[18 July 2008: Nairobi, Kenya] Kicoshep open their first ICT resource centre in the Kibera slums. The centre, opened with the help and support of CBN, will provide a range of scarce and much needed technology services to the local community ranging from simple access through an affordable cyber-cafe to ICT training and the development of the first broadband network in the slums.

Adrian Wooster invited to plant a tree for the new centre

Set up as an NGO to combat the impacts of AIDS on the Kibera community, Kicoshep already supports local people in a variety of income generation schemes with over 100 sustainable projects already underway. The new centre builds on that progress, opening up new opportunities for the community to trade with greater Nairobi and even the rest of the world.

Sophie Donde with children helped by Kicoshep

The opening of the ICT Centre provides new tools and opportunities for the women to develop their businesses with the aim of eventually developing an ecommerce site for the mothers to trade with the world. Today running ecommerce services from Kenya is at best very challenging but these children and their mothers are well placed to be among the first online entrepeneurs in the region.

Many of the children will go on to attend Kicoshep's primary school where Stephen Oyoo has been trained to teach the children ICT; each week students will attend a lesson with Stephen at the centre, benefiting from the larger number of computers and the fast internet connection.

When he's not at the school, Stephen will be helping Kim, the centre manager, to run adult training classes.

The first in the queue for his help were the local policemen as word spread fast about the new facilities.

Kicoshep Miwani near Lake Victoria

Miwani is a very rural location where the only real employment opportunity is growing sugar cane or refining it in the local factory. The local economy has taken the brunt of the regions many blows, most recently after the political unrest following the presidential elections. An ICT centre offering training and access to the Internet along side Kicoshep's existing capacity building programmes will help the community develop new and much needed employment opportunities.

And why a second centre in Kibera? With over 1,000,000 people living in the slum and over 100,000 orphans the need is almost limitless. Kicoshep with the District Officers encouragement hope to develop a purpose built ICT centre next to the primary school. Here Kicoshep will be able to offer many more training places as well as new services like a media centre with a cinema for showing films made by the local community.

If you can help CBN make Kicoshep's plans reality contact us!