African Initiative for Human Development

Youths in the camps face connectivity barriers to obtain job skills and access to the local and global job market and business resources to earn a decent living and this generate the higher rate of the low-income in the households.The AIHD2 reduces the barriers to skilled global professionals giving refugees access to digital literacy,and increasing their confidence to access and use digital technology. This skills allow our beneficiaries to navigate on social media platforms like WAKELET.COM( posts their successful stories, photos, build their collections,and read other's collection..),and Facebook,You tube...

1. Solutions: Globally scale, our program will augment the number of the deprived community members access to Digital literacy skills which will lead them to an inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment opportunities and decent work for all, and self-reliance.

Girls and women who participate in our programs now, have an equal chance to fight the inequality in digital literacy.

1 in every 108 people globally is either an asylum-seeker,internally displaced or a refugee according to UNHCR statistics.

The refugees lack self sufficiency as their livelihood opportunities are severely limited due to lack of freedom of movement, right to work and access to financial services. Digital literacy to self-employment requires access to mobile phones, computers or laptops which are a luxury only imagined  by most of the beneficiaries in refugee camps due to lack of stable income as most earn less than $1 a day.The cost of data bundles to access digital learning opportunities is expensive thus there is a lack of awareness on mobile based learning services that may be available to the beneficiaries to support their economic and self sustainable opportunities.

According to the livelihoods strategy of 2015 to 2017, only 4,778 youths have been supported for vocational skills provided by different implementing organizations which represent 37 %(28/08/2017 UNHCR Kakuma).limited access to technology limits the opportunities to actively engage in self-reliant activities which blocks the ability to solve the economic challenges and help solve their financial problems facing in the camps.Poor access to job opportunities augments the rate of the low-income in households in the camps.

African initiative for human development's solutions are purely technological. We train refugees in:

1. Digital literacy :AIHD2 trains refugees: children age 14 to 18 years old:

1. Digital literacy:

• Module 1:Basic computer skills and knowledge:

     Introduction to computers and digital devices, including software, hardware, and apps;

• Module 2:The Internet and World Wide Web. How to use cloud services, create an email account, send email, conduct a search

• Module 3: Digital privacy and security:

     What are computer viruses and how to prevent them, how to present yourself online and in social media

• Module 4: Digital lifestyles:

      How to use digital device utilities such as flashlight, camera, stopwatch, calculator,etc.

• Module 5: Productivity programs

      Coding, game and app development.. 

In addition to this, our students who are children, learn also WAKELET( to create an account,collection, set the profile,invite someone to edit or contribute to the collection.) and other social media platforms like Facebook, You tube....

How are we changing the camps? After training, students are given startup kits, small financial support and other assets for them to get engaged in their active lives: 

• prepares students with critical 21st century skills
• supports educators with training and recognition
• engages the whole community through family outreach.

What are they?

The solution is for deprived population( refugees )between the ages of 14-18 years old. After AIHD2 training, trainees are able to share their skills with others within the camp via different ways including economic activities.This has an indirect impact to the community members.

What are we doing to understand their needs?

we carry out periodic questionnaires and survey through our volunteers that move from camp to camp.The data is analyzed to provide the needs of our target population. During the survey,we group the participants  in different sub-groups e.g.group information session,group discussion session and focus group discussion

Who are we engaging them as we develop the solution?

The targeted population from surveys get the option of choosing the project to work on and develop a training for.We also conduct a peer to peer led training with a former graduates from the program.In the development of the mobile application,the mentors took the MIT App Inventor course to be better equipped.

How the solution will address their needs:

After training the students are given business startup kits, small financial support and other assets in order to palliate hunger an poverty,good jobs and inclusive entrepreneurship, and build a stable refugee community.

Low levels of technical and digital literacy are contributing factors to poor technology adoption among the refugee population. Training in these freelance boosts confidence of the population to compete in 21st century technical opportunities transforming the workplace. Providing entrepreneurship skills training in addition to capital loans creates jobs that may previously not exist in the marginalized  community. The opportunities to be self-employed creates a resilient community that is self-reliant.

Working with Technology, the African Initiative for Human Development is offering solution skills to the refugees in Kakuma refugee camp by using computer learning tools/devices.The AIHD2's solution is also distinguished in the camp from its package offers to the students. But also to the virtual exchange program between her students and students from Pacific Academic in USA and others in our international communication Club.

Additional to that, we also supply a reasonable startup kits, assets and financial support in term of loan with zero interest and this help the deprived refugees in the self-reliance as well as the creation of a positive autonomy in their routine needs.

We also specifically build an inter community collaborative approach where the team and students are more engaged in community support by conducting some sessions with other community members. Currently , the solution is developing  an App which will be facilitating the beneficiaries to access the programs(contents/lessons) even when they are at their homes

The core technology that powers our solution are hardware and software used to train students, TV screen.

To achieve our vision and offer a significant service to our beneficiaries, the theory of change of our programs is designed like:

Input: We conduct training as activities of the project in computer literacy. In terms of resources: we have human resources( facilitators, watchmen, and administration support and material resources( computers, internet, solar power system and TV screen).

Output determines the beneficiaries who are directly affected with the programs in the camp and who are youths between the age of 14 to 18 years old. In the projection of the active society in the future,and indirectly, the results of the project concerned everyone in the society. The vision is to increase the number of graduates in our programs.

Outcomes : we expect in the future,that the beneficiaries will be able to become the potential actors in solving challenges around them, creating job opportunities/placements and satisfying their needs and for the society. To become more self-reliant, productive,self-CEO, online and offline experts, capable of bringing long term change, ready to positively impact their environment via the use of skills.

AIHD2 is currently serving over 250 deprived community members every three months with an estimated total of 2000 in the coming one year. The implementation of the solution to serve underserved communities in five years will attend to 7600 beneficiaries

  This work has motivated the AIHD2 team to committee themselves and deliver the quality services.

We train our beneficiaries before any kind of social support and local follow up team (monitoring team) is always built  and composed by both the students themselves and two leaders from AIHD2 to oversee the implementation of the skills and the execution of social support in the community. This helps the organisation to be sure that deprived communities are not diverting the startup kits, assets financial support and manage to return the low interest from the loan.

Organization Goals

African initiative for human development, AIHD2 seeks to achieve the following goals as it seeks to expand its reach:

• Train youths, direct them in project  conception and implementation, and work with them to grow their business by providing necessary support( skills), financial and technical support.

• Grow our beneficiary from the current 250 to 2000 in the next one year, and 7600 in five years time.

• Extend our programs to Burundi,DRC,Rwanda, Tanzania refugees camps and host communities,including urban refugees and migrants/immigrants.

inadequate training facility: Due to limited finances we are unable to host many youths in our programs hence hindering the growths in outreach.

Lack of identification documents: prevents/impedes access to various services within the host community and host country at large. We have been unable to apply for internet connection for our programs due to lack of required identification documents.

To overcome such kind of barriers, the organisation via its management team has developed a quick research of donors who may be can support the project but also do manage careful the little money we receive from individual's donation.

In terms of finances, we are constantly designing project proposal to submit to different organisations and foundations.

Full time  staff 9:

1. EBENGO HONORE ALFANI
2. MOHUMUD IBRAHIM
3. KAMAL TUWER MUSA
4. IDRISS JAMES TIA
5. SADIQ MOHAMUD ALI
6. STEVE NSENGIYUMVA
7. PETER ABABELE
8. EMANGE FULGENCE
9. SANGO GODFROY

OTHER WORKERS COMMUNITY MOBILIZERS/VOLUNTEERS:

1. BENJAMIN MKAPA
2. TOMA RATIMYA KARSHUM
3. KAWA CHAROBALLO
4. FERUZI KIKUNI
5. MANAHIL ESKENDAR

Highly committed  to social impact, social entrepreneurship, tracking solution  to community challenges, AIHD2 has built a strong team of Refugee social workers whose the aims are to improve someone's lives.  This allows us to continuously improve and contribute positively in our society.

The team has a positive proven record of impacting deprived refugees in Kakuma refugee camp, and this is possible because of the leadership of the CEO of AIHD2  and the project coordinator.

1. UNHCR 
2. NRC/ICLA
3. Refugee Affairs Secretary
4. Microsoft 
5. InspireHerStem

• UNHCR: It has provided us the plot to build our small center.
• Norwegian Refugee Council/ Information Counselling and Legal Assistance: is helping us to get the certification of our community based organization
• Microsoft: The curriculum that we are using is inspired from Microsoft contents.
• InspireHerStem: Train our facilitators App Inventor for Android( MIT App Program)  

1. Key partners: UNHCR, NRC(ICLA), RAS
2. Key activities: Digital literacy training...
3. Value proposition: We create jobs opportunities via training youths, empowering the society with skill for life, financial ability to start a business,
4. Type of interventions: We provide micro loan, start up kits, assets, orientation after training and support,
5. Customer relationship: Being present online and offline, offering high quality of production to the customers,
6. customer segment: individuals, community, clients, business partners  ...
7. Key resources: Administration support, facilitators, community mobilizers, Power( solar panels, batteries, inverter, charger controller...), computers, Internet and space
8. Channels: Facebook, up work, individuals...
9. Cost structure: staff, administration support, power, computer, internet...
10. Revenue stream: support from individual ( retired educator)

Donations and Grants

African Initiative for Human Development is a grassroots organization created and leads by the refugees and which operates in the camps with the mission of empowering refugees and deprived community members living in remote areas. 

Our participation in in the MIT challenge is geared towards  partnering with peer organizations beyond Kakuma Refugee camp in Kenya and gaining international presence in neighboring refugee camps in Burundi, Tanzania and Rwanda...

 Our expansion requires funding through grants.

We seek technology mentorship through the large network created by MIT to support our technology approach.

As a young organization with a geographically limited experience, we need to partner with other organization or individuals with a consisted experience capable to help us to grow up our business and excel positively and smoothly in the implementation of our programs. It will assist the organization to expand its visibility and market network.

UN and its agencies like UNICEF, UNHCR,; MIT solver team; NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL, DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL, NGOS ETC.

Yes ,the African Initiative for Human Development is totally qualified in this prize since all their solutions are targeting to create a self-reliant community in Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei. Empower youths with skills for life is all about economic and financial activities. The organization via its solutions has decided to digitize the life of young youths between the ages of 14 to 18 years old and bring a significant impact in their lifestyle. Some of our former trainees are currently working in cyber cafe around the camp where they are earning their monthly incentive, while others are working on their own boss and managing their daily bread. Such kind of results have strongly motivated the organization to maintain the solutions in the camp and plan how to augment the target.

The support will help the organization to cover and deliver a great service in the remote area where the project is run.

AIHD2 activities

After conducting a survey in the camp on the women self-reliance, the initiative has drafted  a women social economic support project which targets to train women between the ages of 30 to 59 years old and who are widows, and teenagers mothers. The total number of women in the camp is 36606 according to the UNHCR 2019 statistics, and which represents 19,45% of the population of the camp and in which only an estimated of 6 % of women are active in the society and run business activities. The drafted project aims to empower women with skills in financial literacy based to give them ability to understand financial management, budgeting and investing. In long term, the financial literacy will help women to become self-sufficient so that they can achieve financial stability in their dwells.

This innovation is intended to create a financial independence of women in the camp, to limit the sexual abuse and exploitation done to women. At the end of the training, trainees will be provided a start up capital and other assets for them to integrate into financial activities.  Together with beneficiaries, the organization will design their priorities in term of business.

The grant from women prize is good for us to conduct smoothly the activities.

The solution AIHD2 is qualified in this program since all its activities are focused on enabling/empowering young adults to acquire the life skills for better future. African Initiative for Human Development,(AIHD2) has trained a hundred of children in Digital literacy. In order to get positive results, and grace to her principle support,the organization has paid the online studies of its facilitators, so they can obtain an international qualification and smoothly deliver the programs to our beneficiaries. One of our graduated digital literacy students, has successful received his online job at the Up Work team to deliver services to their clients with the monthly motivation of US dollars 300. In the areas of jobs, our programs are given hope alive to hundred of refugees...

To put the program more significant and meaningful, the organization is planning with the grant from the GM Prize  to support trainees and deliver good services to them by offering the startup kits such as modem( portable internet), laptops, and other tools like headphones...,loans.

 This program has allowed youths to augment their chances to be competitive and obtain good Jobs in the camp.

Created and leads by the refugees in Kakuma Refugee camp, the African Initiative for Human Development is focus on after school programs with the mission of empowering youths with skills for life. All activities are about literacy in the sector of Digital literacy and this since 2018.

To put the programs more attractive and meaningful, this grant from Gulbenkian Award for Adult Literacy will be so helpful and bring a big impact in refugee camp and give hope alive to thousands of deprived community members.