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Disability
is not Inability |
::African Network for Health Knowledge Management
and Communication, (AFRIAFYA):
During the Kenya ICT expo in organised by the
Ministry of Information and Technology among other key stakeholders
from the private sector, one of the areas that stood out was the
role of ICT in improving delivery of our immediate socio-economic
needs. One organisation that stood out in this matter was AFRIAFYA.
AFRIAFYA is an African Netwrok for Health Knowledge management
and communication. It was established in April 2000 by Kenyan
based health development agencies to explore harnessing modern
information communication technologies for community health among
marginalised communities.
The organisation works as the coordinating hub for field site,
collecting , harnessing and disseminating information to local
change agents and training them to apply ICTs to access produce
and share health and other development information.
The Vision.
To have universal and equitable acess to quality health information
to create informaed, empowered and healthy communities, contributing
to social transformation.
This is done by focusing on stimulating information sharing and
exchange in rural and marginalised communities "beyond the
computer".
The project started with an exploratory phase implemented
between 2001 and 2002 in which working in seven sites run by partner
agencies, the communication level improved, staff capacity was
enhanced and motivation increased.
Afriafya projects.
AfriAfya is currently working to scale up its activities and improve
access to health and other development information with communities
it works with.
Plan Kenya, with support from Plan International, is working with
AfriAfya to scale up activites through establishing information
centres, providing ICT equipment and training, and facilitating
access to health and other devlopment information in Nairobi,
kisumu, Bondo, and Homabay development areas in a 3-year programme.
When Afriafya was doing their presentation at their
beautiful exhibition stall at Kenyatta International Conference
Centre, we asked them if they work with any organisation with
disabilities. Though they do not specifically work with any organisation
with disabilities there are few individuals with physical disabilities
in partner organisations that have benefitted from AfriAfya initiative.
With financial support from Exchange program, Afriafya is working
on a similar project with 21 sites across the country.
With IICD funding, AfriAfya worked with 11 community-based organisations
in generating and sharing local health information.
The Rockefeller Foundation has provided fiancial support to AfriAfya
in a project focusing on strengthening community-based information
systems in rural districts located in the Coast, Nyanza, and eastern
Province.
With IDRC funding, AfriAfya and community capacity
building initiative are carring out research to develop an inventory
for the varied applications of ICTs for HIV/AIDs in five selected
countries in Eastern and Southern African region. The study will
also document how ICT tools have been used to address this challenge
to development.
AfriAfya is part of the university of Ottawa led initiative to
create an Academic NGO-ACANGO.
This will be a better link between academic research strength
of producing evidence, with NGO's strength in implementing programmes.
AfriAfya is hosting the East Africa regional network hub for ACANGO.
Additional information sourced from Brochures Materials
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