About Us

Kenya Drylands Education Fund (KDEF) mission is to improve educational opportunities for underserved populations in the drylands of Kenya.

Our Work

Menstrual Hygiene Kits Distributed

Schools Built

Full schools constructed with classrooms, quarters and kitchens.

Our Impact

Community Individuals impacted by KDEF

Our Impact

Students impact by KDEF Intiatives

Our Impact

The Kenya Drylands Education Fund (KDEF) was founded in 2010 by Sarah Hadden and Kura Omar, who met in Kenya and shared a deep commitment to transforming lives through education. Kura, a native of Northern Kenya and former co-founder of The BOMA Project, had dedicated over a decade to improving the livelihoods of pastoralist communities in Marsabit County. Sarah, a trained health educator with 21 years of experience, was deeply moved by the challenges faced by students in these arid regions, including widespread poverty and limited access to basic resources.

Recognizing education as the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, Sarah and Kura launched KDEF with the mission to provide educational opportunities for underserved populations, especially girls.

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Understanding the financial barriers to secondary education, KDEF also introduced an education scholarship program, enabling academically qualified but financially disadvantaged students to attend high-quality boarding schools. What began with just four students now supports dozens, offering four fully funded years of secondary education.

In addition to scholarships, KDEF promotes holistic student development through mentorship programs that address social issues, health concerns, and life skills. These gatherings foster a supportive community for students and their families.

KDEF has also expanded its impact through programs addressing water and sanitation challenges and a school feeding program to ensure students are healthy and ready to learn.

Based in Manchester, Vermont, Sarah serves as KDEF’s Executive Director, while Kura, an Aspen New Voices Fellow, leads as Country Director from Nanyuki, Kenya. Together, they remain steadfast in their mission to empower youth and build brighter futures in Kenya’s drylands.

Where We Work

KDEF operates in the drylands of Northern Kenya, focusing on Marsabit and Samburu Counties, a remote and arid region spanning 100,000 square kilometers (38,600 square miles). These lands are home to semi-nomadic pastoral communities who have raised livestock—cattle, goats, sheep, and camels—for generations. Within this deeply patriarchal society, men traditionally manage herds, women care for the homestead, and children assist with chores, often sacrificing education to do so. Girls, in particular, are more likely to drop out of school to help their mothers or enter arranged marriages.

Climate change is drastically reshaping this way of life. Cycles of severe drought and expanding desertification have made grazing lands scarce, forcing men to leave for months or migrate in search of work. This shift places new burdens on women, who must now raise livestock and earn incomes to support their families. These challenges also present an opportunity to empower women and improve access to educational opportunities for underserved populations, particularly girls.