Adults who missed out on formal schooling have been urged to enrol in adult education programmes as a pathway to literacy, skills development and improved livelihoods.
An education officer in Kakamega Central said adult learning provides out-of-school children, youth, adults and older members of society with an opportunity to gain literacy, complete their education, acquire practical skills and improve their quality of life.
Speaking to KNA in her office, Sub-County Adult Learning and Education Officer Hana Namakavuli-Ichingwa said age or past setbacks should not be a barrier to learning.
Drawing from her personal experience, Namakavuli-Ichingwa said her journey into adult education began after working as a secretary in Nairobi for over ten years.
She said she resigned from her job at a Nairobi-based safari firm in 2006 to pursue her calling in education, volunteering as a self-help instructor in Kiambu District for three years while studying for a Teacher’s Certificate in Adult Education, examined by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
Namakavuli-Ichingwa said she joined the Directorate of Adult Education in 2009 and was posted to Kakamega in 2010, rising from an instructor to head of the sub-county office at Kakamega Central under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
She said the office runs three main programmes. These include basic literacy for learners with limited or no schooling; post-literacy programmes that build on basic skills through financial literacy, health education, digital skills and entrepreneurship; and continuing education for learners pursuing the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
The officer added that the sub-county office also operates a dedicated adult education desk at the Kakamega Huduma Centre, where illiterate or partially literate clients seeking government services are identified and referred to learning centres, with several success stories already recorded.
She noted that the office relies on strong partnerships to reach learners, including the Kakamega Multipurpose Development Institute, which provides learning and conferencing space, as well as faith-based organisations such as the Salvation Army and Landmark Baptist Church in Amalemba. Correctional facilities, including the Kakamega Children’s Remand Home, are also part of the programme’s outreach.
Ichingwa said the office also works closely with the sub-county education office on registration for national examinations and with the Ministry of Interior, including the Deputy County Commissioner, chiefs, sub-chiefs and village managers, to sensitise residents on available opportunities.
She urged parents, youth and elderly residents who never completed school to visit adult education centres or the Huduma Centre desk, noting that learning is a lifelong, non-formal process that continues at home, in church and in everyday life.
The officer called on community leaders, religious institutions, government agencies and well-wishers to support adult education, saying the programme restores dignity and transforms lives. She reiterated that it is never too late to learn.
By Annlinda Simiyu
