|
Why is access to technology important? |
|
Technology is all around us today and can often be a significant leveller, offering people from any walk of life opportunities to develop new business ideas and gain access to jobs. However, exclusion from technology and broadband can become another entrenched disadvantage for the people living in areas like Kibera. Informal settlements all around the world are highly unlikely to ever recieve the same levels of broadband Internet access as their city neighbours - telephone cables are often poor quality and the central office exchange will normally be some distance away. So unless the community can become involved in delivering their own Internet services, people living in slums will have another disadvantage keeping them achieving equality with their city neighbours. Download our leaflet explaing what we are doing about it.  Kicoshep broadband - an introduction (106.39 KB)
|
|
|
Kenya is highly likely to become the technology hub for East Africa, and possibly one of only two such places in Sub-Saharan Africa. This will create fanatasic opportunities for Kenyans limited only by imagination. However, this progress may rapidly increase the gap between rich and poor if section of the population are digitally excluded. The key urban areas which will be excluded are the people living in the slums. But if everyone is not able to participate equally then Kenya wont be able to maximise the benefit of the shift to a knowledge economy - the economy wont grow as fast as it could and public funds will need to be diverted to the exluded rather than to support expansion for evertone. The people of Kibera are needed to help make Kenya a sustainable and successful knowledge economy. This is why Kicoshep is embarking on a series of community projects to put Kibera at the heart of the technology transition. |
|
|
The short answer is everyone! The country benefits because all Kenyans can participate in making Kenya a 21st century economy. And Kibera's people benefit through access to better education and income opportunities. More specifically, Kicoshep's initial goal is to work closely with sections of the community to explore how technology can make their work more efficient, less costly, or simply more innovative: - Schools
- Clinics
- The Church
- Other NGO's and Governmental organisations
We have prepared a short leaflet which explains what the programme aims to achieve and how it will work. It can be downloaded here. Kicoshep broadband - an introduction (106.39 KB) |
|
|
Kicoshep is using the skills and experience of UK organisation, the Community Broadband Network (CBN) , to help us to develop technology solutions with the community. Initially we plan to open an Internet cafe at our offices near Wilson Airport, develop our new website to offer new services for our community, and to start work on a community broadband network linking our community together. If you would like to know more about this work or can help us, please contact us through the website or email Adrian Wooster directly. |
|
|
Broadband 
