Craft Silicon Foundation has announced plans to partner with Kenya Red Cross in training youth in ICT skills that will empower them economically during this COVID-19 pandemic. Since the outbreak of Coronavirus in the country in March this year, low-income earners particularly those living in the informal settlement have been worst hit.
Craft Silicon Foundation Chief Executive Officer Priya Budhabhatti said majority of these residents depended on manual jobs to earn a living and there was urgent need to innovate other ways of self-sustenance for slum dwellers to mitigate against high cases of crime due to lack of daily earnings.
“This pandemic has affected many aspects of people’s lives including income, education and, most critical, health and there is urgent need to support the vulnerable communities who have been adversely affected by Covid-19,” she said.
The foundation’s boss made these comments while donating food items, masks and sanitizers to residents of Viwandani in Nairobi’s industrial area.
Kenya Red Cross Deputy Secretary-General in charge of programmes, Annette Msabeni, acknowledged the Foundation’s efforts towards supporting the Covid-19 response and said the organization is looking forward to more joint activities that will see the Innovation Unit, Youth and IT department support more vulnerable communities in informal settlements as well as expand the use of technology to educate the vulnerable young people.
“Kenya Red Cross will be at the frontline with various response initiatives that are crucial in relief efforts across the country by mobilizing and channeling relief efforts to affected communities in a timely and organized manner. The partnership between these two organizations will expand and reach out to more communities within Nairobi,” Ms Msabeni explained.
Apart from the occasional donation of relief supplies to communities, Craft Silicon Foundation continues to provide Free Digital Literacy program – its flagship project.
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The foundation is a corporate social responsibility initiative of Craft Silicon Limited. The foundation uses a solar-powered mobile computer bus tp take computer education to the masses. In the last six years, over 16,500 students less privileged youth, girls and children have been trained.
The program was launched in the year 2010 with a mission to empower women, youths, children and communities through Free ICT knowledge and services. The program entails a three months’ introduction course and a six months Advance-training program. Certification is done on successful completion of the program.
The initiative facilitates job placement and absorption for students through partnerships with corporate institutions as well provision of seed capital for starting small business enterprises. The Foundation has extended Free Digital Literacy program to Kenya, Uganda and India with plans to launch in Ghana and Tanzania.
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