[kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)
Esther Muchiri
emuchiri at andestbites.com
Sun Dec 5 23:27:54 EAT 2010
Daktari Ndemo
I couldn't agree with you more. The entitlement mentality has corrupted our
society (read youth) to the bone! And yes, NGOs and our politicians are to
blame for this mess. For example, from January this year, my organization,
eMentoring Africa, started a community mentoring program in the Korogocho
slums to help the youth move from the sorry slum state and start exploiting
the massive opportunities surrounding them. The program was FREE, and we
were in their community every Friday afternoon without fail. Unfortunately,
when some of the youth came and learnt that we were not giving handouts, the
class dwindled, and out of the 65 enrolled, we graduated only 25 on Sept.
10th.
To make the others learn the importance of embracing opportunities, and
erase the 'dependency syndrome', we are fundraising to offer practical
entrepreneurial and ICT skills to the 25 youth. In the meantime, as they
await this training, the youth have volunteered to be peer mentors of
primary school kids and are helping them with their school work. Our dream
is to have these 25 youth start businesses within their community, while
being mentored by successful entrepreneurs for a period of one year.
Hopefully, the others will see what has become of them and wake up!
We would be delighted to partner with any organization, especially the
operators, in setting a DV within Korogocho that will be run by our mentees.
They are a great group and my prayer is that we can join hands to bring the
much desired change within the slums!
Esther
===================================
Esther W. Muchiri
Tel: +254-20-2394420; Cell: +254-724-164346; +254-733-720-619
"The future belongs to those who believe the beauty of their dreams.".
-- Eleanor Roosevelt
-----Original Message-----
From: kictanet-bounces+emuchiri=andestbites.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke
[mailto:kictanet-bounces+emuchiri=andestbites.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On
Behalf Of bitange at jambo.co.ke
Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2010 3:29 PM
To: emuchiri at andestbites.com
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)
Thanks Edith. I know all other operators are on this list. I want to urge
them to provide names of their DVs implementers as Safaricom has done so the
civil society can conduct a public audit. I do not always have to be the
intermediary.
We must be careful in defining Universal Access to avoid misleading the
public. As I said, we must embrace evidence based decision making and as we
tackle poverty, the past has a lot to offer. Some our serios challenges
include the NGOs. They have completely messed up our rural folks to the
extent we need serious intervention. We were not able to train on DVs as
many people as we wanted since majority made demands to be paid just as it
is done with NGOs. You start a class with 40 and end up with 5. Appearing
in some rural villages elists a Puvlovian tendencies.
We must not make our people dependent. In my view this must be
criminalized. Politicians have perfected this habbit. If we want to
succeed, hard work and rebuilding our value systems must flow through our
systems like blood.
I am reading a Hopper brothers book, The Puritan Gift. If I had the powers
I would make it a mandatory read for every soul in Kenya. It reveals how a
reformist movement from the Catholic Church to Anglican fought through hard
work, fear of God and values to overcome 15th century European problems
(surprisingly similar our today problems) to become so wealthy in the new
world. The Puritan Ethic to which they subsribed to, was implanted in Japan
by Macuther and spread through NICs of Asia including China and brought
enormous success.
In a roundabout way, I am introducing our shortcomings and how we can move
from a fragmented (tribalized) lot as defined by politicians to reformists
brought together by a common value system or ideology. Success as a people
is pipe dream if logic and understanding are on the periphery.
Ndemo.
Sent from my BlackBerry®
-----Original Message-----
From: Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.or.ke>
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 18:06:46
To: bitange at jambo.co.ke<bitange at jambo.co.ke>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: RE: [kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)
Bwana Ndemo,
Safaricom and their partners need to do a better job to let people know that
these DVs exist and exactly where they are (especially in this case when
they have been asked to do so in lieu of paying for UA funds!!). I would
love to see one of these DVs and what model is being used.
Operators who have not met the target and deadline (I hope a deadline was
given) should be penalized and asked to pay up the 1% as Kenyans at the
bottom of the pyramid are not getting the services.
The study was specifically targetting households in the poorest enumeration
areas of Kenya (level 4 and 5 according the KNBS classification) - it was a
rigourous study design in which two panels were conducted in 2007/2008 and
2009/2010 and the same households were traced to assess impact over time. It
tells you that these services are yet to reach the most remote areas.
We must also recognize that there are other areas where Kenya did better
than its neighbors in the study especially in the area of human capital,
income, inclusion etc. But clearly, the area of universal access requires
more work.
Once we've consolidated the findings at the regional level, we'll have clear
recommendations on what Kenya could do differently to tilt the balance in
favor of the poor. I agree with you, absolutely, on the need to identify
some of these practical (pragmatic ideas) to get them implemented and
tested! Within the context of the Counties, we can do alot to achieve
universal access.
It was unfortunate that you could not attend the meeting, but there will be
another opportunity when we will share the final findings (and provide
regional comparisons)
Nice weekend!
Edith
________________
Edith Ofwona Adera
Senior Program Specialist
ICT4D Program and Climate Change & Water Program
International Development Research Centre | Centre de recherches pour le
développement international
Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa
Tel: +254202713160 | Fax/Téléc: +254202711063 | Skype: edithadera
eadera at idrc.or.ke | www.idrc.ca | www.crdi.ca
________________________________________
From: bitange at jambo.co.ke [bitange at jambo.co.ke]
Sent: 03 December 2010 16:05
To: Edith Adera
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)
Edith,
Safaricom moved with speed to roll out. I will find out the new person
responsible for DVs in Safaricom and link her/him to you.
It is unfortunate that I did not attend the function. I understand these
were study findings that did not find out in detail what we as the
implenters were doing and where. IBM study which visted several DVs started
from our offices and the findings have direct impact because we shall seek
to implement all the recommendations.
It is criminal that there are youth and women in this country who do not
know that there is money available for setting up business. It is also
equally inexusable that we have unemployed graduates who should be trained
to write business plans for youth and women enterprises. There is enough
money in CDF to provide such training.
We (all of us) must begin to dirty our hands by moving from conference rooms
to begin hands on training in rural Kenya. In 1963 we agreed that ignorance
is one of the diseases we wanted to eliminate but 47 years down the road a
Kenyan is suffering somewhere yet there is plenty of resources to move us
forward. I fail to understand for example, how we tolerate a dirty city,
uncollected rates and a high unemployment.
We have agency banking law that would make DVs an instant success as remote
banking facilities but even the most educated Kenyan sometimes has no idea
this law exists. How can we move from complaining to discussing such issues
that are bound to signicantly affect our lifes?
Ndemo.
Sent from my BlackBerry®
-----Original Message-----
From: Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.or.ke>
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 14:33:03
To: bitange at jambo.co.ke<bitange at jambo.co.ke>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: RE: [kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)
Bwana Ndemo,
The mood on the universal access issue was that of "frustration" at the
workshop, and no one seemed to be aware that " one operator has already
rolled out 500 of these DVs" - is this information available within the
public domain? Where are these DVs? Which operator? Are there targets and a
penalty for the rest not rolling out given that this is in lieu of paying
for UA - which is a citizen right?
I can't agree with you more on the need to have young people bold enough to
" take the appropriate risks to innovate and develop successful
enterprises". I dare to add that we need "A new breed of young people" that
will:-
* exude self-confidence;
*will demonstrate effective leadership with integrity;
*will have the ethos of community service;
*and will take risks, innovative and build mega businesses.
The issue of targeting the age of 15-29 years was prominent in the
discussions at the workshop. Unfortunately, not many young people know that
these funds exist or even how to access them (this was evident in a recent
regional forum we organized on youth and ICTs and youth from Kibera and
rural Kenya were shocked to learn of it!).
Indeed, the idea of the research work is to "emphasize evidence based
decision-making" - the prominence and active participation of
representatives from the Ministry of Planning, Poverty Unit and Vision 2030
was very welcome by participants! and it's our hope that some of the ideas
that came out of the forum will be taken up. The PS challenged the academia
to partner with govt. to do further analysis on the census data (which has
now been released) to further explore the issues on ICTs and poverty (since
ICT questions were quite prominent in the census).
We look forward to more information on the 500 DVs.
Edith
-----Original Message-----
From: kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke
[mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf
Of bitange at jambo.co.ke
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 1:34 PM
To: Edith Adera
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)
Listers,
I am on record several times complaining the slow pace by the World Bank to
release the funds for the Pasha project. I am told that this will happen in
January even though their pilot projects are operational.
This did not stop us from advancing the digital village concept. We invited
the operators to roll them out in return for not paying the first year USF.
One operator has already rolled out 500 of these DVs. There is a committee
in place to help the rest of the operators roll out.
IBM conducted a study on DVs to help further develop the value proposition.
As a result we have key corporations willing to participate. For example
CFC Stanbic want their online share trade to be on DVs.
The challenge we have is getting entrepreneurs from every constituency.
Most regions folks expect grants. The resources available are for revolving
funds. In other words loans to set up the enterprise. There is plenty of
loanable resources from Youth and Women Enterprise to the world bank. Our
people must get to understand risk and enterprise. Individually we must
spend all our energies to educate our people.
I must state here that the last time we advertised, 95 percent of the 2000
applications came from one ethnic group. We could not move for obvious
reasons. I would hope in future listers seek to understand the problem
before rushing to making conclusions. At this time of our development we
must emphasize evidence based decisions.
We are talking to MPs to assist disseminate some of these information. Our
Parliamentary Chairman Hon. Eng. Spends most of the time explaining and
encouraging MPs to sensatize their own people. We cannot for for example to
North Hor and put up a DV without willing people to run it.
On NOFBI I do not know what you are talking about because I know some
operators are using the network and it is managed by TKL.
Ndemo.
Sent from my BlackBerry(r)
-----Original Message-----
From: John Kieti <jkieti at gmail.com>
Sender: kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 10:36:25
To: <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)
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