"Akai Lolimo clapping in time to a song at her 'school' in Turkana district, in northern Kenya. Though the children are very conscious of the camera, the image shows the pleasure that they take in learning their numbers and letters, however alien schooling is to their traditions.

In places like Turkana, the push for 'Education for All' is not simple. The only way that the Turkana can make a living from their drylands is by herding camels, cows, sheep and goats. This way of life does not fit in well with northern notions of schooling. A static school of bricks and mortar is not much use to a community that is frequently on the move. But more than that, children's work has always been an essential part of the life of herders. Girls will look after younger siblings and help with chores such as collecting water. Both girls and boys will help look after livestock. This too is part of their education, and makes them effective as herders. And if some do not grow up as herders, then their way of life will be at an end. Those who leave home to attend far-off schools usually become useless as herders. These children are often left in limbo, unable to go home, but insufficiently qualified to get a job in town. Not surprisingly, less than a third of Turkana's school-age children - and only 1 in 4 girls - attend primary school.

Akai's classroom is one of several that tries to bridge the gap between what the Turkana need to sustain their traditions, and what they will need to cope with the future in Kenya. The structure is of brushwood, built close to the children's homes. Classes are part-time and flexible, and children can bring younger siblings with them.

Oxfam, and the local Turkana leaders, support this venture. More than a thousand children are now at the schools, more than half of them girls."