From 1 to 3 September, DigiKen-Digital Platforms Kenya convened partners and trainers to set the stage for rolling out transformative digital literacy training across the country. The 36-month initiative is led by UNESCO, in partnership with UNCDF, UN Women, and UNEP, under the guidance of the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya and the Ministry of ICT and the Digital Economy. DigiKen is designed to strengthen digital skills, foster green innovation, advance financial inclusion, promote gender-responsive entrepreneurship, and equip government officials with the knowledge to uphold digital governance and human rights, ensuring no one is left behind in Kenya’s digital transformation journey.
The inception workshop, organized by UN Women and UNEP in collaboration with the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) through the green and Digital Innovation Hub (gDIH) Kenya, brought together 45 Trainers of Trainers (ToTs) from 15 Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) across the country. Each hub serves more than 500 community members and plays a crucial role in providing women, youth, and marginalized groups with opportunities to engage in Kenya’s digital economy and society.
Through ACTS, DigiKen will implement a comprehensive digital literacy curriculum using a trainer-of-trainers model. This approach leverages both the DIHs and graduates of the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) to cascade digital skills training to communities nationwide.
By the close of the workshop, participants had developed a roadmap for community-level training, strengthened their delivery and safeguarding skills, and reinforced their commitment to inclusive, gender-responsive digital transformation. The trained ToTs are now prepared to deploy the DigiKen curriculum in their hubs, expanding access to vital digital skills that foster economic empowerment and social inclusion.
Participants expressed the value of DigiKen’s timely intervention. Khavai Agripina from Kijiji Connect ICT Hub highlighted its relevance for Tana River County, where challenges such as gender-based violence, FGM, conflict, and recurring droughts disproportionately affect women, youth, and persons with disabilities. She emphasized that DigiKen offers marginalized groups pathways to empowerment, alternative livelihoods, and the digital skills necessary to thrive in today’s world. Similarly, Omar Dubow from the Northern Innovation and Empowerment Hub (NieHub) praised the training as “insightful, practical, and empowering.”
DigiKen represents a bold commitment by the United Nations and the Government of Kenya to leverage digital technologies for sustainable development. By equipping civil servants with digital and AI skills, integrating financial and entrepreneurial support, and embedding gender equality and climate action into its design, DigiKen is expanding access to technology and laying the foundation for a more inclusive, innovative, and climate-resilient digital future in Kenya.
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