Factors Influencing Education and Age at First Marriage in an Arid Region: The Case of the Borana of Marsabit district, Kenya

Abstract

The role of education in development is widely recognized in many countries. However, the value placed on formal education differs from one community to the next. In this paper I argue that among the Borana pastoralists of Marsabit District, Kenya, the value of formal education is based on wage-labor opportunities. High value placed on women's household labor and low accessibility to non-household employment places differential pressure on the education of Borana children. This leads to a higher dropout rate from school and earlier marriage for female than for the male children.