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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Personal experience:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I first saw a computer when I went to FORM 1 at Starehe.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>A student named Chris Ochieng joined Starehe a year later. He had grown up with a computer in his father’s house and had learnt at his very young age how to write software. He would come into the computer room on Saturday afternoon when we were not allowed to play computer games and all computer games diskettes were stored away. He would write a game for us and we would play the game. From him, we learnt a lot more and got the confidence we needed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Today both Chris & I write software for some of the leading organizations across Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>When I left Starehe, I couldn’t afford going to University due to the fees needed (I was sponsored at Starehe) BUT I didn’t need to because the knowledge acquired from Starehe gave me a well paying job the afternoon after my last KCSE paper. The rest is history.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>If anyone doubts the value having children exposed to computers will have on this Nation, please take it from me, if it was not for computers exposed to me at Form 1, I would have left Form 4 at Starehe, not had fees to proceed to campus and therefore languish in poverty – job seeking forever. NOW, imagine if computers were exposed to me in Std 1….how I wish this was the case!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>With the little acquired from this, my company this year celebrates 20yrs of existence as a software company and we employ several university graduates – yet I have never been to a university myself.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><br>Whether Std 1 is the right time or if its Std 4 or Form 1, I wouldn’t know but I know the earlier the better.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Give these children the chance, if the President says we can afford it </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;color:#1F497D'>J</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Kind Regards, <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Bernard Kioko<br></span></b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Chief Executive Officer<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Bernsoft Interactive Limited<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>P.O.Box 15177-00100 Nbi,Kenya<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Office: +254-703-080-080<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Mobile: +254-722-540-883<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bkioko=bernsoft.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] <b>On Behalf Of </b>robert yawe<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, April 22, 2013 9:52 AM<br><b>To:</b> bkioko@bernsoft.com<br><b>Cc:</b> KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<br><b>Subject:</b> [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants - fears<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Hi,<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>I have kept wondering why many people want to delay the introduction of computers to those either in secondary or even university.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>I came across this article which explains the fears many of us are having<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130422020049-8451-the-tech-industry-s-darkest-secret-it-s-all-about-age">http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130422020049-8451-the-tech-industry-s-darkest-secret-it-s-all-about-age</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>You might also want to watch the following presentation I gave at the University of Nairobi on the issue termed "the professional students dilemma"<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'><a href="http://youtu.be/9b4BJ7iTOfA">http://youtu.be/9b4BJ7iTOfA</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Regards<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>Robert Yawe<br>KAY System Technologies Ltd<br>Phoenix House, 6th Floor<br>P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200<br>Kenya<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;background:white'><span style='color:black'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></span></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>