Orals East Africa>The boy from Nyatike connecting Africa one “village” at a time At the hut of the story

Written by Getrude Wachira

Alphonce Oywetch had only seen a computer once before he stepped into the Technical University of Kenya, to pursue communications and computer networks. Little he did he know this novel experience would inspire his crusade to try and get as many rural children to experience computers at an earlier age.

Upon admission into the Technical University of Kenya, to pursue communications and computer networks, he was a stranger to computers, having only briefly interacted with one before in high school which brewed his interest in IT.

He had been brought up in Nyatike, Migori county where there were no materials to support his passion, but despite the challenges he faced, he did not throw in the towel, instead this only strengthened his resolve.

In fact he vowed to ensure that his no child had to go through the same challenge.

“It took me a long time to embrace computers. I went through a hard learning curve. I didn't even know how to operate a keyboard when I joined the university,” Mr Oywetch remembers.

Learning curve

It is in his tumultuous journey in mastering IT that he got inspired to help students coming from the rural areas like him.

According to him, there was an obvious disparity between him and students who had come from private

institutions and had better experience with the machines, it always felt that he was playing catch up.

“Students from marginalized areas, including myself, faced challenges in grasping even simple concepts, let alone delving into programming, which was part of the school curriculum. It was very difficult,” he recalls.

Determined to pave a smoother path for those who would come after him, he founded, Diamond Software solutions, an initiative aimed at helping his classmates develop software projects, with the goal of creating a community where they could all grow together.

Vocation

After Campus, his channeled his knowledge towards a transforming and enlightening students in marginalised areas on IT. This venture marked the beginning of his vocation to bridge the technological divide in marginalised areas.

He started a groundbreaking project, connecting Kibera, one of Nairobi's largest informal settlements to internet.

“My friends and I started connecting Kibera with internet, making sure that even though they are indoors, they have access to the world,” he explains.

It was when carrying out this grass roots project that he got an idea to expand from providing access to including a component of education and training to empower young minds to explore digital opportunities.

His contribution to the community through IT caught the attention of the Internet Society Kenya, a foundation that focuses on funding projects that enhance internet's reach.

This fueled his drive towards making more impact in the digital space, and by 2022, this movement had attracted around 13 organisations, all open to partnering with the aim to improve internet connectivity and digital literacy.

Mr President

In February 2023 the Internet Society's Kenya Chapter, appointed Alphonce as president in recognition of his adeptness and determination to make impact in the digital space.

Inspire by the significant milestones he had taken he launched GONAFRICA in May the same year with the aim of promoting computer literacy in Kenya.

By July GONAFRICA, had admitted its first cohort of students who were taken a rigorous immersion process including a 10-week intensive training course called Life Legacy Trainee Program. In this programme the students were not only taught IT skills but they were also equipped with applicable life skills that would be instrumental in their career.

“We also teach young people from marginalised regions the essential skills needed to thrive in the digital age. This is later followed by a 3-month internship programme,” Mr Oywetch said.

To date, the programme until has trained 40 students with some later on advancing to university to study IT.

GONAFRICA also offers an advanced animation and graphic design programme predominantly targeting girls in marginalised areas with the vision of creating impact in rural and poor communities.

"I realised that girls in marginalised areas lack proper mentorship and often lose their way that is why I developed an advanced animation programme-to enlighten and mentor them. This programme not helps them keep abreast with the changing IT world but also equips them with the skillset they need to tell their stories through animation, giving them a voice and a platform to be heard,” he said.

Looking into the future, Oywetch sees himself expanding GONAFRICA to the whole of Africa which he sees as a global village which faces the same challenges.

“When I started GONAFRICA my goal was to not only solve problems here in Kenya but to extend my outreach to as many countries as possible across Africa as possible. I view Africa as a unified entity, the same problems we face here,are prevalent across the entire continent,” he said. However, Alphonce insists that without help from other organisations or sponsors, his vision to globalise marginal areas through making more internet accessible and enlightening the youth on the frenetic changes in the digital realm might remain just that—a dream