Bella Rafiki Foundation

As a foundation we work in communities to provide education as a way of development. Our current area of action is in Homabay, Kenya. The location we work at is marginalized and affected by poor connectivity.

We solve the problem of internet access and computer literacy by providing mitigating ways to achieve success. This is achieved by providing equipment to an existing library and developing a tailored teaching solution. The benefits accrue on all areas of life including entrepreneurship, learning and information dissemination.

The move of markets, schools and other sectors to an online model has left behind a large portion of the population. Having this segment included will improve economies, relationships and make learning a delight. These benefits are achievable in small sale and in a scaled version. 

Bella RAfiki Foundation seeks to solve the low computer literacy levels within rural kenya. 71.8% of the population live in rural areas and with an internet penetration of 40% this segment is disadvantaged. Digitally these communities are excluded from growth and progress. 

To this end we extend our goals of educational access to include computer and internet solutions. The efforts of BERAFO are to provide tailored solutions that impact the community by giving access to resources and learning platforms.

BERAFO provides a tailored approach to communities by providing access to resources, facilitating efficient use of the resources and developing practical teaching and learning techniques. Through a learner centered system which encourages and develops peer and individual learning, beneficiaries get to become self reliant and forward looking.

The model develops skills and enables learners to then move on forward in a self sustaining manner. Digital inclusion arises through individuals having a basis on which they can then pursue advancements on a personal agency.

We work with economically disadvantaged women and girls, pupils and students who live in rural areas. Within Homabay county, we have a library in Kasipul Kabondo which provides learning opportunities. The communities are economically disadvantaged and do not have access to the internet. Additionally, the internet penetration in rural areas is low and this hampers the learning of students.

By providing avenues for students and the community to learn we give a chance for the internet and computer literacy to play a role in development. This development cuts across all platforms including learning, entrepreneurship and information dissemination.

Digital inclusion within rural areas in particular within Africa need the provision of resources and establishment of learning patterns.

Within Kasipul Kabondo in Homabay county BERAFO has a library set up. This traditional model of paper back books serves its purpose but it does not provide an avenue for international access. We seek to grow and to this end there is a plan set up to incorporate computer literacy and internet access within the library. This is being done in response to calls by members of the society to have digital frameworks set up.

The solution is innovative on two main fronts, sustainability and goal centeredness Our . The sustainability of the project is built upon efficient use of electricity, impacting the learner and grassroots implementation of the project. This is unlike current means where curriculums' from past years are used to teach.

Additionally the solution is goal oriented in which learners have a personal objective before embarking on a personalized learning program. This ensures all lessons have a direct impact on development.

The current number of those who use the library stands at 80 students daily during holidays and about 15 - 20 daily when schools resume studies. We seek to increase the number of libraries to five in the next five years.

Our estimates at the population served in five years will be linear from that served in one years time. 

Within one year we estimate to serve about 150 individuals daily. This will be due to opening the library to wider use beyond students.

We have record keeping that is done daily, monthly and annually. \the records capture all the metrics needed for evaluation ranging  These include age, gender and impact assessment.

Additionally we engage an auditor who independently evaluates the attainment of goals. These are then shared with partners and helps in development of decisions on other matters.

Bella Achieng
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Chairperson
Marbel Adhiambo
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Board member
Ronald Opiyo
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Secretary
Helen Achieng
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Treasurer
Weda John
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Board member

The team is comprised of youthful persons who have an experience of how drastic the internet can change ones life. The team is also alive to current realities due to the effects of having lived in both the rural and urban areas within Kenya. 

The skills available from the pool of staff includes leadership, analysis, writing, synthesis and communication. These place the foundation at a vantage position to effectively pursue goals and see them to completion.

The team has a wealth of work experience from marketing, accounting, engineering, law and public participation. This enables the foundation to have fresh perspectives on all issues. As a result the team is all rounded.

The team is entirely made up of persons who have an experience of living in the village while growing up. The members are also drawn out of the target community and this ensures we stay focused.

The entire team is gender balanced and no stereotypes are used in creation of teams. As a policy within the foundation, women, girls, youth and men are encouraged to place character at a higher premium. 

As a show of this the foundation was able to start a library that serves anyone who wants its services. This is also demonstrable in our endeavors at giving girls sanitary pads ensuring both boys and girls stay in school.

We have applied to Solve for two main reasons;

1. To have access to the social impact community which can be leveraged to help advance our aims.

2. To have a chance of being funded and having a pathway for additional funding which can help us to have significant impact.

The platform from Solve would help us greatly in making digital inclusion a reality for many rural dwellers.

Solve has the capability to help us overcome financial and technical barriers due to it's wide network. The solutions put forward by the foundation are in a fashion that can be scaled and to that end we are persuaded Solve can greatly help us in moving forward.

The funding of 10,000 USD and opening of avenues for additional funding is a step that would help us to make digital inclusion possible. The wealth of expertise in technical aspects of teaching and digitization that is available from the teams within the network will make it possible for us to have a chance to integrate solutions and make the project more successful.

We are a foundation that has been reliant on member contributions. The entire team is youthful and there is not an extensive pool of finances to draw from. This greatly limits our effectiveness. To this end we seek a grant from Solve to be a mitigation against the financial issues we face.

On a technical front we are disadvantaged by being from a third world country. This makes our rural areas lag behind in matters of digital inclusion. The social impact communities on Solve would be of great benefit through there advice. This will improve our technical abilities so as to lay the ground for data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence. The technical strategies we stand to learn would make our efforts in rural areas very effective.

We are open to partnering with any organizations and individuals. We are particularly looking forward with working alongside MIT faculty and other education focused organizations.