Thank you so much for your kind words Leonard. I am not quite sure there is a "secret", but the following have certainly helped greatly:
 
  1. A clear-headed analysis of the problem we wished to address, which turned out to be a multi-faceted challenge underpinned by a lack of resources;
  2. Crafting an integrated solution, that addresses the multifaceted challenge on a "one-stop shop" model;
  3. Truly and constantly listening to and engaging with the partners we seek to uplift, and inputing their feedback into our programmes;
  4. An uncompromising organisation-wide commitment to clearly defined and reasonable standards in all we do;
  5. A rare organisational esprit de corps driven by a caring and unassuming chief executive and powered by an incredibly enthusiastic, fired-up and innovative young staff;
  6. Finally, building strategic partnerships with partners that share our vision and feel for our mission - whoever they may be, wherever they are: Government, private sector, civil society, etc.
 Leonard, the Government -  particularly in the last five or so years - has done a tremendous amount of work to promote ICT: removing a great proportion of taxes previously chargeable on computers; establishing a Directorate of eGovernment within the pivotal Cabinet Office in the Office of the President; allocating a quantum of funds for ICT integration in the budgetary provisions for all Ministries; establishing the ICT Board; etc. And at CFSK we have enjoyed enormous goodwill and moral support from the GoK, including space to host a number of our Regional Centres. However, we do wish we could also get a budgetary allocation - it would enable us to tremendously upscale and outscale our operations, and we have proven worthy of this I dare say! And we also wish there were many more Dr Bitange Ndemos in the upper echelons of the Civil Service and more ICT-saavy Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament!
 
My feeling is that the Government's challenge has been failing to work with existing programmes that have proven their worth, as opposed to establishing its own programmes that replicate those other programmes - often without the benefit of the expertise and responsive structures that characterise these non-governmental programmes (an absolute essential in this dynamic field).
 
I also feel that the Government is often hampered by a lack of personal buy-in from the officers that are directly responsible for implementation - irrespective of what the "high-up policy" may be. A computer literate officer, addicted and dependent on his computer like most of us out here are would be a most enthusiastic proponent for more ICTs (from their personal appreciation of the same) than the illiterate officer who is merely attempting to implement policy but has no personal experience or appreciation of the same!
 
Then of course the Government has to take a bird's eye view of the needs of the nation, requiring delicate balancing given the limited resources available. The tunnel vision - worms-eye view? - of sector players like ourselves may limit our appreciation of the other demands made on the Government; leading us to question their failure to do more in our particular sector. Our demand should be that the public resources allocated to our particular sector are put to the best possible use, creating the greatest good for the greatest number of people - which of course is not always the case!
 
In response to your last query I dare say there is a place for both policy advocacy and implementation CSOs in this sector. But at CFSK we firmly believe in an integrated approach - we implement as we advocate! Subsequently the kind of advocacy we engage in is firmly informed by the practical hands-on experience we have garnered in the trenches! And I can tell you the differences between desk-bound advocacy and that driven from the battle front can be startling! Just one example - the value of refurb computers which many desk-bound advocates will dismiss as digital trash and eWaste dumping while those of us who are out in the schools and community centre's know that these computers will do everything a brand new computer can do and for quite a long period of time (albeit a little slower) given the NEEDS of the partners we work with and the limited resources available to them.
 
I regret Leonard that there has been no large scale impact assesment of CFSK's work. But from anecdotal evidence, we know it is immense - every child leaving a CFSK school is a potential lifetime computer user, every teacher/principal who has been through the CFSK training programmes is an ICT integrator ready to go - and there are numerous thousands of each; both categories are potential clients of computer sellers and internet service providers; and all are converts to the Information Age that will preach this gospel to others, bringing them on stream too. We firmly believe that introducing ICTs in a big way in the youth intensive environments is the ultimate gateway to ICT in national life. And of course ICT is a great empowerer of young people, and ICT and entrepreneurship form a natural partnership for employment and wealth creation in an enabling environment. Technopreneurship - especially for a country such as ours with very limited known natural resources to drive traditional industrialisation - must be the primary medium-term conduit to Vision 2030. And we believbe the work of CFSK has contributed greatly to this.
 
IDRC will in the near future publish a study of our work, but it will focus on our first two and a half years or so. We hope to gather the resources for a broader study in the not too distant future - particularly focussing on impact, not just statistics.
 
 
Fredrick Okono           
Deputy Director                           
 
Computers for Schools Kenya 
Semco Business Park | Unit 1, Mombasa Road | P.O. Box 48584-00100 | Nairobi , Kenya |
Tel:254(0)202060919, Tel/Fax: 254 (0)20 2060920 Mobile (0)723-527106|Email:fredokono@cfsk.org|Website: www.cfsk.org    
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Leonard Mware
To: Fred Okono ; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2008 8:16 PM
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Civil Society Roles (activities, motives & challenges) Day 4 of 10

Thanks Fred for your excellent contribution. As one of the main players in ICT4D , CFSK has been visible indeed. The achievements as mentioned by you indicates that your contribution as an "Implementing" civil society has been more successful than what the government have achieved in the same area over time.

My question then is: What is the secret? What hinders the public sector (government) from moving effectively like your selfs? I mean, in terms of resources MoE has more than CFSK.

Question two: Is there any impact assessment of the CFSKs rollout? Can you share some of the critcal findings?

 

Lastly, we have another category of Civil Society (that includes KICTANET) involved in policy advocacy rather than implementation. Which of the two in your view is more relevant? the "implementing" civil society (less talk) or the "policy advocacy" civil society. It is said some countries are so efficient in churning out policy documents but very little is taking place on the ground. It also said that some Civil Societies in the name of advocacy hinder developement by over "advocating" issues such as environment and human rights.
I want to suggest to the forum that Kicatenet should now come out strongly advocating for the implementation of the policies that it has helped nurture in Kenya.
 
Leonard
 
 

 

 



----- Original Message ----
From: Fred Okono <fredokono@cfsk.org>
To: mleonardo@yahoo.com
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2008 2:58:48 PM
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Civil Society Roles (activities, motives & challenges) Day 4 of 10

Hi Everybody!

We at CFSK are actively involved in taking ICT to the people - specifically
what we call youth intensive environments: educational & training
institutions and community information access & resource centres.

We are engaged in all the activities comprising the digital pipeline, from
acquisition and placement of computers; through sensitisation,
training,content development, evaluation and certification; to
environmentally friendly and sustainable disposal of decommissioned
computers and related equipment.

In the five and a half years we have been in existence, we have placed well
over fifteen thousand computers in over five hundred institutions; and
offered training (ranging from simple user proficiency to professional-level
competence) to thousands of teachers and institutional managers. Our work
has touched over half a million youth, and since we mainly work with
resource-poor communities many of them would otherwise not have had the
opportunity but for our intervention.

Having started off with a staff of three volunteers housed in a single room
at Starehe Boys' Centre, CFSK now has over 70 highly-motivated mainly young
people working towards its mission, distributed in eight centres around the
country.

We are an example of communities, private sector corporations, national and
international civil society and government working together to transform the
lives of communities that are often marginalised and suffering endemic
poverty with no apparent means to escape the vicious cycle in which they
find themselves.

Amongst locally-based organisations that have been pivotal in the CFSK story
are IDRC (that supported the pilot phase and has been with us ever since -
and without whom we simply wouldn't exist!); Microsoft (who enable us to
provide legitimate sofware for every single computer we place); the
Safaricom Foundation (which has directly worked with us to bring computers
to 80 schools around the country and indirectly in many other areas);
AccessKenya Group who have also been with us right from the beginning and
whose support through quality Internet access is invaluable; Kenya Airways;
Barclays Bank; Cadbury's; Unilever; Total Oil; Kenya Airways; AfricaOnLine;
Nation Newspapers; Hewlett Packard and many other partners in Kenya.
Internationally, ComputerAid International, Digital Links International,
FAIR Norway, Siso, Partners Worldwide, Computers for Schools Canada,
Computers for Development (Nertherlands) and many others have also supported
us.

The model that CFSK operates on is considered an exemplar of sustainable
provision of ICTs to resource-challenged communities, and active efforts are
ongoing in many African countries to replicate the same. Indeed, the Rwanda
ICT miracle has been significantly fuelled by lessons they picked from CFSK!

That ICT is the greatest development facilitator available to Kenya today as
we aspire for NIC status by 2030 cannot be overemphasised. We at CFSK hope
to continue to make our small contribution towards the realisation of that
noble vision - and we are keen to partner with one and all working for the
same!

Fred


Fredrick Okono Deputy
Director --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computers for Schools Kenya Semco Business Park | Unit 1, Mombasa Road |
P.O. Box 48584-00100 | Nairobi , Kenya | Tel:254(0)202060919, Tel/Fax: 254
(0)20 2060920 Mobile (0)723-527106|Email:fredokono@cfsk.org|Website:
www.cfsk.org
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Walubengo" <jwalu@yahoo.com>
To: <fredokono@cfsk.org>
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2008 11:54 AM
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Civil Society Roles (activities,motives &
challenges) Day 4 of 10


Thanx Jose and Louis, we are actually on Day 4 but I got
caught up in my 'real-life' duties ;-).

Anyway it is instructive to note that most of the Civil
Society chaps have suddenly gone quiet - IDRC, AeRC,
KICTAnet, FOSSFA amongst others.  I hope it wont set a bad
precedent for the Private sector tomorrow...

Let's hear more on that above please.

walu.
--- "Othieno, Louis" <LOthieno@ke.peacecorps.gov> wrote:

> Hi all
>
> Every year the ICT programme at the U.S.Peace Corps
> receives and assigns about 8 American ICT professionals
> to work for up to 2 years on Voluntary basis with ICT
> ventures across Kenya. Their skills vary. Some are
> trained and experienced in hardware maintenance and
> networking, while others are programmers and experienced
> in setting up huge and complex databases. Some are
> involved in teaching basic ICT skills while others are
> computer graphics designers and web-developers and
> programmers -including establishment of e-commerce
> enabled websites for small businesses and co-operatives.
> A number have worked on programming in wireless
> environments -to take advantage of the wide cellphone
> coverage in Kenya
>
> Computers for Schools - earlier mentioned, is one of the
> Peace Corps clients. Others are Land O Lakes -which is
> currently beta-testing a program known as co-op works
> created with assistance from FAO. Co-op works is an ICT
> platform that integrates all aspects of running a dairy
> co-operative, and with minor modifications will work for
> other kinds of co-operatives as well. Peace Corps
> Volunteers were involved in programming the software for
> drumnet - also earlier mentioned. Peace Corps Volunteers
> were assigned to support a pilot effort in Western Kenya
> to bring Internet Connectivity wirelessly to 20 schools
> within a 15 km radius using refurbished satellite
> equipment from Eastern Europe, and then deliver
> interactive education content through this means
>
> The Peace Corps does not directly advance its own ICT
> agenda. Rather it supports efforts to make ICTs more
> relevant and impactful upon the lives of rural
> populations - especially low income segments of this
> population - whether the impact is long-term (as in
> education) or short term e.g. an e-commerce enabled
> website for Malindi Handicrafts co-operative society.
> Volunteers also share their ideas about opportunities to
> deploy ICT for the benefit of poor rural populations in
> the hope that some local institution might get interested
> and "sponsor" the prototyping and testing of the idea
>
> Cheers all
>
> Louis
>
> ________________________________
>
> From:
>
kictanet-bounces+lothieno=ke.peacecorps.gov@lists.kictanet.or.ke
>
[mailto:kictanet-bounces+lothieno=ke.peacecorps.gov@lists.kictanet.or.ke]
> On Behalf Of Jose'
> Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 6:03 PM
> To: Othieno, Louis
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> Subject: [kictanet] Civil Society Roles
> (activities,motives & challenges) Day 3 of 10
>
>
> Greetings Walu and all,
> It happens that am in the workshop with Mr.Hare.
> Kimathi Information Centre based in Kamukunji
> constituency and its offices in Kimathi Estate;
>
> ACTIVITIES
> 1)Uses computers as a tool in catalyzing Macro n Micro
> businesses to get skills on how to use office based
> programs.
>
>  2)Offer trainings/workshops for Ideas,Macro & Micro
> enterprise on how to write business plans,letters and
> business etiquette.(August trainings registration open.We
> are in partnership with University of British Columbia).
>
>  3)We provide convenience to the community inhabitants in
> offering Internet based services as its main
> sustainability model.
>
> CHALLENGES
>
> 1) Convincing the stakeholders to fund initiatives
> e.g,Workshops/Symposiums.
> 2) Poor Internet connectivity.Unfortunately its our
> sustainability model.
> 3)Capacity building on training staff on changing trends
> in the ICT field.However its important to note that this
> issue is being addressed by stakeholders like Kictanet
> and ICTBOARD.
>  Regards,
> José.
>
>
>
> > _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
> kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>
> This message was sent to: jwalu@yahoo.com
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>
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>





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