Kenyan Students Pay It Forward
Did you know in Kenya, there is an exceedingly high level of computer illiteracy in both students and teachers? At the Karibu Centre, Intel volunteers work to educate both students and teachers about computers and educational software so the whole community becomes more self-reliant and self-sufficient.
As the parable goes, if you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day; if you teach him to fish, you’ll feed him for a lifetime. With this lesson of sustainability in mind, Intel set out to help improve education in rural Kenya, where basic resources like food and healthcare are scarce and computer illiteracy is rampant.
The Karibu Centre supports at-risk women and children who live in the slums of Thika, Kenya. As a result of a partnership with volunteers from the Intel Education Service Corps (IESC), the center has become a destination for learning—for both students and teachers—using Intel® technology-powered PCs. IESC volunteers have helped set up computers and networks at the Karibu Centre, and shared their knowledge with local teachers. In this way, the teachers are empowered and don’t feel helpless when their advanced technology systems fail.
Jane Kiambo, one of the young instructors at Karibu, says she recently had the pleasure of teaching and awarding a certificate to a woman who had been her teacher when she was a girl. In this way, Kiambo was able to give back to the older generation, and share what she has learned, helping her mentor develop skills and continue helping younger students in a more relevant and valuable way for today’s technology-driven marketplace.
The Karibu Centre encourages both students and teachers to share information organically and pass along their knowledge to help others in the community and in neighboring villages. In this way, students of all ages in Thika are learning to fish. And that’s a skill that will feed them for life.
Intel Education Service Corps
Intel volunteers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) come together through the Intel Education Service Corps to advance education in developing regions worldwide.
Supporting effective use of technology to improve learning, productivity, and collaboration, and to advance the global knowledge economy.