Sharjah: Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Humanitarian Envoy of The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), has inaugurated The Big Heart Secondary School for Girls in Kalobeyei settlement near Kakuma camp in Kenya.
Launched by TBHF with the funding of Sharjah Charity House and in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the first-ever boarding secondary school for girls in the area will annually provide 360 students — both refugees and girls from the surrounding host community — access to high-quality education and safe boarding facilities.
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed led the delegation from Sharjah to the Republic of Kenya for the official field visit, during which they toured the school facilities.
He emphasised the importance of humanitarian education projects and its long-term impact on young generations who will be able to build a better future for refugee communities.
The school fills a major gap in secondary education requirements of girls in the target communities in Kenya, where only five per cent girls had access to secondary education. The new school premises, spread across six buildings comprising classrooms, dormitories, a library, a theatre, a laboratory, and a management building will offer a holistic opportunity for growth and development.
The newly inaugurated school offers a safe and secure learning environment that caters to the educational needs of girls. It provides boarding facilities and a library to girls from the refugee and hosting communities who face various social challenges such as early or forced marriage, child labour, unaccompanied minors, separated children, and disabled girls. Moreover, the school addresses the high demand for education as Kakuma camp and Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement have a population of over 196,666 registered refugees and asylum seekers.
