Airtel to provide free internet to schools in Kenya

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with Airtel Kenya has distributed internet gadgets to Ngei Primary School in Langata, Nairobi in a bid to promote digital learning.

The programme which is set to run for the next five years was launched on Thursday and is set to equip 30 schools in Kenya with gadgets in order to access internet learning.

Speaking during the launch, Airtel Kenya Managing Director Ashish Malhotra assured students that they will have access to the internet adding that there are 29 more schools to be connected with the internet as the programme aims at providing internet to 30 schools in Kenya.

“We are targeting 30 schools across the country that were selected for internet connectivity and whose mapping was conducted by the Ministry of Education for us to connect them to the internet,” said Malhotra.

Emeka Oparah who is the Vice president for corporate communications and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for Airtel Africa thanked Ngei Primary School for their warm reception ahead of the launch.

He asked students to explore the internet and interact with the world at large and learn what other students are doing across the world.

“This internet connectivity project aims to increase use of digital literacy tools and connect schools to the internet in order to provide quality digital learning for children, including those with disabilities,” added Oparah.

Charles Otine who is the Innovation Manager for Airtel expressed his gratitude for what Airtel and UNICEF is doing to make sure students have internet.

“I thank Airtel which has zero rated learning websites so that students have better access to learning content and also for providing teacher training so that they can use the connectivity to teach students well,” said Otine.

Otine thanked the Government of Kenya and the Ministry of Education for identifying schools and providing them with laptops and projectors.

The Ngei Primary School fraternity thanked UNICEF and Airtel for the internet gadgets which included Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) routers.

They said that the internet connection has made them part of the global village as learners will be able to take up opportunities that the internet offers.

They said that education is the enabler to other Sustainable Development Goals adding that the Covid 19 pandemic caught most schools unawares as schools including Ngei had not been digitized.