In its continued show of commitment to enhancing the lives of its customers through technological solutions, Airtel Kenya in partnership with Computers for Schools Kenya and the County Government of Kisumu, launched it’s Free Internet for Schools Programme in Kisumu; having provided free internet connectivity to 30 schools. The launch was presided over by the Kisumu County Executive for ICT, Education and Human Resource Development, Dr Obiero Ogone among other county officials.
Officially launched in 2014, this flagship programme that seeks to provide internet access to students thus allowing them to gather meaningful information that will aid in their learning, has seen the lives of over 250,000 students from over 300 schools in 36 counties in Kenya impacted. The Kisumu launch follows a series of others done in Nairobi, Machakos, Kiambu and Kisii counties.
Speaking at a Kisumu hotel, Dr Ogone expressed his delight with the continued efforts shown by Airtel Kenya to ensure that learning institutions in Kisumu get access to the internet thereby enforcing the uptake of digital learning that is championed by the government. “I applaud Airtel for taking the initiative to empower our students with knowledge and educational material by giving free access to the internet. This move is definitely a step in the right direction in ensuring that our students perform better as they will have access to numerous forms of information and opportunities.” he said.
In a statement, Airtel Kenya CEO, Prasanta Das Sarma appreciated the unrelenting support of the County Government towards this initiative, saying that; “In the education sector, Internet use and adaptation to the rapidly emerging technological advancements cannot be overlooked. Therefore as a company, we deem it fit to ensure that students all over the country gain access to the Internet and thus be able to glean from the numerous benefits and learning tools that come with it.”
Lauding the programme, Miriam Ndavi, CFSK Manager, encouraged the teachers to utilise the opportunities provided by the County Government and Airtel in enhancing education through the use of internet. “We remain grateful to Airtel’s partnership in providing connectivity in schools in order to improve their learning experience and for the support accorded to us by the County Government. We are therefore encouraging more and more schools to take advantage of this great program in order to empower our students,” she said.
With an intended target of reaching one million students across the country, the 30 schools in Kisumu add to the list of over 300 schools and 250,000 students that have been impacted by the Airtel FREE Internet for Schools program in 36 counties in Kenya.
Airtel also continues to work with other partners such as The Global Peace Foundation (GPF) to provide free internet connection to over 60 Hubs located in schools around the country. The high speed broadband access for the hubs guarantees teachers and students limitless new educational opportunities. The Hubs in schools serve as ICT Centres for teachers, students and the wider communities around the hubs.
