to education for Shona children and youth. Policy interventions must incorporate gender-responsive approaches that address barriers faced by women and girls, which include early marriage and the disproportionate responsibility of domestic work. These barriers limit their economic and empowerment opportunities, and thereby trap them in a cycle of poverty. Notably, increasing access to education among the Shona population will be crucial in reducing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 40. Strengthening job-related skills, increasing work opportunities, and understanding barriers to formal employment can help improve living standards among the Shona community. An estimated 74 percent of the Shona working-age population are employed, compared to 69 percent at the urban national level. Despite having a higher employment rate, the Shona community is poorer than Kenyan nationals (53 percent vs. 36 percent). About 8 in 10 employed Shona people are self-employed, although, as reflected by their poverty rate, earnings from such employment may not be enough to cover their basic needs. Strengthening job-related skills through programs linked to work opportunities can be instrumental in increasing employment rates and addressing market needs. In addition, the higher literacy rate among the Shona, especially in Kenya’s official languages, is a job skill that can be used to boost their employment opportunities, while constituting a tool in advocating for their citizenship. Furthermore, a deeper understanding of barriers to formal employment can help inform targeted policies to improve livelihoods. Such an understanding can be accomplished by undertaking additional studies on livelihoods and employment among stateless communities. 41. Investing in health, education, and livelihood strategies can help mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence from the Kenya RRPS shows that most Shona community members report lower access to health facilities than before the COVID-19 outbreak, mainly due to fear of getting infected with the virus. Ensuring access to safe health care for non-COVID-19-related health concerns can help reduce the risk of overwhelming the health system and future health crises (due to not addressing non-COVID-19-related health problems). While most Shona children are engaged in some form of learning activities, the main mediums for learning raise questions on their effectiveness. Providing homeschooling materials and increasing access to e-learning can support children’s education and prevent students from falling behind. Employment rates, earnings, and business revenues have sharply dropped. Targeted cash transfers, increased access to financial services, and information campaigns on existing support programs can help reduce impacts on livelihoods. 42. Recognizing and registering the Shona stateless community can have a great impact on their socioeconomic lives and livelihood opportunities. The lack of identity documents has been the greatest obstacle to fully access basic human rights such as education, health, and employment among the Shona community in Kenya. Identity documentation requirements to enroll in primary school and transition to secondary education can force Shona community children to drop out of school. As a survival mechanism, some parents have made arrangements with “Kenyan parents” so that their children could continue school. However, this is an unsustainable option that is not available for all. Moreover, the lack of national identity documents prevents the Shona community from accessing formal employment and leaves them with no option but to engage in informal work and utilize the services of middlemen, where they are often exploited. Even though the Kenyan government has taken steps to address the issue by establishing a national taskforce for the identification and registration of eligible stateless persons as Kenyan citizens, a significant amount of work still lies ahead. Direct government interventions, and further advocacy can support integration of this community into social services, the formal labor market, and ultimately, the socioeconomic development of the nation. Conclusions and Recommendations 10183_Shona Report.indd 31  31 12/22/20 5:42 AM