Foreign Aid and Post Primary Education in Kenya Case Study of Dadaab Refugee Camp (2002-2012)

Abstract

Foreign aid policy is a powerful tool used in international relations by states for purposes of meeting certain national interests. It may be perceived as financial, material or personnel support by donor countries to provide developmental or humanitarian assistance to recipient countries for the purpose of solving certain problems or for gaining an influence over the recipient nations. This paper looks into the role foreign aid has played in so far as provision of post primary education among the refugees in Dadaab is concerned. It majorly examines the actions of major donor agencies and governments working hand in hand with United Nations High Commission for Refugees. This study sets out to find out the objectives of Foreign aid providers to foster post primary education and recommends appropriate improvements. It also identifies other players who ought to be part of foreign aid agenda on refugee crisis in Africa. This study puts refugee education crises in Kenya and the region as an African problem which suffers negligence from the continent. The study uses interdependency theoretical framework as analytical tools. The study comes to the conclusion that refugee problem is a problem for every state on the globe and international community is affected by it in one way or another hence the need for collective contribution to reduce its effects through tangible support towards post primary education which would significantly reduce other global disasters like poverty, global terrorism, insecurity among other forms of instability. The international community has played a significant role through its membership with United Nations in addressing this problem but that is just a drop in the ocean. The study appreciates that refugee problems are humanitarian hence not prone to hostile aid ties compared to other foreign aid and grants. Various policy adjustments and consultations between the donors and the government are significant in advancing the dream of educating a refugee at post primary level. This kind of aid may have other economic effects on the domestic economy of the host country but they enjoy a little more political will than other forms of aid as this does not usually jeopardize the sovereignty of states in this globalised world. The final analysis shows that foreign aid is a significant factor on which humanitarian interventions like refugee post primary education are highly dependent in pursuit of human right objective and making the world an equal opportunity for all.