Kids Comp Camp, an initiative helping young learners in marginalized communities in Kenya gain technology skills is among the winners of the Fund for Internet Research and Development( FIRE) Africa Awards 2016. The initiative was among the winners who were feted with the award last week during the 2016 Internet Governance Forum which took place in Guadalajara, Mexico
Chosen from nearly 60 applications, Kids Comp Camp won in the hotly contested Internet and technology for social and economic development category.
The FIRE Africa Awards is African Network Information Center (AFRINIC)’s, which is Africa’s Internet registry, flagship grants and awards program. It’s designed to encourage and support the development of solutions to the region’s unique information and communication needs by supporting projects and initiatives that emphasize the role of the Internet in social and economic development for the benefit of Africa.
Kids Comp Camp runs school holiday and computer camps targeting Kids in underprivileged communities. During the camps, the learners go through an exciting and relevant digital literacy curriculum designed for a student with no prior experience with computers. For every Kids computer camp, it aims to establish a well-equipped and easily accessible Kids Computer Lab and also train a locally available Human Resources to lead the facility.
The 2016 FIRE Africa Award winners received a US$3,000 cash prize and a travel grant to attend the 2016 IGF to showcase their projects on the global stage, meet winners from other regions and network with other like-minded individuals and tech entrepreneurs.