The 2026 Annual Learning and Reflection Convening, organized by RELI Africa, marks a pivotal moment for education in Kenya. Bringing together the Government of Kenya, international NGOs, and grassroots Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs), the convening focuses on the integration of Life Skills and Values (LSV) and Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL) into the national curriculum.
For Stop Child Abuse (SCA), this gathering is an opportunity to share evidence-based successes from our work in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei settlements. As highlighted in our recent research, The Literacy Shield, children in displacement face student-teacher ratios that often exceed 250:1. In these high-risk settings, SEL is not a luxury is a survival tool.
Key Themes of the 2026 Convening:
- Systemic Integration: Collaborating with the Ministry of Education to ensure LSV and SEL are measurable components of learner progression.
- Proximate Leadership: Reaffirming the need for philanthropic and governmental bodies to prioritize direct funding to refugee-led leadership to achieve inclusive education goals.
- Evidence-Based Reintegration: Sharing SCA’s data, which shows an 82% success rate in reintegrating out-of-school children through community-embedded protection models.
Our participation emphasizes that for education to be truly inclusive, it must address the displacement trauma that creates significant gaps in access. By integrating trauma-informed play therapy and non-formal education through the AVY Academy, SCA is providing a sustainable shield for vulnerable youth.
We look forward to deep reflections with our partners at RELI Africa as we move from policy frameworks to practical, localized referral pathways that protect every child’s right to learn.
