Wezesha Laptop Campaign abused
The Wezesha Laptop Campaign was a noble initiative to give students the chance to acquire laptops at subsidized rates. It is therefore saddening when I heard from several students that the vouchers worth KES. 10,000 are being re-sold at between KES. 2,500 and KES. 3,000. This is down to two factors: 1. the failure by well meaning students to acquire the vouchers within the registration period 2. the infiltration of the initiative by businessmen who use student proxies to buy the laptops at the subsidized rates and later resell them at a profit It is therefore very likely that a number of the 15,000 plus laptops will find their way back into the market and not benefit the intended recipients. How can the next initiative be structured to meet these challenges? Regards, Harry Karanja n Director n SoftLaw Limited n Genius Executive Centre n 15th Floor View Park Towers n Utalii Lane n Nairobi CBD n Tel: +254 20 342 225
On the downlow, there are other initiatives coming up which will enable all Kenyan youth to access technology. The idea came from exactly the problems you are stating. Several of our university interns were not able to get laptops due to bureaucracy. The question is what other enterprises are willing to do to ensure universal access to tech. I invite others to share in the discussion. Crystal On Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 8:47 AM, Harry Karanja <kairo@softlaw.co.ke> wrote:
The Wezesha Laptop Campaign was a noble initiative to give students the chance to acquire laptops at subsidized rates. It is therefore saddening when I heard from several students that the vouchers worth KES. 10,000 are being re-sold at between KES. 2,500 and KES. 3,000. This is down to two factors:
1. the failure by well meaning students to acquire the vouchers within the registration period
2. the infiltration of the initiative by businessmen who use student proxies to buy the laptops at the subsidized rates and later resell them at a profit
It is therefore very likely that a number of the 15,000 plus laptops will find their way back into the market and not benefit the intended recipients. How can the next initiative be structured to meet these challenges?
Regards,
*Harry Karanja **n** **Director** **n** **SoftLaw Limited** **n** **Genius Executive Centre** **n** **15th Floor View Park Towers* * **n** **Utalii Lane** **n** **Nairobi CBD** **n** **Tel: +254 20 342 225** *
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Hi, The only way to make sure that the funds go to the intended use would be to design a laptop specifically for the students with a clearly definable colour and shape so as to reduce its leaking into the commercial sector. On completing their degree the students should be required to sell off to another student still in session. Lets also not forget that to many students a meal is more important than the laptop and since they cannot raise the difference to get the laptop it is only logical that they would sell the vouchers thus creating a secondary market where those with laptops can provide time share. This was a copy and paste initiative which did not take into consideration the fact that many of our university students fall into the bracket of the poor and 2,500/- is a lot of money and if the student is doing humanities really what does he need a laptop for yet his phone can get him comfortably and lighter to the social sites. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 ________________________________ From: Harry Karanja <kairo@softlaw.co.ke> To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Wed, 23 February, 2011 8:47:05 Subject: [kictanet] Wezesha Laptop Campaign abused The Wezesha Laptop Campaign was a noble initiative to give students the chance to acquire laptops at subsidized rates. It is therefore saddening when I heard from several students that the vouchers worth KES. 10,000 are being re-sold at between KES. 2,500 and KES. 3,000. This is down to two factors: 1. the failure by well meaning students to acquire the vouchers within the registration period 2. the infiltration of the initiative by businessmen who use student proxies to buy the laptops at the subsidized rates and later resell them at a profit It is therefore very likely that a number of the 15,000 plus laptops will find their way back into the market and not benefit the intended recipients. How can the next initiative be structured to meet these challenges? Regards, Harry Karanja nDirectornSoftLaw LimitednGenius Executive Centren15th Floor View Park Towers nUtalii LanenNairobi CBDnTel: +254 20 342 225
Guys, This is quite a complex issue. There are so many ways in reality and in our imagination that the effort is being abused. There is also clear benefits supporting the intentions of the project. On a loosely connected note, *Wayan Vota*, a reknown expert in ICT and Education in conjunction with the *mlab east africa* will be facilitating a discussion themed '*Computers in schools - wouldn't smartphones be better?*' next week at the *iHub. The event will be specifically at 9-11am on Friday 4th March. The event link is shared below http://goo.gl/Df0Oa As many of you as could contribute to this debate are invited. Regards mlab manager On Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 1:57 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Hi,
The only way to make sure that the funds go to the intended use would be to design a laptop specifically for the students with a clearly definable colour and shape so as to reduce its leaking into the commercial sector. On completing their degree the students should be required to sell off to another student still in session.
Lets also not forget that to many students a meal is more important than the laptop and since they cannot raise the difference to get the laptop it is only logical that they would sell the vouchers thus creating a secondary market where those with laptops can provide time share.
This was a copy and paste initiative which did not take into consideration the fact that many of our university students fall into the bracket of the poor and 2,500/- is a lot of money and if the student is doing humanities really what does he need a laptop for yet his phone can get him comfortably and lighter to the social sites.
Regards
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
------------------------------ *From:* Harry Karanja <kairo@softlaw.co.ke> *To:* robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk *Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> *Sent:* Wed, 23 February, 2011 8:47:05 *Subject:* [kictanet] Wezesha Laptop Campaign abused
The Wezesha Laptop Campaign was a noble initiative to give students the chance to acquire laptops at subsidized rates. It is therefore saddening when I heard from several students that the vouchers worth KES. 10,000 are being re-sold at between KES. 2,500 and KES. 3,000. This is down to two factors:
1. the failure by well meaning students to acquire the vouchers within the registration period
2. the infiltration of the initiative by businessmen who use student proxies to buy the laptops at the subsidized rates and later resell them at a profit
It is therefore very likely that a number of the 15,000 plus laptops will find their way back into the market and not benefit the intended recipients. How can the next initiative be structured to meet these challenges?
Regards,
*Harry Karanja **n** **Director** **n** **SoftLaw Limited** **n** **Genius Executive Centre** **n** **15th Floor View Park Towers* * **n** **Utalii Lane** **n** **Nairobi CBD** **n** **Tel: +254 20 342 225** *
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participants (4)
-
Crystal Watley Kigoni -
Harry Karanja -
John Kieti -
robert yawe