So You Want to Know More About Us, Huh?
Ng'arua Maarifa Centre (NMC) was founded in 2006 by Arid Lands Information Network; ALIN (www.alin.net) it is a Nairobi based international network. NMC is one of the fastest growing community I.C.T centers, well placed at the heart of the countryside where its services are really vital to the rural communities of in Laikipia County.
It started as an ''Access Point'' (AP) for disseminating information and was run by the N'garua Focal Group comprising of community development workers C.D.Ws from the public and private sector. The center was found to be very helpful to communities and other development workers and it was improved to become a ''Community Knowledge Center'' (C.K.C). ''Community Information volunteer'' (C.I.V) was deployed by ALIN to oversee the day to day running of the center.
More such centers were started in other dry areas of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Today, ''Ng'arua Maarifa Center'' as it is called in Swahili, stands out as the only computer access hub, where local communities, who could otherwise be cut off from the rest of the world access internet and share knowledge and information. Hundreds of community members have acquired computer skills from the center.
Every day, NMC serves up to 50 community members. Their needs ranges from I.C.T training, access information, through books, CD-Roms, ipods to Internet, -(blogs, websites and emails). People also come to the center to create new email addresses for communicating with friends and relatives far away, youths treasure it for the social networks like facebook, twitter etc.
The centre is vital for community groups and other development agencies who explore for resources and funding opportunities from development partners. We provide access to e-government services like KRA Personal identification numbers (PIN) etc. some people have booked for flights, student in higher institutions of learning are able to book for accommodations and apply for Loans from the higher education loans board (HELB) and do academic researches.
The centre is vital for community groups and other development agencies who explore for resources and funding opportunities from development partners. We provide access to e-government services like KRA Personal identification numbers (PIN) etc. some people have booked for flights, student in higher institutions of learning are able to book for accommodations and apply for Loans from the higher education loans board (HELB) and do academic researches.
A field officer runs the centre with the help of an advisory committee from the community. One of the key activities at the centre is documentation and dissemination information through blogs, magazine, films, journals, word of mouth and posters.
The centre links communities with news sources and brings together farmers and small businesses to tell their stories, promote their brands and sell their products and services online through Sokopepe (www.sokopepe.co.ke) an online marketing facility, aimed at assisting local farmers to access better markets and earn value for their produce.
Since inception, NMC has evolved in many ways, about five hundred people have acquired ICT skills, several thousands of communities have accessed valuable information through field days, farmer to farmer exchange visits, open days and information resources available at the center.
Information services at NMC are entirely free of charge to communities and community development workers. In addition, NMC serves as a vital social networking resource for sources, reporters and advertisers.
