707 -0.75 1.85

Intervention .90 31 1.076 2.00 4 .816 1.10

Total 1.02 47 1.391 1.50 6 1.049 0.48

ASALs Comparison .53 30 .730 1.12 17 1.054 0.58 0.21

Intervention 1.02 63 1.264 1.81 31 2.182 0.79

Total .86 93 1.138 1.56 48 1.878 0.70

Total Comparison .78 46 1.281 1.05 19 1.026 0.27 0.58

Intervention .98 94 1.200 1.83 35 2.065 0.85

Total .91 140 1.226 1.56 54 1.798 0.64

Class 1 Urban Slums Comparison 1.60 47 1.173 2.28 18 1.638 0.68 -0.71

Intervention 2.13 83 1.658 2.10 39 1.334 -0.03

Total 1.94 130 1.519 2.16 57 1.424 0.22

ASALs Comparison .83 54 .986 1.49 39 1.502 0.65 0.27

Intervention .73 176 1.134 1.65 71 1.513 0.92

Total .75 230 1.100 1.59 110 1.504 0.84

Total Comparison 1.19 101 1.138 1.74 57 1.576 0.55 0.08

Intervention 1.18 259 1.476 1.81 110 1.462 0.63

Total 1.18 360 1.388 1.78 167 1.497 0.60


Intervention 2.87 67 1.858 3.33 63 1.470 0.47

Total 2.75 105 1.669 3.33 87 1.387 0.58

ASALs Comparison 1.69 36 1.117 1.93 40 .997 0.23 0.26

Intervention 1.55 86 1.036 2.04 80 1.297 0.49

Total 1.59 122 1.058 2.00 120 1.202 0.41


Intervention 2.12 153 1.591 2.61 143 1.515 0.48

Total 2.13 227 1.489 2.56 207 1.440 0.43

Class 3 Urban Slums Comparison 4.58 36 2.322 3.39 33 1.391 -1.19 1.74

Intervention 3.72 111 1.922 4.27 101 1.805 0.55

Total 3.93 147 2.053 4.05 134 1.749 0.12

ASALs Comparison 2.08 25 .954 2.53 34 1.522 0.45 -0.09

Intervention 2.32 91 1.182 2.67 92 1.223 0.36

Total 2.27 116 1.137 2.63 126 1.306 0.37

Total Comparison 3.56 61 2.247 2.96 67 1.512 -0.60 1.02

Intervention 3.09 202 1.771 3.51 193 1.744 0.42

Total 3.20 263 1.898 3.37 260 1.702 0.17


Intervention 4.48 83 2.166 4.79 99 1.655 0.31

Total 4.59 125 2.125 5.01 142 1.782 0.42

ASALs Comparison 2.69 36 1.305 3.22 41 1.666 0.53 0.06

Intervention 2.80 54 1.279 3.38 110 1.496 0.59

Total 2.76 90 1.284 3.34 151 1.540 0.58

Total Comparison 3.83 78 2.035 4.40 84 2.157 0.57 -0.34

Intervention 3.82 137 2.037 4.05 209 1.720 0.23

Total 3.82 215 2.032 4.15 293 1.859 0.33

Class 5 Urban Slums Comparison 5.32 22 1.323 5.71 34 1.447 0.39 1.17

Intervention 4.41 110 1.829 5.97 128 1.870 1.56

Total 4.56 132 1.783 5.91 162 1.788 1.35

ASALs Comparison 3.53 17 1.700 4.32 25 1.249 0.79 -0.34

Intervention 3.41 54 1.206 3.86 76 1.476 0.45

Total 3.44 71 1.328 3.97 101 1.431 0.53


Intervention 4.08 164 1.712 5.18 204 2.010 1.10

Total 4.17 203 1.721 5.17 263 1.909 1.00


78

Intervention 4.77 102 1.585 5.46 106 1.933 0.69

Total 4.69 127 1.587 5.55 133 1.885 0.86

ASALs Comparison 4.00 27 1.109 3.76 29 1.618 -0.24 1.23

Intervention 3.80 65 1.121 4.79 70 1.727 0.99

Total 3.86 92 1.115 4.48 99 1.752 0.63


Intervention 4.40 167 1.497 5.19 176 1.878 0.80

Total 4.34 219 1.464 5.09 232 1.900 0.76

Class 7 Urban Slums Comparison 6.24 29 1.244 6.24 0.14

Intervention 6.38 120 1.583 6.38

Total 6.36 149 1.520 6.36

ASALs Comparison 5.38 24 1.313 5.38 0.01

Intervention 5.38 68 1.383 5.38

Total 5.38 92 1.357 5.38

Total Comparison 5.85 53 1.336 5.85 0.17

Intervention 6.02 188 1.585 6.02

Total 5.98 241 1.533 5.98

Class 8 Urban Slums Comparison 6.67 6 1.966 6.67 0.09

Intervention 6.75 53 1.555 6.75

Total 6.75 59 1.582 6.75

ASALs Comparison 5.00 4 .816 5.00 0.52

Intervention 5.52 21 1.721 5.52

Total 5.44 25 1.609 5.44

Total Comparison 6.00 10 1.764 6.00 0.41

Intervention 6.41 74 1.687 6.41

Total 6.36 84 1.691 6.36

79

Annex 3: Attendance by Register Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Class 6 Class 7 Class 8 Total

Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls

Kilifi Comparison 67% 76% 72% 76% 74% 76% 71% 72% 84% 74% 85% 86% 82% 86% 81% 81% 78% 79%

Intervention 75% 78% 77% 77% 75% 77% 80% 84% 83% 88% 83% 88% 84% 85% 87% 91% 81% 84%

Total 74% 78% 77% 76% 75% 77% 79% 83% 83% 87% 83% 87% 84% 85% 86% 89% 80% 83%

Kwale Comparison 75% 75% 74% 77% 75% 77% 71% 81% 80% 82% 75% 78% 83% 80% 79% 75% 76% 78%

Intervention 75% 76% 75% 77% 76% 77% 79% 81% 76% 82% 79% 82% 83% 86% 87% 94% 78% 81%

Total 75% 75% 75% 77% 75% 77% 78% 81% 77% 82% 78% 81% 83% 85% 86% 93% 78% 80%

Marsabit Comparison 58% 51% 75% 79% 79% 45% 79% 84% 79% 98% 72% 69% 70% 83% 73% 69% 73% 72%

Intervention 74% 67% 76% 79% 67% 68% 94% 92% 95% 94% 97% 94% 97% 96% 94% 98% 86% 86%

Total 71% 64% 76% 79% 70% 65% 92% 92% 91% 95% 89% 90% 91% 95% 87% 87% 83% 84%

Mombasa Comparison 68% 65% 79% 68% 57% 72% 89% 86% 81% 80% 83% 80% 78% 87% 82% 82% 77% 78%

Intervention 78% 80% 68% 77% 76% 71% 79% 81% 81% 80% 82% 82% 81% 83% 87% 85% 78% 79%

Total 76% 77% 70% 75% 72% 71% 82% 82% 81% 80% 82% 81% 80% 84% 85% 84% 78% 79%

Nairobi Comparison 76% 81% 89% 86% 87% 95% 88% 79% 81% 85% 87% 90% 73% 86% 87% 84% 84% 85%

Intervention 84% 84% 96% 80% 76% 75% 88% 91% 85% 83% 94% 87% 84% 86% 83% 88% 86% 84%

Total 84% 84% 96% 80% 77% 75% 88% 91% 85% 83% 94% 88% 84% 86% 83% 88% 87% 84%

Samburu Comparison 76% 82% 81% 84% 81% 83% 85% 85% 78% 83% 88% 86% 86% 82% 89% 89% 83% 84%

Intervention 85% 86% 85% 84% 85% 88% 86% 88% 89% 89% 87% 88% 87% 91% 92% 92% 86% 87%

Total 86% 86% 84% 84% 84% 86% 85% 86% 85% 87% 87% 87% 86% 86% 91% 90% 86% 86%

Tana River Comparison 82% 76% 79% 75% 73% 76% 78% 80% 74% 80% 86% 84% 77% 75% 79% 85% 79% 79%

Intervention 75% 98% 83% 84% 80% 79% 82% 82% 87% 85% 89% 87% 87% 89% 89% 87% 83% 86%

Total 75% 96% 83% 83% 80% 78% 82% 82% 86% 85% 89% 87% 86% 88% 89% 87% 83% 86%

Turkana Comparison 77% 78% 76% 80% 78% 81% 81% 83% 81% 82% 79% 80% 79% 80% 78% 82% 79% 81%

Intervention 75% 80% 68% 71% 74% 70% 81% 79% 83% 77% 74% 78% 73% 75% 83% 92% 75% 76%

Total 75% 80% 70% 72% 76% 74% 81% 81% 83% 80% 77% 79% 77% 78% 82% 89% 77% 78%

Urban Slums Comparison 71% 72% 83% 76% 70% 81% 90% 84% 82% 83% 85% 84% 78% 88% 84% 83% 80% 81%

Intervention 84% 85% 94% 81% 77% 75% 88% 91% 86% 83% 94% 88% 84% 87% 84% 89% 87% 85%

Total 82% 83% 92% 79% 75% 74% 87% 89% 84% 82% 92% 86% 83% 85% 82% 87% 85% 83%

ASALS Comparison 75% 76% 76% 79% 77% 78% 78% 80% 80% 81% 81% 82% 81% 82% 81% 82% 79% 80%

Intervention 77% 83% 77% 78% 77% 77% 82% 84% 85% 86% 84% 86% 84% 87% 88% 91% 81% 84%

Total 77% 83% 77% 78% 77% 77% 81% 83% 84% 85% 83% 86% 83% 86% 87% 89% 81% 83%

Overall Comparison 76% 77% 78% 80% 78% 79% 81% 82% 82% 82% 83% 84% 82% 84% 83% 84% 80% 81%

Intervention 80% 84% 84% 79% 77% 76% 85% 87% 86% 85% 88% 87% 84% 87% 87% 90% 83% 84%

Total 79% 83% 83% 79% 76% 76% 84% 86% 84% 84% 87% 86% 83% 86% 86% 88% 82% 83%

80

Annex 4: Midline Spot Checks for Attendance

QUARTER 8 QUARTER 9 QUARTER 10

SPOTCHECK 3 SPOTCHECK 2 SPOTCHECK 1

HEADCOUNT ATTENDANCE LMP ATTENDANCE HEADCOUNT ATTENDANCE LMP ATTENDANCE HEADCOUNT ATTENDANCE LMP ATTENDANCE

16th to 25th Mar 2015 16th to 25th Mar 2015 13th to 25th July 2015 13th to 25th July 2015 9th to 25th Nov 2015 9th to 25th Nov 2015

Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total

Class 1

Comparison 86% 86% 86% 87% 89% 88% 77% 78% 78% 70% 72% 71% 86% 82% 84% 88% 87% 87%

Intervention 84% 87% 85% 86% 89% 87% 79% 77% 78% 78% 77% 77% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80%

Class 2

Comparison 86% 89% 87% 87% 91% 88% 66% 80% 67% 72% 78% 75% 80% 87% 84% 83% 89% 86%

Intervention 89% 89% 88% 88% 90% 89% 82% 84% 83% 81% 89% 85% 57% 81% 67% 55% 77% 64%

Class 3

Comparison 85% 85% 86% 87% 84% 87% 79% 78% 79% 74% 72% 73% 87% 89% 88% 89% 89% 89%

Intervention 91% 92% 91% 88% 88% 87% 88% 89% 88% 84% 84% 84% 84% 81% 82% 81% 79% 80%

Class 4

Comparison 92% 86% 89% 96% 92% 92% 81% 82% 81% 70% 72% 71% 90% 88% 89% 93% 90% 91%

Intervention 89% 91% 91% 86% 88% 89% 83% 84% 84% 81% 81% 81% 77% 80% 79% 78% 78% 78%

Class 5

Comparison 87% 85% 85% 89% 90% 90% 79% 80% 80% 73% 74% 73% 87% 86% 87% 88% 89% 88%

Intervention 89% 90% 90% 86% 89% 88% 84% 86% 85% 80% 82% 81% 82% 86% 84% 82% 82% 82%

Class 6

Comparison 94% 87% 89% 92% 89% 90% 81% 89% 85% 74% 79% 76% 86% 89% 87% 88% 92% 90%

Intervention 88% 91% 91% 89% 91% 91% 83% 85% 84% 78% 81% 79% 81% 82% 81% 79% 79% 79%

Class 7

Comparison 87% 89% 88% 95% 92% 94% 84% 86% 85% 72% 75% 74% 92% 91% 92% 94% 92% 93%

Intervention 93% 98% 96% 87% 92% 90% 79% 83% 81% 76% 77% 77% 44% 82% 57% 43% 80% 56%

Class 8

Comparison 88% 85% 88% 89% 86% 89% 85% 90% 87% 78% 80% 79% 33% 26% 31% 36% 28% 34%

Intervention 92% 95% 94% 91% 92% 91% 82% 85% 83% 78% 80% 79% 12% 12% 12% 17% 17% 18%

Total

Comparison 88% 87% 87% 90% 89% 90% 79% 82% 80% 73% 75% 74% 83% 83% 83% 85% 85% 86%

Intervention 89% 91% 90% 88% 90% 89% 83% 84% 83% 80% 81% 81% 65% 76% 70% 64% 75% 69%

81

Annex 5: At Risk of Dropping Out by county

Total

Boys Girls Total

Kilifi Comparison 8% 6% 7%

Intervention 14% 11% 13%

Kwale Comparison 23% 21% 22%


Marsabit Comparison 6% 9% 7%


Samburu Comparison 24% 25% 24%


Tana River Comparison 19% 19% 19%


Turkana Comparison 11% 14% 12%


ASALs Comparison 15% 15% 15%


Mombasa Comparison 8% 7% 8%


Nairobi Comparison 15% 13% 14%


Urban Slums Comparison 11% 9% 10%


Overall Comparison 14% 14% 14%


Annex 6: Cohort Girls At Risk of Drop Out

Urban_ASALs County Comparison_Intervention Total

Comparison Intervention

Urban Slums Mombasa At_Risk Yes 38.5% 16.0% 19.3%

Nairobi At_Risk Yes 11.5% 19.5% 18.5%

Total At_Risk Yes 16.9% 18.9% 18.6%

ASALs Kilifi At_Risk Yes 4.3% 16.3% 14.2%

Kwale At_Risk Yes 61.3% 18.8% 46.8%

Marsabit At_Risk Yes 3.4% 1.9%

Samburu At_Risk Yes 20.0% 27.8% 26.1%

Tana River At_Risk Yes 34.2% 36.6% 36.0%

Turkana At_Risk Yes 22.6% 49.0% 39.0%


Total Kilifi At_Risk Yes 4.3% 16.3% 14.2%

Kwale At_Risk Yes 61.3% 18.8% 46.8%

Marsabit At_Risk Yes 3.4% 1.9%

Samburu At_Risk Yes 20.0% 27.8% 26.1%

Tana River At_Risk Yes 34.2% 36.6% 36.0%

Turkana At_Risk Yes 22.6% 49.0% 39.0%

Mombasa At_Risk Yes 38.5% 16.0% 19.3%

Nairobi At_Risk Yes 11.5% 19.5% 18.5%


82

Annex 7: Opportunities and evidence for sustainable change within the project

Project Activity Chances of Succeeding Beyond the Project period?

Argument for and against and Evidence

Teacher Coaching including having master coaches

Yes, especially where partners decided to work with TSC Teachers and not employ new staff or employ very few

Implementing partners, County Director of Education (TSC) agree that this strategy has contributed to both scale-up and sustainability. For example the plan was to train 1500 coaches, and actual was 2715, made possible by change of strategy. In addition. Where new coaches were employed, officers were doubtful the communities could afford to retain them. The education officer supported the idea of master coaches saying “You know with master coaches they can continue teaching or training the teachers but now when it comes to the issue of money that’s the issue” Since CfBt has many years of expertise in teacher coaching, the training is quite standardized to attain similar results. A donor observed this of the coaches. “Am sure you have met some of the teacher coaches. They are very good, regardless of which County you go to. They know what they are doing, they are well trained, they understand their roles, and they understand the early reading approaches, ….They are really in to their thing… all of them that I have met and I have gone to quite a number of the counties. So they have supported their teachers and even the teachers have testified that”. Given the very good grounding in early literacy methods, the likelihood to continue and influence other grades and schools is quite higher.

Activities 2.3:Home visits by CHWs and 4.4 referral of girls for support , care and treatment

Partly- there are dissenting views on both sides

On one part, it is argued that it may continue because the activity leverages on an existing Ministry of Health structures, which improves likelihood of continuity. On other hand, some partners feel that CHVs will not be able to continue making home visits…. “What is worrying is the household visits because the structure and the briefing that comes from the Ministry of Health is that CHV’s have to be supported by the partners in order to continue with their activities. As soon as the partner withdraws, the CHV’s are at risk of being engaged by another partner and doing the work of that other partner and not the one that used to gauge them before’’ (Implementing partner, Kilifi).

Children’s clubs Yes “The clubs will continue as the structures are on the ground and the materials

to continue them are also available. The community conversations depend on

the community facilitator and can therefore not be said to die entirely in case

that happens. In case a community has a community facilitator that is focused

on pRoCeeding, the community conversations might be able to keep on”

(Implementing partner, Kilifi).

Impact of the Cash transfer Yes Those who have invested in small businesses feel confident they have been empowered through alternative sources of income- especially the women. Some community members (Mombasa) were affirmative that: “we can continue. This issue of continuity has entered to our blood stream.” 5: Another one said “Experience running small but profiTable businesses like ‘mabuyu’, charcoal, potatoes and firewood we have.’’

Community Conversation groups that are already self-organizing

Yes But it will depend on if they have expanded their agenda to beyond the education of girls which is more externally driven by the project, to incorporate organically induced concerns and needs of the community e.g merry go-round Savings and credit), disaster and security management, citizen accountability etc.

83

Annex 8: Leveraging

Kilifi

Source e. g Total Kenya Amount (KES)

1 Kesho Kenya Organisation-

75,000

2 Kilifi South CDF- 2 classes renovation- Gongoni Pry

800,000

3 Kilifi North CDF- 2 classs wiring- Mwakuhenga Pry school

150,000

4 Doshi Company- 1 class construction, borehole- at Msumarini pry

2,500,000

5 Kilifi South CDF- 2 classes renovation-

1,200,000

6 Kilifi South CDF- 4 pit latrine, roof renovation

4,000,000

7 Kilifi North CDF- 4 pit latrines at Mitangoni Pry school

4,000,000

8 Rea Vipingo- Toilet renovation at Kapecha Pry

80,000

9 Vipingo Ridge- Toilet renovation- Chodari Pry

100,000

10 Rea Vipingo- One classroon contruction- Shauri moyo

800,000

11 Al-Imdaad Foundation- text books- Sir Ali primary school 60,000

12 Wajimida organization- Rubber shoes- Madunguni 30,000

13 Member of County Assembly (MCA)- Books and Clothing- Madunguni Primary 20,000

14 Pasthorey Kiboko-Food at Mzizima primary school 30,000

15 Wajimida organisation- Water tank and rubber shoes at Kanani primary 130,000

16 Tourists from Italy- Computers to CRS primary 200,000

17 Area MP- Fencing of the school- Dabaso primary 100,000

18 Wajimida organization- Rubber shoes- Mkangagani 52,000

19 Area MP- Cash donation to Jimbagede primary 50,000

20 Mr and Miss World- School uniforms to Jacaranda primary 4,800

21 Tourists from Italy- Renovations of classroom CRS primary 10,000

22 Uraia- Sanitary towels to Jimbagede primary 6,000

23 AMREF- Rubber shoes toBaguo Primary 45,000

24 MCA- Books and food- Dabaso primary school 37,000

25 Kwa Upanga primary school- Exam fees waiver to one young mother 3,000

26 Ganda primary schoolExam fees waiver to 3 young mothers 9,000

27 Anonymous Wellwisher- School levies for orphans in ECD Kwa Upanga primary 10,000

28 Area MP- Tution fee to class 8 pupils at Jimbagede primary 52,000

29 County Government of Kilifi- Building of a modern early childhood center- Sir Ali 9,000,000

30 Malindi CDF- Renovation of the school's oldest building- Sir Ali primary 1,250,000

31 Aga Khan Foundation- Mobile Library- Sir Ali Primary 1,000,000

32 Kilifi North CDF- 12 pit latrines, modern meko, teaching aids, 12 inch TV, Fencing at Mida primary school 1,200,000

33 Kilifi North CDF- Electric wiring of four classrooms at Kanani primary 100,000

27,103,800

Tana River

1 2 classrooms by CDF in Kau

4,000,000

84

2 School fence and Water Tank by CDF in April 2015 - Kipao primary

320,000

3 Installation of solar panels, construction of staffroom& renovation of classrooms in Arap Moi Pry Sch by Agro German Action & County Government (Jan to July 2015)

4,800,000

4 construction of improved ‘jikos’ in Makere Pry Sch by G.A.A (Ongoing)

Not ascertained

5 Construction of 2 classrooms (4.5M) and 2 toilets (0.5M) in Bahati Pry Sch (May 2015) by County government

5,000,000

6 2 classrooms constructed by CDF in Kiarukungu

Not ascertained

7 Construction of water tank by G.A.A in Chifiri

Not ascertained

8 Toilets renovation by CDF in Laza

480,000

9 Construction of toilets by GAA in Mikinduni

Not ascertained

10 2 Scholarships for girls by Northern Kenya Education Trust and Caritas in Laini

Not ascertained

11 2 toilets constructed and renovation of classes by CDF in Waldena

5,000,000

12 Construction of water tanks by GAA in Guruni

Not ascertained

Total

19,600,000

Marsabit

No. Description of Leverage Amount

1 Support education stakeholders forum by Ministry of Education and schools 572,000

2 Construction of 2 doors Vip latrine for girls at Bubisa primary school by School/Community 164,660

3 Construction of 2 doors Vip latrine for girls at and guttering and installation of 10,000l water tank at Torbi Nomadic girls primary school by School/Community

196,160

4 Construction of 2 doors Vip latrine for girls at and guttering and installation of 10,000l water tank at KalachaNomadic girls primary school by School/Community

196,160

5 Renovation of classrooms at Hurri hills primary school by School/Community 70,000

6 Marsabit County has received support to undertake student galas 114000

7 Marsabit County received medicine for deworming from Ministry of Health 25000

Total

1,337,980

Nairobi

1 Funding of County Education Stakeholders' Forum held on 27th May 2015 by GOAL Kenya and FEED the Children 352,300

2 Supporting at risk and out of school children in project areas/schools with learning materials and uniforms by School and communities

556,645

Total

908,945

Kwale

1 Community contributed to assist in buying school uniforms for needy girls

8,000

2 Mkang’ombe CHW from Kwale has supported 6 school dropouts by buying them uniforms to re enroll back to school.

3,500

Total

11,500

Samburu

1 Donations from INTRAPID 10,000

2 Waivers from SAMBURU RESERVE 96,000

3 School fees/levies fromCDF 9,000

4 CSR from KWS 15,000

5 Partnerships with WESTGATE CONSEVANCY 10,000

85

Total

140,000

Mombasa

1 A community leader in Likoni, Mombasa County gave out Ksh 1100 to support a boy who was enrolled early January. The funds were to cater for his monthly fee, tuition, lunch and activity fee.

1,100

2 Esther Moraa from Gome Primary school in Mombasa County was sponsored Ksh 3500 for her school levy by the senior teacher.

3,500

3 Stefani Janet was enrolled at Gome Primary school in Mombasa County and received sponsorship for school levy, tuition and examination fees

3,500

4 Two pairs of uniform were donated by the proprietor of Destiny Garden School in Mombasa County to support Irene Salama Kazungu enrol back to school

1,700

5 School uniform and monthly fees was secured from one of the community leaders in Likoni, Mombasa County to support a boy to be enrolled back to AMURT primary school

2,300

6 More than 6 village elders in Mombasa County have committed their time (in-kind) to support the teams of data clerks conducting cash transfer household survey

30,000

7 School fees was donated by the proprietor of Destiny Garden School in Mombasa County to support Irene Salama Kazungu enrol back to school to support her to complete her primary education

16,200

8 Mombasa County secured from a community volunteer to cater for school fees for a girl in Lynette primary

800

9 Mombasa County contribution of community members and well-wishers to retain a girl in Timbwani School who was on the edge of dropping.

1,500

10 In Mombasa County Tumaini primary school teachers and the CHV attached mobilized funds to cater for re-enrolling 3 pupils who had dropped out of school.

1,000

Total 61,600

Turkana

1 Clothes contribution to Turkana County

77,940

Total 77,940

Overall

1 In kind contribution by government through the teacher coaches. The project is not paying Coaches seconded by Teachers Service Commission salaries and hence this is leverage

50,400,000

2

Ministry of Health (MoH) contribution in deworming component - The MoH supported the project by donating more drugs (63,902 doses of Albendazole). They had the drugs in their stores but lacked logistics to reach the beneficiaries. The project supported by offering transport and allowances for the officers who engaged in the exercise

2,875,590

3 AMURT offices host CfBT staff in Mombasa County

420,000

4 AMURT host CfBT staff in Marsabit and Samburu Counties

55,000

Total 53,750,590

86

Annex 9: Summary of Quantitative Data- Literacy

Parameters - Results Source Notes

Sam

ple

siz

e r

eq

uir

em

en

ts

1 Significance level (alpha) M&E Framework/Outcomes SS 0.05

2 Power (1-beta) M&E Framework/Outcomes SS 0.8 or 80%

3 Minimum detecTable effect M&E Framework/Outcomes SS

4 Clustering applied M&E Framework Yes

5 Assumed intra-cluster correlation M&E Framework

6 Allocation ratio (between treatment and control) M&E Framework 3:1

7 Minimum required sample size M&E Framework

8 Attrition buffer M&E Framework 56% an excess by 7 %

9 Sample size (total) M&E Framework/Outcomes SS 2130

10 Sample size in treatment group M&E Framework/Outcomes SS 1592

11 Sample size in control group M&E Framework/Outcomes SS 538

12 Sampling clusters M&E Framework School and its community

13 Number of sampling clusters M&E Framework/Outcomes SS 285

14 Number of sampling clusters in treatment group M&E Framework/Outcomes SS 240

15 Number of sampling clusters in control group M&E Framework/Outcomes SS 45

16 Number of girls per sampling clusters M&E Framework/Outcomes SS An average of 10

Sam

ple

siz

e e

x-p

ost

17 Sample size ex-post (total) Dataset 821

18 Sample size ex-post (total) in treatment group Dataset 1386

19 Sample size ex-post (total) in control group Dataset 487

20 Number of sampling clusters ex-post Dataset/Outcomes SS 279

21 Number of girls who are substitution girls Dataset 1052

Targ

et

22 Standard deviation of all scores at baseline Dataset 2.08

23 Standard deviation of all scores changes for intervention group Dataset/Outcomes SS

N/A Used vertically merged data

24 Standard deviation of all scores changes for control group Dataset/Outcomes SS

N/A Used vertically merged data

25 Target Outcomes spreadsheet 0.37

Re

sult

s

26 Achievement (beta) Outcomes spreadsheet 0.403

27 Achievement in SD terms Dataset 0.29

28 Result Outcomes spreadsheet 80%

29 P-value of simple OLS statistical software 0.02

30 P-value of simple OLS with clustered errors statistical software N/A

31 P-value of simple OLS with additional controls and clustered errors statistical software N/A

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