About VVOB in Kenya

Kenya is undertaking one of the most ambitious education reforms in Africa with the Competency-Based Education, designed to nurture critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving. For these reforms to succeed, school leaders must be able to guide teachers in shifting from a traditional, exam-driven model to learner-centred approaches. Yet a national training needs assessment in 2022 revealed that many school leaders did not feel ready to mentor teachers through this change. 

Classrooms also continue to reflect entrenched gender norms: girls are often discouraged from pursuing mathematics, science and technology subjects, while boys face pressure to conform to restrictive ideas of masculinity that discourage emotional expression. These systemic challenges show that curriculum reform cannot succeed without parallel investments in effective school leadership and gender-transformative pedagogy. 

VVOB in Kenya works with the Ministry of Education and the Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI) through the Implementing National Curriculum Reforms through App-Based Learning for School Leaders in Secondary Education (INCREASE) programme. INCREASE strengthens instructional leadership among junior school leaders, enabling them to organise high-quality, school-based professional development for teachers. This supports the effective implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) and embeds sustainable professional development structures through a nationwide blended learning approach. 

VVOB in Kenya also contributes to two regional initiatives: 

• The Regional Teachers’ Initiative for Africa (RTIA), a multi-country inititiave aimed at strengthening teacher support systems and promoting gender-responsive pedagogy across Africa. The project is being implemented in Kenya, South Africa and Ghana with Kenya hosting the Regional Hub. In Kenya, RTIA collaborates with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) while the regional side partners with Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE). This initiative aligns with Kenya's commitment to enhancing the quality of education and ensuring that teaching practices are inclusive for all learners. 
• Teach2Empower, implemented in partnership with Enabel and APEFE, promotes foundational learning, green and digital skills and gender equity through strengthened teacher competencies. The project aims to improve learning outcomes and socio-emotional development among African learners. VVOB’s contribution particularly addresses persistent gender inequalities by equipping educators with the skills and tools to create equitable, empowering learning environments where all children can thrive and become active, responsible citizens in green, digital and gender-equal societies. 

Through the INCREASE programme, more than 1,000 junior school leaders across 21 counties have already benefited from three cohorts of app-based blended Continuous Professional Development (CPD). The Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI) is now integrating this app-based blended CPD approach into its structures and school leaders already applying their learning to support teachers in implementing the Competency-Based Education. In parallel, Kenya’s engagement in regional platforms on gender-transformative and green education is positioning the country as a source of knowledge and practice beyond its borders. These shifts show how VVOB helps national partners turn ambitious reforms into sustainable system change.

Kenya stands at a pivotal moment. By investing in school leadership, the country is shaping a generation of school leaders who can translate policy into practice and make the Competency-Based Education a reality in every classroom. By advancing gender-transformative pedagogy, Kenya is ensuring that girls and boys alike can participate fully and develop the skills they need for life and work. Through initiatives like Teach2Empower, Kenya is also connecting its reforms to wider African and global agendas on climate change and gender equality. 

VVOB works with national partners to make these ambitions sustainable. Together we are strengthening professional development structures, aligning curriculum with practice and generating evidence that informs education policy. The result is more than the delivery of projects: it is a resilient education system, owned by Kenya’s institutions, that can adapt to future challenges and give every learner the opportunity to thrive. 

Guided by our values of quality, integrity, respect, commitment and innovation, we work with: 

• The Ministry of Education
• The Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI)
• The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD)
• The Teachers Service Commission (TSC)
• The Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA)
• The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE)
• The European Union, Enabel, APEFE, UNESCO and the African Union Commission through the Regional Teachers’ Initiative for Africa and Teach2Empower

Kenya’s reforms are showing how effective school leadership and green and gender-transformative pedagogy — two of VVOB’s Learning Unlimited flagships — can drive systemic change. If you are a policymaker, donor, researcher or civil society organisation and want to explore collaboration, we invite you to reach out. 

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