Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Africom Action Project Launch July 26, 2008


Kalukuni secondary school Principal, Mr. Muthengi (second left), Kalukuni secondary School Board of Governors Chairman, Mr Bondo (Standing), Mr. Nicholas Nzou, partnership liaison manager,Computers for schools Kenya (Seated right)

It was an action project born out of the 3rd World Youth Congress held in Glasgow, Scotland 2005. Africom, is the name of the project. It was meant to ship refurbished computers to schools in Kenya and Tanzania, and Bridgit Syombua Muasa was, and still is, the country coordinator.
Kalukuni Secondary School Captain giving a vote of thanks


Cosmos Education Kenya members with the students out side the Computer lab!

After two years of planning and organizing, Cosmos Education Kenya Partnered with Computers For Schools Kenya (CFSK), which is an organization dedicated towards donating computers to schools all around the country, as well as maintaining them.



A view of Yatta Taken from a vehicle!!
As part of our Inspiring, Engaging and Empowering young Africans from impoverished backgrounds, we searched for a school to benefit from our pilot programme. We found Kalukuni Secondary School in Yatta district, and it was a perfect school for us to start over with this.

Then on Saturday 26, 2008 we traveled to the school together with Computer for schools Kenya coordinator to launch the project. Eight Cosmos Education Volunteers took off on this chilly Saturday morning - as always enthusiastic and passionate about what we do. Kalukuni is almost 3 hours from Nairobi, and we talked and joked on our way such that we didn't notice when we arrived at the school. On arrival, everyone was there to welcome us and for a moment I felt like a king, but it hit me that that was not the main point - the main point was that I was there in the capacity of a young educator as well as a youth role model!

I could tell from the animated talk and laughter from my colleagues that they were as excited as I was to be in the school, which reminded me of UAS 2005 and 2006 in Naivasha/Nakuru, and the Mt. Kenya region respectively. It always inspires and motivates me to interact with students from the countryside - the ones we might politically incorrect say that they are "underprivileged" it is for them that CE was born; it is for them that I joined CE; it is for them that we never tire to learn and share our knowledge; it is for these young people that we are what we are - "An organization dedicated towards bridging the knowledge gap that exists in the world"

The school administration as well as the parents and students were elated to meet us, but one thing was clear - they were all pleasantly surprised to discover that CEK is made up of young people; they expected to meet serious looking business people, but there we were: very young, very lively, very enthusiastic and contagiously passionate about what we do. From the President to the Director to the other volunteers - we all oozed with youthfulness.


Students making a pledge to excel in computer Science

Watch this space for a full report of the launch. Meanwhile, I do not want to bombard you with text....sit back and look at some of the pictures taken during the event, and many more

coming!!!!




a view of the computer lab












Kalukuni Secondary school Computer Science Teacher



Students having a shot at this "new" technology in their school

WE INSPIRE, ENGAGE, AND EMPOWER........"SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FOR A DEVELOPING WORLD."