AfriAfya - Kenya

AfriAfya conducts research and initiates community communications programmes through resource centres located in vulnerable communities across Kenya, with some activities in other countries in Eastern Africa. According to the organisers, the resource centres represent a focal point within a community for learning and change - a place where community members can seek out information relevant to their needs and exchange knowledge. Each centre is equipped with a computer, printer, television, video player, digital camera, audio tape recorder, mobile phone, and a World Space receiver. Because many of these facilities have no electricity, AfriAfya has facilitated the installation of solar panels and batteries to power the ICTs in the centres.

According to the organisers, one of their key points of focus is building the capacity of community resource people who can identify, collect and disseminate health and development information to meet their community's needs. AfriAfya has four broad categories of skills development training: information/ knowledge management and documentation skills; community process skills; community resource centre management skills; and basic ICT skills. Community volunteers are identified and trained following a participatory process, and in addition to becoming facilitators for community communication, they are also expected to transfer their skills to others. The organisation has also conducted research across East and Central Africa on the use and impact of ICTs in the health sector.

The AfriAfya website houses information and resources about using ICTs for health and development.

Health, HIV/AIDS, Technology.

The idea for AfriAfya is based on the observation by project organisers that modern ICTs have done very little to help those in rural communities, and that much of Africa's disease burden is attributed to causes that are potentially preventable or treatable, if only the information about them was more readily available.

Major findings so far include the following: Networking, collaboration, and ongoing partnership between different health organisations and institutions can be developed; building on existing structures is quicker than starting from scratch; it is important to find out what information people really want; and despite the plethora of health information on the Internet, very little is directly suitable for dissemination to poor communities.