Creating Opportunities in the Kibera Slums of Nairobi

February 5, 2007
In Africa, urbanization is leading to increased slum settlements where government and aid agencies are failing to provide a minimum of public services and job opportunities. The Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, is one of Africa's largest, with almost 1 million people living on approx 2.5 square kilometers. Major threats include violence, alcoholism and AIDS, and mortality rates are high.

It may seem difficult to bring in high-tech as a possible solution to the situation. However, the "digital divide" can be bridged in the slums by proper organization, by self-help and by community ownership. Mobile phones are seen everywhere in these areas, and young people are experienced in using Internet and common software programs. Already, Internet links to outside world have been successfully used to generate business to the slum residents.

A project planning to bring a "high-tech" community center into Kibera, with access to computers and Internet, to computer training, community radio and possibly even video and audio recording studio, will be discussed. The conditions for success ' such as sustainability and community ownership ' of such a project will be described. Examples of economically and socially successful grass-root initiatives ' avoiding major NGO involvement which creates donor dependency - will be given. And problems preventing large scale implementation of small-scale high-tech solutions will be discussed.

Category:

Education

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• CITRIS
• UCBerkeley
• Research
• Technology
• Engineering
• Science