Professor Sara Cumming travels to Kenya

In June, Dr. Sara Cumming (FHASS) and Social Work Professor Michaelann George (FACHS) traveled to Kenya with professors from Niagara College as part of a partnership with the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works-Kenya: Youth Employability through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program.

This three-year project, funded through CiCAN and the Mastercard Foundation, aims to support TVET institutions in building a national gender equality policy and training capacity in order to increase the participation of young Kenyans, particularly young women, in market-relevant skills-training programs. Professors Cumming and George, in partnership with three professors from Niagara College (Jamie Oresar, Krasna Baotic, and Adele Caruso) are using their expertise to provide training to TVET government officials, community partners, and college instructors from 26 partnering institutions.

The week of workshops culminated in the formation of clusters that will help develop and implement gender needs assessments, institutional gender mainstreaming, sexual and gender-based violence policies, as well as Women in Technical Educational Development (WITED) policies.

Sara’s particular schools are in Northern Kenya, in Eldoret, Kitale, Sang’alo, and Lodwar. Lodwar is one of the most complex areas of Kenya as it is traditionally a pastoral society and borders Sudan. The area experiences much tribal discord which often results in children missing school for months at a time. Sara is working with two trainers from each school, helping each to design and implement strategies for increasing female participation in education that is context specific.