The African Diaspora Policy Centre (ADPC) enables African Diaspora in Europe to
connect more closely with the continent as a collective force. The thematic areas are Peacebuilding, Better Governance, Migration & Development and Brain Gain
ICT for development
FOR Foundation (formerly Computers for development) was founded in 2004 by Millicent Odongo (born in Kenya in 1975). Bridging the gap between the rich and the poor in a practical way is the central aim of FOR. The organisation started its operations by creating better opportunities for students in Kenya and Ghana by sending used computers (donated by Dutch companies). The work of the foundation has now expanded to brokering, skills development, and business development.
A sustainable cycle
Nowadays, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for young Africans to enter the job market without tangible computer skills. FOR systematically tackles this problem in Kenya and Ghana, through the increase of access to computers, and through the certification of its target groups. The execution is simple: used computers are donated by Dutch companies, then refurbished at little cost in the Netherlands by volunteers and interns. They’re then sent out to Kenya and Ghana, where FOR makes use of available local resources. The organisation also partners with local NGOs working in the sector, setting up centres , offering trainings and skills development.
From skills to jobs
The link between being able to efficiently use a computer and getting a job is fairly obvious. “Computer skills are big job-bringers in Africa today. If you want to work in any sector, you are required to have computer skills” says Odongo. The less obvious link, however, is the number of opportunities that are created for young people once they develop their computer skills. Having access to up-to-date information and developments in the various business sectors is vital for entrepreneurship. Another access to the job market is opened through the training program of FOR: trainees of the program become trainers themselves, initially on a voluntary basis. Often they’re offered jobs by schools or companies as trainers, creating a sustainable mechanism for the transfer of skills. Today, former FOR trainees are active in over 200 schools, in Kenya alone.
Shaping policies
Offering courses and training in ICT is of little use without a certificate. “A major part of our work is liaising with the Ministry of Education in Kenya. The general education curriculum does not include computer training. We offer the courses, but to use them in their CVs, our trainees need certificates. We’ve pushed for this, and now our training is recognized by the state. We also push for more inclusion of computer skill development in the general education curriculum.” FOR has the knowledge on what modern school curricula should include, in terms of ICT education, and in this way, the organisation also strengthens the capacity of the local institutions, by acting as an advisor for the expansion of education policies.
Business development
The boom of outsourcing of technical support centers to developing countries is another area FOR is involved in. A pilot project from last year looked at the feasibility of implementing such centers in Kenya. The aim of the project is not only to employ local customer support agents: “We want to create a space for employees at all levels, including management vacancies, and to put the actual set-up phase of the companies, and day to day management of the companies, in the hands of local employees” . The idea is to recycle the skills that they help develop among their trainees to contribute to the overall business development of the countries they work in, again stimulating a trickle-down effect of acquired knowledge.
Diaspora involvement
Although FOR’s expertise is ICT, skills in different areas are needed to get the foundation to a viable functioning level: “We have a need for different kinds of expertise. One thing we’d like to do is to work together with diaspora organisations that work in the same sector, and exchange ideas. We also still face limited capacities in terms of information sharing – our work still lacks systematic documentation, so we need administrators, accountants and project managers to help us move forward.”
For more information about FOR, please visit their website www.computersfordevelopment.org
A sustainable cycle
Nowadays, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for young Africans to enter the job market without tangible computer skills. FOR systematically tackles this problem in Kenya and Ghana, through the increase of access to computers, and through the certification of its target groups. The execution is simple: used computers are donated by Dutch companies, then refurbished at little cost in the Netherlands by volunteers and interns. They’re then sent out to Kenya and Ghana, where FOR makes use of available local resources. The organisation also partners with local NGOs working in the sector, setting up centres , offering trainings and skills development.
From skills to jobs
The link between being able to efficiently use a computer and getting a job is fairly obvious. “Computer skills are big job-bringers in Africa today. If you want to work in any sector, you are required to have computer skills” says Odongo. The less obvious link, however, is the number of opportunities that are created for young people once they develop their computer skills. Having access to up-to-date information and developments in the various business sectors is vital for entrepreneurship. Another access to the job market is opened through the training program of FOR: trainees of the program become trainers themselves, initially on a voluntary basis. Often they’re offered jobs by schools or companies as trainers, creating a sustainable mechanism for the transfer of skills. Today, former FOR trainees are active in over 200 schools, in Kenya alone.
Shaping policies
Offering courses and training in ICT is of little use without a certificate. “A major part of our work is liaising with the Ministry of Education in Kenya. The general education curriculum does not include computer training. We offer the courses, but to use them in their CVs, our trainees need certificates. We’ve pushed for this, and now our training is recognized by the state. We also push for more inclusion of computer skill development in the general education curriculum.” FOR has the knowledge on what modern school curricula should include, in terms of ICT education, and in this way, the organisation also strengthens the capacity of the local institutions, by acting as an advisor for the expansion of education policies.
Business development
The boom of outsourcing of technical support centers to developing countries is another area FOR is involved in. A pilot project from last year looked at the feasibility of implementing such centers in Kenya. The aim of the project is not only to employ local customer support agents: “We want to create a space for employees at all levels, including management vacancies, and to put the actual set-up phase of the companies, and day to day management of the companies, in the hands of local employees” . The idea is to recycle the skills that they help develop among their trainees to contribute to the overall business development of the countries they work in, again stimulating a trickle-down effect of acquired knowledge.
Diaspora involvement
Although FOR’s expertise is ICT, skills in different areas are needed to get the foundation to a viable functioning level: “We have a need for different kinds of expertise. One thing we’d like to do is to work together with diaspora organisations that work in the same sector, and exchange ideas. We also still face limited capacities in terms of information sharing – our work still lacks systematic documentation, so we need administrators, accountants and project managers to help us move forward.”
For more information about FOR, please visit their website www.computersfordevelopment.org