Kenyan Education Organisation Visit Zambian ICT for Education Projects

The Kenyan delegation wanted to learn from the best practices of institutions in Zambia that have managed to successfully integrate ICT into their vocational training courses. Nairobits is in the process of setting up a partnership with the Kenyan Ministry of Youth and Sport to support Kenyan Youth Polytechnics in the integration of ICT in their curricula. A pilot will be supported by IICD under the Connect4Change initiative.  

Learning from best practices and challenges
During their visit, Nairobits was able to learn what implementation strategies have worked for the Zambian centre, as well as the challenges and solutions that centres, such as the Chawama Youth Centre and the Kalingalinga Youth Resource Centre, have encountered in the integration process. 

With the support of IICD, the Chawama Youth Centre has been able to establish computer labs where staff and trainees have access to relevant information. Instructors can now easily prepare their lessons in powerpoint and project them to all the students. In turn, the students are able to obtain the content they need for their course by using a database or by downloading materials from the Internet. The Kalingalinga Youth Resource Centre is similar to the CYC, having successfully integrated ICT in its own vocational training courses. The centre offers training courses in practical skills such as welding and fabrication, catering, carpentry and joinery, car mechanics and ICT. Furthermore ICT is also being used in these centers to design various programmes, with the help of computer software, and to mobilize resources. 

The Zambian Ministry of Youth and Sport acts as the coordinator for all the activities at all the youth resource centres, employing the instructors and providing equipment for the centres. The ministry receives technical support from the Commonwealth Youth Secretariat Centre, through the provision of computers and connectivity. The center further contributes to youth empowerment by offering technical support, use of an on-line platform and a database with content.

The Kenyan delegation was very impressed and satisfied with what they saw at the centres in Zambia. The Department of Youth Training and Nairobits will be using the lessons learnt to help them finalize their ICT integration proposal. 

For more information about the Chawama Youth Centre or about other ICT for education projects, visit the Education page on our website. 

For more information about Nairobits, visit their website.