Broadband In Kenya: Small Steps For Big Rewards
The first broadband centre opened in Kenya earlier this year, but what effect will faster internet access have on a largely agricultural community, and how has the service been received so far?
So, how has the Kangundo PPC been received so far?
According to Connie, manager of the Kangundo Pasha Centre, the launch of the Pasha Centres has made a huge difference to the number of local users who visit on a daily basis. The majority of visitors to this particular Pasha Centre have been interested in using the service to access health information on malaria, TB and HIV prevention. As news of the Pasha Centre spreads, and IT skills improve, we hope that more people will be encouraged to visit and experience the benefits, over time, to their standard of living.
Currently, each customer of the Kangundo Pasha Centre can access email for five Kenya Shillings, or £0.04 per minute. The portal, established by the Kenya ICT Board will enable local content producers to contribute information to ensure the availability of relevant information specific to each Kenyan locality, with news provided by the Kenyan News Agency. It is expected that each Pasha Centre will employ one or two trained staff to guide customers in basic IT skills. Should customers wish to improve their ICT skills, they will be able to access online courses such as ‘IT Essentials’ (part of Cisco Networking Academy curricula). More technical modules are being made available, as well as a range of vocational training courses that will offer students the opportunity to gain practical skills and obtain online diplomas.
The capacity for online learning saves students and young children from having to walk miles every day to the nearest school; better access to information improves education, and the greater range of courses available enables more students to participate in further education. The Pasha trial project hopes to show how collaboration technologies can improve the overall adoption of some key drivers for sustainability (education, healthcare, new businesses). It also hopes to show how collaboration technologies (such as Cisco WebEx) can enable business executives to connect over the internet and avoid having to travel in Kenya’s heavily congested urban areas, also saving valued time during the business day.
In addition, farmers and other entrepreneurs in rural areas can reach new markets further afield; voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology could enable cheap or free long-distance calls; better access to health information will encourage people to learn how to prevent and treat life-threatening illnesses; and huge savings can be made on travel costs, which double or triple in bad weather when demand outstrips the services offered by Kenya’s limited privatised public services network.
Access to online resources improves quality of life
Soon it is hoped that people will be able to pay bills and fines, organise licenses, and eventually access land records online. Jamaa, who manages the Pasha Centre in Garissa, believes that services such as e-government (allowing users to obtain a passport at the click of a mouse), e-learning and e-health will be of most benefit to the community.
Cisco has organised a number of workshops to support and inspire the Pasha Centre owners. These workshops have helped managers, such as Connie, bring more people from rural areas into the online global community. Indeed, initial research indicates that the Kangundo locals are enthusiastic about accessing online resources, and Connie has noticed an increase in demand for new online services.
IT Essentials courses and other computer-based training solutions have proven popular; one of the next steps is to provide virtual examinations for diplomas in the field of vocational training.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and it is inspiring entrepreneurs such as Connie who are guiding the people of Kangundo to realise the benefits of a simple yet life-changing broadband connection.
Michele Castegnaro is director of ‘Emerging Africa’ at Cisco. Peter Drury is director of Internet Business Solutions Group at Cisco.
