The study entitled ‘The education of nomadic peoples in East Africa’ was commissioned by the African Development Bank, financed by a Japanese Trust Fund, and carried out in 2001-2002 by the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP/UNESCO), in collaboration with the International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA/UNESCO) and the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office of UNICEF (ESARO). The study focused on Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It has provided a comprehensive and rare insight into the challenges, constraints and opportunities for using education as part of an intersectoral approach to meet the development needs of nomadic communities. The study presents a comprehensive range of issues useful for purposes of both policy formulation and practical intervention. The key lessons and recommendations relate principally to the following: the development of national policies and programmes to effectively respond to the socio-economic needs of nomadic children; the identification of existing and potential resources and opportunities for improving human development services and living conditions of nomadic populations; and the strengthening of the capacity of central and local government authorities to design and implement targeted interventions for poverty reduction and educational development.
