CONNECT A SCHOOL, CONNECT A COMMUNITY

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a significant role in carrying out initiatives to establish school connectivity.  They usually establish partnerships and alliances with national, regional, and local governments, international entities, telecommunication sector stakeholders, and the private sector.  Although NGOs do not typically provide significant funding, they have been instrumental in coordinating and managing projects among different stakeholders.

For instance, the Fundacion Omar Dengo in Costa Rica works with the country’s Ministry of Public Education to implement a national program that focuses on providing access to digital technologies in schools in rural and socially vulnerable areas.  The Fundacion, a non-profit private entity, has managed and executed national and regional projects and programmes that have brought together educational innovation and new technologies, benefitting 1.5 million people in Costa Rica since its inception in 1987.⁹⁷

Computers for Schools Kenya (CFSK) is modeled after the award-winning Computers for Schools Canada.  CFSK distributes PCs in Kenyan schools, working with a range of partners.  So far, it has distributed more than 18,000 computers and has been involved in providing school connectivity in 16 schools.  This includes a project with the GSM Development Fund and local mobile operator Safaricom to provide Internet access using cellular EDGE technology.⁹⁸