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There are currently 75 million children excluded from primary education in the developing world and girls are far more likely to miss out than boys. There are 18 million girls out of school in sub-Saharan Africa alone.

Why?

• Families are more likely to pull their daughters out of school than their sons when they need to boost the household income by saving on school expenses.
• With many causes of blindness, such as onchocerciasis (river blindness) caring for a family member who has gone blind also forces children – more often than not girls - to drop out of school.

Elizabeth's story

Elizabeth Lokooli is one of the lucky ones. Education is so important for disabled women and girls as it provides access to information, brings them into contact with other students, increases their confidence and encourages them to assert their rights. Without a basic education, their chances for employment are almost nil.

Born in Lowareng’ak in North Turkana, Kenya, Elizabeth attended Namorotot Primary School before she started having serious visual difficulties. If it had not been for the intervention of Sightsavers partner the Kenya Society for the Blind (KSB), Elizabeth could have become one of the 90% of children with disabilities in the developing world who are sadly missing out on an education.

Elizabeth was referred Katilu Integrated Primary School, so she could continue her studies alongside sighted children, while receiving extra support from a specialist teacher.

She is exceptionally bright and was soon one of the best students in her class. She sat her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams in 2008 and emerged the 2nd top student in her school. Now 17, Elizabeth attends an integrated school called Moi Nairobi Girls School, where she boards at a hostel during term time.

She has made lots of new friends and has now adjusted so well to her new environment she rarely needs to use her white cane to get around. Her favourite subjects are history, languages and religious studies, and she hopes to become a teacher when she has finished her studies, so that she can help other children with visual impairments to learn.