Contribution of Non-Governmental Organizations in Promoting Access to Education by Learners Who Are Orphans in Primary Schools in Kenya

Abstract

Orphans are an integral part of the society many of whom face a myriad of challenges as a result of being orphans. Many individuals and organizations, including Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), assist orphans in various aspects of their lives. The purpose of this study was to establish the contribution of NGOs in promoting access to education by orphaned learners in regular primary schools in Bondo sub-county, Kenya. The objective of the study was to establish the challenges faced by learners who are orphans, which hinder their access to education in regular primary schools in Bondo Sub-county, Kenya. The study employed concurrent triangulation research model within the mixed method research approach. The study was guided by the theoretical underpinnings of Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs. Schools were clustered according to the divisions and selected using simple random sampling method in each cluster. The target population was 129 schools, 129 head teachers, 543 grade 4 to 7 Class teachers, 135 guardians, 784 orphans and 125 NGO staff. The sample size included 52 class teachers, 13 head teachers, 78 orphans, 13 NGO workers and 13 guardians. The head teachers were chosen through saturation. Class teachers, NGO staff and guardians were purposively chosen. Six orphans, (3 boys and 3 girls) were selected per school using stratified sampling method for the focus group discussion. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the class teachers while interview schedules were used to collect data from the head teachers, caregivers and NGO staff. Focus group discussion interview schedules were used to get data from the orphans. Piloting was done in 5 schools outside the sample to ascertain reliability. Validity of the instruments was determined by the expert judgment of the supervisors who scrutinized items on the instruments. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics including percentages and frequency counts. Qualitative data was processed and analyzed thematically. The findings of the study may enable the NGOs to better understand their contribution on the orphans’ access to education