Dada Digitika Project

ECONOMIC
EMPOWERMENT AND
ICT IN KIBERA:
UNLEASHING WOMEN
OF VALUE; A POST
COVID-19 RECOVERY
PROGRAM
Capacity Building for Kibera Women Entrepreneurs
and Business Owners in the Digital Age.

Dorn Anaclet
Project Summary
Sine the outbreak of COVID-19, most people lost their jobs. Government containment measures,
key among them lockdown measures seriously negatively impacted small scale businesses,
notably in Kibera slums and other informal settlements in Nairobi. Businesses closed down as
aresult leading to other arrays of impacts, notably lack of food among households, domestic
violence and mental issues arising from depression. With this, the need to technology to bridge
the gap is at it’s all time high. ICTs have the potential to promote economic empowerment. For
example, ICT skills enables entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs to access e-commerce
and lower their barriers to the local and global markets, which leads them to become more
competitive in both local and global value chains. The influence of technology or digitization on
nutrition for example- from improving nutrition for the most vulnerable, physiological, gender
equality, - to cultural education, cannot be overstated.

The digital revolution has exerted more powerful, far-reaching influences not only on businesses
but also on everyday lives. This revolution is creating unprecedented business innovations with
the fusion of smart technologies. Digitization is and will remain crucial as a key intervention in
nutritional improvement, not just for businesses and entrepreneurs but also in achievement of
food security as an SDG. Against this backdrop, it is necessary to inform women, who are most
vulnerable, business owners in Kibera of the current trends of the digital revolution and prepare
them for its relevant business opportunities for increased productivity and sustainability to
increase resilience for post-COVID 19 economic recovery.

For this, this project intends to:

1. Train women in small and medium sized enterprises in Kibera on digitalization of

business and emergent trends, key among them, in nutrition.
2. Entrepreneurship education: Social and cultural attitudes towards digital age, influence
of key factors such as time in nutrition and food security intervention
3. Create behavioral and motivational support sites for the trained women entrepreneurs
 Data tracking
 Digital recipe management
4. Offer workshops on guidelines on and access to business finances
5. Publish and disseminate publications on the success stories and best practices through
an online platform; and
6. Create an opportunity for women entrepreneurs to establish a network among
themselves.
7. Develop a technical support infrastructure for continuous digital support.
Relevance
In the current knowledge information society, information communication technology (ICT) has
a potential to benefit women particularly for their economic empowerment. Thanks to ICTs,
women, who, traditionally, take primary responsibilities for child care and household chores and
are thus usually confined to their homes, are freed from such constraints and in a better
position to engage in ICT-enabled works. This can increase their employment and business
opportunities. For example, there are reports about successful women entrepreneurs who used
to live as mothers and housewives but started up their e-commerce based on their previous
experiences.

The global economic collapse, brought about by the COVID-19 Global pandemic has called for
postmodern and quick interventions in households in Kibera and other informal settlements in
Kenya to boost the economies of these households.

Meanwhile, the digital revolution has already started, exerting tremendous impacts on
businesses and everyday lives in almost all the economies. Also, big data analysis makes it
possible to identify consumption patterns and to use the information for new business. It is
therefore expected that with the fusion of technologies, business innovations will continuously
emerge and, as a result, transformation that is incomparable to the past in terms of its scope
and scale will be pervasive.

Against this backdrop, it is necessary to inform and train women and entrepreneurs in women
of the current trends of the digital revolution and success stories of the digital and ICT/smart-
technology businesses, so that they can better prepare for changing environments. Given that in
the age of digital revolution, talent is more important than capital in business, this type of
information will be greatly useful to women for its potential to cultivate their unexplored
talents. Kibera women will benefit from the information in that they can better understand the
features of digitalization, harness business opportunities accordingly, and become more
competitive in local and global value chains.

Major side trainings that this project will offer are equally key:

 Digital financial management systems

 Business advocacy
 Digital recipe management.
Objectives
1. To train 300 entrepreneurial women and men in SMEs in Kibera on the digital economy
and digitalization of business.
2. Create resilience for post-COVID-19 19 recovery among the said households by
improving financial independence and food security.
3. Combine both analogue and digital expertise to achieve better economic returns.
4. Ensure trainees come to terms with and practice the trends on nutrition such as
 Food delivery apps
 Use of nan packaging
 Food tech startups
5. To develop policy recommendations that will help policy makers to establish and
implement policies for nurturing and supporting women entrepreneurship in ICT/smart
technology industries.
6. Development of the digital foods and nutrition industry applications.

Beneficiaries and Outputs

Outputs:
1. Case study reports:

This project will conduct 10 case studies of successful women entrepreneurs in the ICT/smart
technology-based industries from each Kibera areas and publish case study reports. These
reports will contain information on, for example, current trends on nutrition, management
and improvements

2. Best practices: Trainings and mentorships

This project will identify best practices in the relevant fields and disseminate them through
an online platform and seminar materials, with the long term goal being production of
digital women and SME’S’s of value

3. Online platform:

An online platform will be created and, through this platform, case study reports, best practices,
and other useful information will be shared and disseminated. Also, in this online platform,
women will be able to create networks and engage in interaction with each other as well as
utilize fully digital applications for their businesses, for example the food scanners in the
nutrition industry, online food manuals and delivery among other emerging tele-food
applications

4. Policy recommendations:
This project will identify necessary policy supports in and around nutrition and other relevant
SME’s and startups businesses facilitating women entrepreneurship through case studies and a
seminar, and write up policy recommendations.

Outcomes:
1. Digital empowerment of Kibera women entrepreneurs:

Through this project, 300 Kibera women will be trained on the digital economy, current trends
and characteristics of the digital revolution, and through networking and patnerships, set up
with opportunities and thus better cope with the opportunities and demands of the revolution
across not only the foods and nutrition industry but also myriad of fields. This way, the
corresponding households are empowered to be resilient against the effects of the covid 19
pandemic. They will be able to apply the gained knowledge to their current business or to the
creation of new businesses. With an understanding of the features of the digital revolution,
which highlights the importance of creativity and innovation, Kibera women will be led to
cultivate their unexplored talents, which are more important than capital in the current business
environments. They will eventually become more competitive in local and global value chains.

2. Increased opportunities for ICT/smart technology-based nutrition businesses for

women SMEs:

It is claimed that ICT/smart technology has the potential to produce a great variety of business
opportunities and inclusive growth for women, and the digital revolution is characterized by
innovative, combined uses of various ICT devices and services. Through in-depth case studies,
this project will identify successful ICT/smart technology-based businesses by women
entrepreneurs and disseminate information on relevant business models, success factors, coping
strategies and others. Kibera women will thus become able to use the information to start up
new business in the field of ICT/smart-technology industries or expand their current business by
utilizing ICT components. It will thus lead to an increase in the number and revenues of women-
owned ICT/smart technology-related businesses. It will also help to enhance competitiveness
and innovation for women-owned SMEs.

3. Enhanced social network among female entrepreneurs:

Through a seminar and an online platform, women entrepreneurs (both entrepreneurs and
potential entrepreneurs) will have opportunities to interact with other women in similar
situations and form constructive networks. This will help to create nurturing, supporting
environments in which women exchange information and support each other.

4. Effective policy making and implementation:

Suitable policies are strong enablers for business, and to promote women entrepreneurship,
relevant, effective policies should be in place. Research findings of this project will be used as
basis for developing policy recommendations. It will thus help the policy makers to establish
and implement more effective, enabling policies.

Beneficiaries:
1. Women and SME’s in Kibera Subcounty
 The project will immensely benefit the women and the Small and Medium enterprises in
Kibera. Both the training and the established digital platforms will ensure empowerment and
increased revenues..

2. Policy makers:

Policy makers could obtain information necessary to establish and implement policies on
nurturing women entrepreneurs and promoting business innovations suitable to the digital
revolution. They can interact with relevant actors and get policy idea from private sectors.

3. Kibera Households economies:

This program will raise awareness of the business opportunities that the digital revolution can
offer to women entrepreneurs and make the best use of the opportunities for development.
Also, the network of women entrepreneurs from each region would help to reinforce the
network of women entrepreneurs in Kibera.

1) NGOs and local organizations:

NGOs, communities, and various organizations dedicated to the women’s education can
benefit from this project for designing and implementing future capacity building
programs for women from Kibera

Target Audience:
- Existing and aspiring women business owners and entrepreneurs- mostly nutritionists in
Kibera
- Hoteliers and the players in the food and nutrition industry
- Women who participated in the case study research project and networks;
- Government officials in charge of policy making and implementation for women
entrepreneurship;
- Business leaders in ICT/smart technology-related industries and MSMEs in and around
Nairobi county
- Academic researchers, educators, and experts in the field of women entrepreneurship
and ICT/smart technology-related businesses; and
- NGOs and other relevant organizations.

The project primarily aims to promote women’s and SME’s economic empowerment by
employing combined digital and analog technology knowhow to impact on the positive
improvements of the enterprises.

Moreover, the project intends to achieve a combined trained and empowered women of value
as well as come up with digital platforms and applications intended to improve the performance
of the food and nutrition industry.

Work Plan

Activity 1: Estalishing a work station and laying down the starting infrastructure
1) May 2021:
- Formation of working structure
- Formal meetings and setting up
 - Developing a digital registration platform for project.
2) June 2021: Conducting sensitization and collecting opinions
 Sensitization, publicizing and marketing using available platforms as well as
developed digital media to popularize the project.
 Engaging the key stakeholders

1) July 2021: Identify Trainees

 Develop the digital platforms and applications
- Design and send out invitation communication.
- Hold introduction meetings with women groups and possible partners.
- Develop a training schedule.
- Identify training consultants.
- Finalize list of trainees.
- Expected output(s): Training schedule, Training consultant(s), list of trainees
- Prior to the training workshops, all the logistics (registrations, arranging
venues, transportation, budget, etc.) will be prepared.
- Expected output(s): Training schedules, list of trainers, tentative logistics,
contracts.
Activity 2: Carry out 20 training workshops, each consisting of 15 trainees- or more
should covid rules be easened by then.
August 2021-January 2022: Designing a Seminar
- The title of the seminar will be “Kibera Women Entrepreneurs in the Digital
Revolution”.
- With the supervision of Program Leads (DAF), the agenda, entire program and
timeline of the workshop will be designed, including list of speakers,
moderators.
- Most of the speakers will be considered from the list of successful women
entrepreneurs.
- Seminar assistants will be hired and they will be designated for coordinating
and managing the workshop. As soon as the program finalized, the invitation
process will be initiated.
- Expected output(s): Seminar program and agenda, list of speakers/moderators,
tentative logistics, contracts (workshop assistants)
- The current trends of the digital revolution and success stories will be shared
with the seminar participants
1) February 2022 - May 2021: Developing policy recommendation
- The Seminar result will be thoroughly reviewed and analyzed.
- Based on the research and Seminar results, policy recommendation will be
developed which could be useful resource to Mombasa County policy makers
fostering suitable environment for women entrepreneurs in digital revolution.
- Expected output(s): Policy recommendation
Activity 3: Creating an online platform
1) March 2022: Team formation and design an online platform
- Online platform developing team will be formed. Throughout in-depth
meetings, the platform will be designed.
- An assistant also will be hired to coordinate the development of online
platform and disseminating the publication.
- Expected output(s): Contracts (developers, assistant), development schedule
April 2022: Graduation and certification
 - With the training completed, all the stakeholders will be called on board and
the graduation ceremony undertaken

Monitoring and Evaluation

1. The number of success stories researched and reported: It is expected that at least 10
case studies of successful women entrepreneurs will be conducted and reported. Efforts
will be made to include women entrepreneurs representing as many economies and
business sectors as possible.
2. The number of the participants in the seminar: It is expected that at least 100 people
monthly including government officials and women MSMEs will participate in the project
training and digitization, not just from the food and nutrition industry
3. Monitoring and evaluation will be on continuous and quarterly basis to ensure the
project meets its intended objectives
4. Public-private partnership meetings: Project Coordinators and contractors will regularly
meet to monitor and evaluate the project progress and to measure the achievements of
the project. Specifically, evaluation will be made regarding the quality of the products,
level of achievements of the project objectives, timeline, and impact on women
entrepreneurs and so on. Project Coordinator will regularly submit evaluation reports to
PPWE and other relevant organizations.

Sustainability

Short run:

In the short run, the project is expected to be run on the resources generated

i. Project sponsors and partners

ii. Well-wishers.

Long run.
Given that ICT is regarded as a powerful tool for innovative, inclusive growth, outputs of this
project will translate into useful resources for visions and future activities.

The digital applications and platforms expected to be generated by this project are projected to
generate revenues into millions- good enough to not only run the project continuously but also
to ensure support of the other forms of empowerment and socio-economic improvements
projects.

Further, to ensure sustainability, Project Coordinator and contractors of this project intend to
design a continuous capacity building programs integrating outputs of this year’s project as a
next step. Through these programs, selected groups of women will have opportunities to be
trained about how to develop business models based on ICT/smart technologies and start up
their business in the future.

Project Management Structure

This project will be undertaken by the Dorn Anaclet Foundation CBO

Budget
No item Activity Quantity/ Unit cost Total cost
Duration/ (Kshs)
Frequency
1. Activity 1: Actual Training, mentorship 1 1,950,000
Sensitization, & Consultancy.
publishizing and
marketing of the
project.
Developing a digital
platform
Registration,
acquisition of
training materials
and actual trainings
Guidelines on and
access to financial
capital
 Increased
opportunities for
ICT/smart
technology-based
nutrition businesses
for women SMEs:

2 Project monitoring 1
and evaluation,
coordination,
administration, and
program activities 1,500,000

Contingencies (10%) 345,000

Total cost for year one
3,795,000/=