Kenya

Kenya is one of the fastest growing economies of East Africa, with a coastline facing the Indian Ocean and tourism as a driving force. It encompasses savannah, lake lands, the dramatic Great Rift Valley, and mountain highlands.

It is also home to such wildlife as lions, elephants, and rhinos. From the capital Nairobi, safaris visit the Masai Mara Reserve, known for its annual wildebeest migrations, and Amboseli National Park, offering views of Tanzania's 5,895m Mt. Kilimanjaro.

With a promising future for the nation, the country still grapples with issues of corruption, poverty, unemployment, the unequal distribution of income and resources, as well as ethnic conflicts. The nation is also host to the second largest slum in Africa, Kibera, located in Nairobi.

In Kenya, we work with girls, women, and boys among the Masai people in the Masai Mara Nature Reserve. Education, especially for girls, and economic growth for women are two of our focus areas.

Our adolescent empowering programme, Bonga, offers education aimed at girls 'and girls' rights. The teaching equips them both with life skills and vocational skills.

Education is important in the fight for rights, against child marriage, and not least against female circumcision, which is very widespread in these areas. In Masai Mara we support our own girls' school - Mara Girls Leadership School. In 2019, the Mara Girls Leadership School was rated the overall best school among 24 schools within the Narok West Sub-County.

Through the work with the nature reserve Naboisho Conservancy, we also contribute to creating jobs, managing natural resources, and creating a good interaction between the local population who run livestock and game preservation.

Read more: http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/KEN