Working with ICTs

AfriAfya has recognized the potential of ICTs in enhancing the delivery of health and development information to and from the communities. and has therefore endeavored to incorporate them in its work. We view ICTs as an important component of the community resource centers that broadens their functionality.

Each of the centers is equipped with a computer, a printer, a television, a video player, a digital camera, an audio tape recorder, a mobile phone and a World Space receiver. Majority of the sites are in areas where there is no electricity. This bottle-neck in running the resource centers has been overcome by the use of solar power technology, a practical alternative in Kenya, a country that straddles the equator. AfriAfya has facilitated successful installation of solar panels and batteries to power the ICTs in the centers.

Remarkably, our diverse communities have not only been able to apply ICTs to enhance access and delivery of information to their centers, but have also tailor-made them to suit their needs.

Working in skills development

One of the key pillars of AfriAfya’s work is the capacity building of community own resource people (CORPs) or change agents so that they are empowered to identify and collect health and development information requests and disseminate appropriate information that meet their communities’ needs.

Categories of community change agents that AfriAfya works with include healthcare workers, community health workers, teachers, outreach workers, traditional healers, community leaders, women’s group leaders and youth leaders.

Another important function of the change agents is that they act as catalysts for generating local and indigenous knowledge within their communities. The training we give them enables them to utilize the available ICTs to collect, repackage and disseminate both local and global information to their communities. AfriAfya has four broad categories of skills development training: