Craft Silicon, Red Cross in partnership to empower youths in Nairobi slums

Craft Silicon Foundation has partnered with Kenya Red Cross in identifying Kenyan youth in Nairobi slum areas to train in ICT skills that will empower them economically.

Craft Silicon Foundation Chief Executive Officer Priya Budhabhatti said the majority of slum dwellers depend on manual jobs to earn a living and there is an urgent need to innovate other ways of self-sustenance to mitigate the spike in criminal cases due to lack of daily earnings.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of people’s lives including income, education, and most critical health and there is an urgent need to support the vulnerable communities who have been adversely affected,” she said. The Foundation boss made the comments when she paid a courtesy call to Kenya Red Cross offices after donating food items, masks and sanitizers to residents of Viwandani in Nairobi’s industrial area.

Kenya Red Cross Deputy Secretary-General – Programmes, Annette Msabeni, acknowledged the Foundation’s efforts towards supporting the Covid-19 response and said her organization is looking forward to more joint activities that will see the Innovation Unit, Youth and IT department support more vulnerable communities in informal settlements and expand the use of technology to educate the vulnerable young people.

“Kenya Red Cross will be at the frontline with various response initiatives that are crucial in relief efforts across the country by mobilizing and channeling relief efforts to affected communities in a timely and organized manner. The partnership between these two organizations will expand and reach out to more communities within Nairobi”, Ms Msabeni explained.

Apart from the occasional donation of relief supplies to communities, Craft Silicon Foundation continues to provide Free Digital Literacy program – its flagship project.

The foundation is a corporate social responsibility initiative of Craft Silicon Limited. The foundation uses a solar-powered mobile computer bus that ensures computer education reaches out to everyone at their doorstep in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. In the last six years, over 16,500 students less privileged youth, girls, and children have been trained.