THE SARARA FOUNDATION’S
Nomadic Education
Program
Education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world - to conserve our wildlife and natural spaces.
To bring this to life, we deliver the best-in-class educational model, which is culturally relevant, to serve and educate both nomadic and centralised indigenous Samburu communities.
The world’s first nomadic Montessori Schools
Our vision has always been to create a school system that celebrates the Samburu's indigenous culture, heritage and nomadic lifestyles, while honouring the landscape and biodiversity.
We needed a pedagogy that suits the nuances Samburu’s culture and in 2019 we opened the first rural, Montessori schools in the world.
Samburu Age Sets
One of the many traits that make the Samburu culture so unique, is that they do not have ages, but age sets. The Samburu’s age sets encourage camaraderie, community and unity; characteristics that have helped the indigenous Samburu people thrive.
A school structured around grades would be in conflict with the Samburu’s cultural framework, and very confusing for young child.
A nomadic, non-permanent school
The Samburu are nomadic pastoralists who move with their livestock in search of grazing. The schools had to be mobile with the ability to be collapsed and moved to where the Samburu move.
The resident seamster at Sarara Camp made the school tents which are collapsed at the end of each semester.
Feeding Program
We recognise the difficulty and stress that the prolonged drought in Northern Kenya has on families across the valley.
In order to support the students with a meal that the teacher can prepare with limited water, all the children attending our Nomadic Montessori schools, receive a nutritious porridge during school hours.
Our Impact
2022
Pre-Schools
The Sarara Foundation opened 3 Nomadic Montessori Schools for children aged 3 - 6 in Namunyak Conservancy.
Teachers
14 Qualified Montessori teachers.
We supported 6 new teachers in completing their training in 2022 and 3 teachers qualified to further their training in Tanzania.
Graduates
Over 600 children have received world-class early childhood development since 2019.
2022 Attendance
123 children attended our 3 Nomadic Montessori Schools. 61 boys and 62 girls.
Nutrition
All children receive a healthy, nutritious porridge at school, every day.
Bursaries
Sarara issued bursaries to 201 high school and college learners in January 2022
FUTURE OF THE PROGRAM
For The Sarara Foundation to reach a critical threshold of impact, the education project must reach 600 children between the ages of 5 - 12, per year.
There is a tremendous need to open two more schools in 2022, one which would be a pre-school and another a primary school. This includes Montessori training for four teachers.
In most cases, the government primary schools are not located near the manyattas (homestead), and the families simply do not have the resources to send their children to a school further away. As such, the children discontinue their education, and stay home to look after the family’s livestock instead.
Teacher Judy Mugambi, the Head of our Education Program regularly checks in with the children who are in now in government primary schools - and their teachers, and they are all doing exceptionally well. This makes us very proud!
News from our schools
As a society at large, we have a tremendous obligation to the future generations to ensure their world is one of human rights and abundance. Not scarcity.
Meet the Team
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Teacher Judy Mugambi
HEAD OF EDUCATION PROGRAM
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Terry Kosgei
TEACHER
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Hosea Lesuyai
TEACHER
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Meshak Erick Naiboro
TEACHER
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Stella Lenangoisa
TEACHER
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Loroki Denis
TEACHER
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Paul Leampule
TEACHER
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Veronica
TEACHER
SUPPORT THE NOMADIC EDUCATION PROGRAM