Hillary Lechuuta during an ICT training

Seven ICT trainees from Marigat Maarifa centre were recently recruited by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as part of a voter registration team in an exercise which began on the 19th of November 2012.

During interviews by the IEBC held in the various counties, the seven who are beneficiaries of these trainings facilitated by Marigat Maarifa centre in Baringo County were successful. A key requirement for one to qualify was being computer literate.

For the past one year, ALIN has had an initiative to make the youths Information Communication and Technology (ICT) complaint through ICT trainings. This was courtesy of a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation after winning the 2011 Access to Learning Award. The trainings basically involve teaching communities basic computer skills which has seen thousands benefit throughout East Africa.

"I learnt about the IEBC training when I saw a poster at Ntepes shopping centre. Since we had just finished our Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and had nothing much going on, three of my cousins and I decided to try our luck and went for the training. The ICT skills I acquired from the Maarifa centre enabled me to pass the interview,” says Hillary Lechuta

Paul Marutit 25, was delighted when he got the job too and came back to the Maarifa centre to thank the Field Officer for empowering him through the training.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity that ALIN gave me. The skills I acquired during my training at the Maarifa centre have enabled me to get employment at IEBC. A key consideration was knowledge of computer skills, which the training provided,” Marutit stated.

Apart from gaining meaningful employment, the trainees are now able to access and use the internet effectively as well as make power-point presentations which come in handy as they are also involved in a programme to sensitize the community on HIV/AIDS.

Marutit who is also the advisory committee secretary, has also been able to train 5 other young people on ICT skills as a way of giving back to his community.

So far, 3751 have benefitted from the training in the various Maarifa centres 2243 of them being men and 1385 women. Marigat Maarifa centre alone has so far trained 620 people.

An ongoing ICT training