Nature of Psychosocial Support Provided Towards Education in Emergency for the Girl Child in Turkana West Sub County, Kenya

Abstract

The objective of the study was to examine the nature of psychosocial support provided towards education in emergency for the girl child in Turkana West Sub-County. Questionnaires were used to collect data from 387 respondents which comprised of primary school girls from Turkana West Sub-County schools. Interview guides and focus group discussions were used to collect data from the key informants who comprised of teachers, head teachers, representatives from the Ministry of Education, Emergency education specialists and UNHCR officials in Turkana West Sub County. The study found out that 71% of the girls agreed that individual counseling has been one of the nature of psychosocial support used to assist girls and advice from the class teacher which rate at 68%. From the results obtained on the nature of the psychosocial support provided to girls in emergency primary education in Turkana west Sub-County, it was found that some support was not effective to the girls. The study found out that, out of the different forms of psychosocial support offered to the girl child in emergency primary education in Turkana west Sub-County, not all schools were given the same support by the NGOs and the government. There was need to improve on the criteria of disseminating the information to the girls and the communities at large. The findings would in turn help the various implementing agencies to develop policies that would ensure girls were supported appropriately in their education. The study results would also add up to the knowledge base on education in emergencies.