About Athi Community Network
Rural communities leveraging digital technologies
Know Us Better
We strive to ensure no one is left behind in the Digital Revolution
Athi Market is located along the Meru-Mikinduri-Maua road in Eastern Kenya. The market centre is surrounded by lush green tea plantantions and an imposing Nyambene forest. It serves a sizeable rural population in the lowlands owing to its location. A challenge arises with the ever dwindling land acreage due to a population bulge. The once dependable tea farming is no longer profitable with earnings that are marginal at best leading to environmental degradation. The dwindling economic fortunes coupled with a low skilled ever expanding population has necessitated a rethink on how to empower the community. With expensive Internet and relatively impoverished populace with low digital literacy, athi community network was formed to bridge the digital divide. We have partnered with Athi Special school to equip the instructors with digital skills. Pregnant teens and other women have also been neglected and don’t enjoy the full benefits of the digital economy. To address this, we have placed women at the heart of the organization’s decision-making and identify interventions necessary for this gender.
Our Focus
We Facilitate Digital Inclusion
Our programs are designed to cater for the needs of novice up to advanced users. Members of the community will also be allowed to use our computer lab as a resource center. Women are particularly marginalized with regard to access to digital goods and services.
Our activities started in 2018 with a single computer but uptake of our services was dismal as we had not fully understood the community’s needs . A new approach was needed, and discussions began in 2019 to form an organization that would fully cater for the community’s technological needs. The organization was finally registered in the year 2020 as a Community Based Organization. We are open to partnering with anyone sharing our dreams and vision.We believe in reducing inequality and achieving universal access to digital resources.
Information technology allows individuals adopt new technologies to increase their earning potential by increasing their employable skills and networks.
01.
— Our Mission
To accelerate adoption of technology by rural and underserved communities anchored on low cost internet.
02.
— Our Vision
Opening access to the internet and other digital technologies to the unreached.
03.
— Our Goal
Connecting Everyone
Partners
