Computers for Schools Kenya-Propelling Kenya in the Digital Age
Computers for Schools Kenya (CFSK), is a charitable non-governmental organization registered under the Kenya Non-Governmental Organizations Co-ordination Act. Our headquarter offices are located at Queensway House, Kaunda Street, 3rd Floor, Nairobi Kenya. We have Regional Centres hosted by various institutions country-wide. These Regional Centres are located in various parts of the country; Kakamega, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nyeri, Meru, Machakos, Embu, Nairobi and Mombasa.
Our vision is the establishment of an information-rich Society actively participating in sustainable development. We hope to help achieve this by facilitating the development of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and capacity in educational and training institutions as well as community information access & resource centres.
In the ten years that we have been in existence, CFSK has sourced over 50,000 Personal Computers that we have deployed in well over 3,500 Public Secondary and Primary schools, Technical Training Institutes, Teacher Training Colleges, Medical Training Centres and several Universities. We also operate a comprehensive preventive and curative maintenance programme for these computers to ensure they are fully operational all the time upon deployment. In a number of these institutions, we have also placed power generators, Internet access and the World Space Direct Media Service. We have successfully developed digital multimedia teaching/ learning resources specifically intended for our national Secondary School curriculum – providing both teachers and students with an invaluable modern tool that makes learning fun and stimulating. We have also developed software tools for school management.We have also carried out training for over 12,000 heads of schools and Education Officers, teachers and tutors, and members of Schools’ Boards of Governors and Parents/Teachers Associations.
Our organisational and operational model has been recognised as an exemplar, with ongoing efforts to replicate the same in other African countries. In 2007 and 2008 we won the African ICT Achievers Award for Top Civil Society Organisation to Bridge the Digital Divide in Africa. In July 2010, the Executive Director, was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Humanities and in consideration of excellence in governance by the United Graduate College and Seminary for his contribution to humanity (facilitating access to technology and learning resources to the rural poor and marginalized groups).
CFSK is a partnership of communities, private sector corporations, civil society organizations, and international charities and development partners working together for the long-term good of the nation. We have established and signed working MOU’s with MOE, KIE, KCB Foundation, Safaricom Foundation, Barclays Bank, Microsoft, KDN, Access Kenya, KQ, Computer Aid International, Partners World Wide, e.t.c. Our considerable success is a directly attributable to this close partnership, as a result of which an estimated 2,000,000 young Kenyans now have access to information and communication technologies.
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The need to create an information rich society has prompted us to register Digital Pipeline Africa, so as to replicate Computers for Schools organizational and operational model in 11 African countries. This is with an aim of creating sustainable E-waste management practices and empowering education institutions, Organizations and communities to bridge the digital divide.
About You
About You
First Name
Dr. Tom
Last Name
Musili
Your role in education
Other.
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Computers for Schools Kenya
Organization Website
Organization Country
United States, Nairobi
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
References - Please provide two references with a two-sentence biography, email address, and phone number for each
Innovation
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Scaling (the next step will be growing impact on a regional or even global scale)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
There is a growing need in the area of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in education, the use of ICTs in the context of information society hinges largely upon having a population that can use them, which implies that all will need to acquire the skills needed to use them. That is, they should be educated and computer-literate. However, this poses a great challenge in the context of developing countries. Even in the contexts of some developing countries where there has been remarkable growth in the IT industry, there are large pockets of population that are as yet untouched by the computers,the Internet and other modern ICTs.The need in schools
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Our Solution is
1. Acquisition of Computers from International Partners
2. Refurbishment of the Computers
3. Allocation of the Machines to Educational Institutions, and Organizations
4. Networking and Maintenance of the Machines
5. Training various users in IT Proficiency
6. Setting up e-waste Management Centers to safely dispose the machines and other electronic appliances in an environmental friendly manner once they reached their end of life.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
The core activities of the organisation include sourcing, refurbishing and deploying quality pre-owned and new computers in educational & training institutions, and in community information access & resource centres, providing comprehensive technical support, user training and maintenance to ensure optimum usage and productivity of the machines as well as training and management of electronic waste in a sustainable manner that safeguards both public health and the environment.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Our main Competitors are other ICT equipment providers who sell for profit to Organizations and Schools. They have retail outlets and sell new ICT equipment.
Computers for Schools operational model is unique since we differentiate with our competitors by offering Computers at a cheaper prices,making sure they are up to date with technology through maintenance, Training users on ICT proficiency and disposing off end of life computers in a safe, environmental friendly manner.
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 | 50 weeks ago Tom Musili updated this Competition Entry. |
| 50 weeks ago Tom Musili submitted this idea. |
