The Rotary Club of Langata’s (RCL) Digital Literacy Programme (DLP) was born out of a realization that, in a world where computers power every area of modern life, many primary school children in Kenya have never seen or used one. They are unprepared for digital learning in high school and university and, later, for the digital workplace that awaits them. Working with Rotary and other partners, RCL is turning disused spaces in primary schools in under-served communities across Kenya into fully-fledged digital learning centres, allowing the schools to integrate digital learning into their curricula.
In a ceremony on 22 July 2023, RCL inaugurated the latest DLP project at Shisasari Primary School,
Bukhungu, Kakamega County, western Kenya. The ceremony officially handed over to the school the 25-computer lab, allowing the mixed school’s 599 students to develop basic computer skills. In attendance were County Deputy Governor Ayub Savula, Lurambi MP Titus Khamala, members of Shisasari school’s alumni association, the teachers and leadership of Shisasari Primary School, as well as RCL’s President Muchai Mathare. Over 40 members of the Rotary Club of Langata, the Rotary Club of Kakamega and other Rotary and Rotaract clubs and their guests also travelled from Nairobi and further to attend the ceremony.
Support for this project came from afar afield. The Rotary Club of Suntec in Singapore and the Rotary
Club of Brampton in Canada provided a grant. The Rotary Club of Kakamega was the implementation
partner, helping to supervise construction and practical matters on the ground on behalf of RCL. MP Titus Khamala allocated Kshs 8 million (USD 56,279) for the construction of the lab. Deputy county governor promised to build a boundary wall around the school to secure the equipment in the lab. The school’s alumni association was key in organizing the inauguration and has committed to taking up some of the cost of maintaining the digital learning lab.
RCL President Muchai Mathare commented on the handover:
“We started this programme one year ago. So far, we have opened four laboratories, one in King’eero
[Primary School], Kiambu County, Kamburaini [Primary School] in Nyeri County, the third one was in Kilifi County, Kibaoni Primary School and this is the fourth one at Shisasari Primary School.”
Former president of the Rotary Club of Langata and alumnus of Shisasari, Kizito Makatiani, had this to
say about the project:
“I believe that the digital learning labs not only equip the communities with digital literacy tools, they
revitalize schools’ alumni associations and they galvanize Rotarians and their supporters to come
together to give back. I am very grateful to the Rotary clubs who came together to support the project. I’m also grateful to the local communities for promising to keep the lab secure and to the students for embracing the lab and committing to making themselves global digital citizens. We intend to carry out a total of ten similar projects countrywide. We call on well-wishers to come forward with monetary and non-monetary support to help us achieve our target.”