On Friday, September 19th, Dem Muasya, Executive Director of Kenya Education Fund (KEF), visited Wesleyan to give a presentation on the KEF’s work and meet with students pursuing the Global Engagement Minor (GEM). The KEF works to expand education access to underprivileged Kenya youth, by providing money and supplies for hundreds of children to attend high school and further education. The nonprofit organization will serve as a case study for students taking the spring course Global Engagement in Practice with Anita Deeg-Carlin, Visiting Instructor of Global Studies and Director for Intercultural Learning here at the Fries Center for Global Studies.
In the course, 6-8 students with an existing GEM foundation in intercultural learning will study the cultural and political affairs, historical and contemporary, of the East African region, with a focus on education – all the while learning Swahili intensively. The class will culminate in an immersive spring break trip to Nairobi, supported by trustee and alumnus Andrew Fairbanks, wherein students will meet and work with NGOs in the education sphere. Students will also each implement projects on the ground in Nairobi, which they formulated throughout the semester.
Muasya explained in his presentation the barriers which prevent children in Kenya from accessing higher education, namely poverty, ecological circumstances, and cultural practices. Improving access to education at a national level not only provides opportunities for those otherwise without, but also encourages those students to give back to their families and communities. Muasya’s visit highlighted the importance of education, and the political, economic, and cultural nuances of the education sphere, not only in Kenya, but on a global scale.