• The Kisumu government directly supported 15 schools out of the total number of schools identified for the project.
• The partnership is one of many initiatives launched in the region to bridge the gap by connecting schools.
Image: DICKENS WASONGA
Three counties have partnered with an NGO to promote digital learning in rural schools through enhanced internet connectivity.
The initiative is being implemented in 50 schools in Kisumu, Siaya and Homa Bay counties.
The Kisumu government directly supported 15 schools out of the total number of schools identified for the project.
Besides availing signals to identified schools, the partnership also carries out digital literacy empowerment among the youth and teachers in rural areas.
Africa Higher Education Research Institute (AHERI) director Robert Owino said the partnership with the three regional governments also targets county and national government officials and informal settlements.
In Kisumu, the initiative was piloted in Obunga and Nyalenda slums.
The two slums in Kisumu have been connected to the public internet initiative to empower the youth.
Young people in these areas now have a platform to create content and be self-employed.
“Within those areas where internet connection has been made available, there’s already uptake of internet for development," Owino said.
Traders are also able to connect and promote their businesses online.
“We are glad this initiative has introduced the concept of e-commerce at the very basic level and we hope it will reach more small-scale traders in rural and informal settlements," he said.
The partnership is one of many initiatives launched in the region to bridge the gap by connecting schools.
“We are looking at the internet as a basic human right. Just like we have last mile for water and electricity. We are also considering internet connectivity to this model,” Owino said.
He said the internet has been identified as a good catalyst for development and appealed to other institutions in the region to partner with AHERI to develop local solutions to problems afflicting the country.
“Some 3.5 billion people are not yet connected to the internet globally. Schools are adversely affected. In Kenya, for example, learning was halted due to Covid-19. The situation was aggravated by lack of connectivity to support virtual learning,” he said.
The initiative, whose pilot phase began in June and ended in October, is already bearing fruit with these areas realising a reduction in crime.
Norwegian-based Basin Internet Foundation and Dent Wireless funded the pilot phase of the initiative.
Owino said the roll-out of the project will be done soon and will be implemented within two years, targeting 1,000 schools.
He made the remarks during the third conference on research partnerships development in Kisumu on Friday.
The one-day conference brought together industry players, academia, and officials from the two levels of government to discuss partnerships that support higher education.
“A rapid assessment report has been done, which will inform the baseline for the project. We are discussing with partners on how to upscale the programme,” Owino said.
The pilot phase identified gaps including infrastructural challenges.
“Internet connectivity is a serious challenge in some remote areas where signals are lacking. Some schools do not have electricity and computer labs," he said.
Shortage of teachers was also identified as a gap.
“We bring signals to the identified schools. The criteria is that they must have electricity, a base station,” he said.
The initiative uses LT radios which access signals faster and better than mobile phones.
Kisumu Deputy Governor Mathews Owili said the county government has partnered with institutions of higher learning to ensure innovations get the required attention.
“For the last four years, in all exhibitions held in Kisumu, we have seen various innovations that require the attention of government and private sector so that innovators and their ideas can be rolled out to reality,” Owili said.
He said the county government has pumped in Sh10 million towards the building of an innovation centre at Kisumu Rotary Club.
The centre will provide the required and necessary equipment that will link the innovators and other organisations, both locally and internationally.
Edited by A.N