Elimisha Kakuma

Elimisha Kakuma, meaning "Educate Kakuma" in Swahili, is a pioneering college preparatory program designed by refugees, for refugees in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya.

Founded in 2021 by former Kakuma residents who Harvard, George Washington University, and St. Olaf College, our work is rooted in lived experience and driven by belief in "the ripple effect" of higher education access: that as refugee students gain access to higher education, their long-term life outcomes will be improved and their communities will be strengthened.

For decades, less than 1% of refugees in Kakuma have had the opportunity to pursue a university education. Elimisha Kakuma exists to change that. Our comprehensive 16-month program provides intensive academic instruction, exam preparation, and college application guidance. Once students are placed, they receive ongoing mentorship and host family support to ensure their long-term success.

We are a small, passionate, globally distributed team looking for people who share our belief that educational access is the root of societal transformation.

Highlight the Kakuma context: Kakuma Refugee Camp was established as a temporary shelter in 1992 for several thousand “Lost Boys” from southern Sudan, but thirty years later remains home to over 300,000 individuals from twelve eastern and central African countries. Residents of Kakuma have constructed lives, businesses, families, and communities as best they can, but their options remain constricted. Refugees in Kenya are not allowed access to legal employment, freedom of movement or integration into kenyan society. One of the few pathways beyond the camp is education.

Educational Context: despite this, educational facilities in Kakuma are extremely limited. 94% of eligible secondary school-aged children are out of school. For those in school, the average student to teacher ratio is 97-1, with 80% of teachers in Kakuma having no formal training.

The result: fewer than 1% of eligible Kakuma students access higher education.