Christine Kalekye Muema

Christine Kalekye Muema

Age: 26 years old
Position at Telecentre: Telecentre Manager
Years in Service (at current telecentre): 2 years
Years in Service (at current position): 1.5 years
City: Matuu
Country: Kenya

Telecentre/Employer Information
Name of Telecentre: KIPAWA Youth Centre
Country: Kenya
Region: Africa
Name of Nominating Individual/Entity: Christine Kalekye Meuma

Background:
It was just after completing my form four education in 2003 that I join computer studies in Jojo computers where I learnt basic IT skills. Thereafter I joined Maseno University where I undertook degree in Bachelor of education science with IT. When I completed my degree course I was posted in Kapsabet(Kilibwoni high school) to teach mathematics, physics and computer for 4 months after which I went back home. In August 2009, I was selected a an intern in DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY TRUST(NGO) for nine months where in I was deployed in the St. Paul’s catholic church to train women and Youths basic computer skills, entrepreneurship and livelihood skills. We were also responsible of maintaining the centre, advocating, management, record keeping and ambassadors of women digital literacy. During the internship period we were trained further on higher computer skills, more entrepreneurship skills and how to maintain and manage centre. We were further train how to volunteer to improve the lives of marginalized people especially women to acquire IT knowledge and skills. Through that I was challenged and I gained passion and interest in training women and I managed to train the largest number (179). During the internship I tried to expand and improve the centre and thus it changed from St. Paul computer training centre to St. Paul’s Kipawa talent and resource centre. After internship I with Dot I was requested by the church to take responsibility recruiting and mobilizing women, search of new curriculum and certification body and mobilizing the new resources for its continuity. I succeeded and the training went on. The centre grew we recruited other trainers and I was given responsibility of managing the centre. I train, lead others to advocate for women digital literacy and mobilize women for the same, ensure that women are given relevant training material, guide them on how to apply the gain skills and knowledge for their livelihood, connect the centre with other networks and NGOS, recruit other trainers, manage the centre, record keeping, organize capacity building Seminars for women and other training to improve their lives

Contribution to Digital Literacy and Community Development:

When I was deployed in the centre back August 2009, the centre did not exist, through my commitment I managed to mobilize the resources and began the centre. It was expanded and registered. Up to date the centre has managed to train 250 women in the period of two years with 30 women starting their own business, 76 going back to school, 105 getting employed in Private and public sectors and 39 are still unemployed. With initially there was no any other centre in the region and the idea of women training in computer was a foregone case in the region. Through advocacy, seminars and mobilization women came to learn there is need for digital literacy especially among women. After months of training and coaching of women on personal business the impact was realized and we had increased numbers in the centre. The initial group of women who were unemployed with no source of income is busy in different sectors with others who I motivated to go back to school to further their studies. My efforts to the centre has made large numbers of women to be trained, expansion of the centre, beginning of another telecentre branch at Makuueni (wote) which is upcoming top training women, connection of the telecentre with other telecentres like kentel, telecentre.org, Intel, and other NGOS like digital opportunity trust, Microsoft, computers for schools Kenya, WORLD VISION KENYA etc

Leadership, Partnership and Resource Mobilization:

Initially there were no resources like rooms, computers, tables, trainees, and training materials, I was deployed to non-existing centre to begin mobilizing the resources. I visited the church leaders were the allocated a small room for the training. I connected the training with the priest in charge who donated two tables and two chairs and renovated the room for us. I connected the centre with computers for schools Kenya who managed to loans three computers for training. I approached DOT Kenya for training materials curriculum and certification. This enables me `to begin the training in the centre. After three months I mobilized women and we had the registration of the centre. Though the partnership with CFSK we managed to acquire more computers to expand the centre. The greatest challenge that I face is balancing the number of trainees to be trained against the available resources. To counter that, we arrange the training sessions in shifts such that some groups are trained in the morning hours and other in the afternoon. I have tried to link the centre with NGOS and CBOS and telecentres which can support us with some resources.

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