Pupils in primary schools in Garissa County are dropping out of schools due to severe drought currently being experienced in the region.
The children usually join their parents in search for water for their use and pasture for their animals. Due to this harsh conditions that the children are facing in terms of education, the Ministry of Education with the help of non governmental organizations, has opened mobile schools for the pastoralists in order to get education as they move with their children and livestock.
According to Ibrahim Rashid, Lagdera Deputy Sub county education officer, the drought has greatly affecte the enrollemnt of pupils in schools.
"Parents have moved far away with their children to where they can get water for themselves and for their livestock. This has affected schools in this sub county and enrollment has gone down," said Ibrahim.
On the other hand, Absame Abdullahi Gure, a teacher in one of the mobile schools in Garissa County explains the challenges he faces with the pastoralists and their children.
"Transporting learning materials such as blackboards and charts to where the pastoralists migrate is one of the biggest challenges in running the mobile schools," said Gure.
He added, "Sometimes, you are left alone as parents have withdrawn their children from school and traveled in different directions where, even if you were to follow them, you can't get enough children," added Abdullahi.