One day, Pius Muhoro, a leader at Slum Talanta, was going about his day when suddenly a wild idea struck him. It was a dream so wild that he didn’t know where to begin conceptualizing it and bringing it to life. You see, Pius always knew the importance of learning about the digital world. He knew that it could take any person from one level to the next. Now, he chose to go against all odds to make this dream a reality for the students at Slum Talanta. Thanks to Safaricom’s Ndoto Zetu, he has since reached a milestone.
Slum Talanta is a community-based organization founded in the year 2012. It is based in Kibra Slum, Nairobi. The main aim of forming Slum Talanta is to empower the youth through the talents they possess. This is aimed at helping them navigate their challenges due to the intensive growth of school dropouts, diseases related to poor hygiene, dirty water, poor sanitation, lack of empowerment. This is the story of how the NGO sought to improve livelihoods in some of the poorest households in Nairobi.
With ICT becoming a staple for prosperity and success in the digital era, Pius who was a forward thinker was looking to promote the growth of talents and boost ICT knowledge in his community. In 2019, Pius got to know about Ndoto Zetu through the Churchill Live Show. He applied online and became successful. Safaricom’s Ndoto Zetu Foundation donated computers to the institution which helped them to set up a computer lab.
Safaricom’s Ndoto Zetu eventually paved way for him to fulfil the dreams for students at Slum Talanta. He sought help from this great initiative that partners with Kenyans keen to make a difference in their communities through social investments. Ndoto Zetu brings dreams of the community to life, which translates to thousands of lives impacted and transformed. Since its inception in 2019, Ndoto Zetu has executed over 600 projects worth KES 90 million, positively impacting close to 2 million Kenyans.
Safaricom’s Ndoto Zetu program partnered with Slum Talanta to provide them with computers to set up a computer lab in conjunction with Undugu Society, a partner of Slum Youth Talanta Foundation, to prepare youth for their digital future. Their mission was to give anyone above 18 years, a chance to gain digital knowledge and skills and equip them for a better future.
The provision of computers at Slum Talanta helped them to fulfil their mission to support Kenyan youth’s talents from all slums i.e Kibera, Mathare, and Korogocho, among others. By doing this, they aim to bring national cohesiveness & hence reduction of crime in the slums and cities through job creation.
Although the foundation was formed almost a decade ago, one of the main challenges was that it had not yet gained maximum recognition by the state & citizens themselves. Through Safaricom’s Ndoto Zetu initiative, they have been able to combat some of the problems faced including the lack of resources and project administration costs.
In the last few years, Slum Talanta has been educating young people on developing an integrated leadership curriculum through youth capacity building and leadership, community engagement, and institutional strengthening. That said, learning about the digital world has become a vital tool to take children to the next level in life. Through this, they can earn themselves jobs and earn a living, thus improving their livelihoods and the quality of their lives.
Pius Muhoro said that the youth at Slum Talanta are talented, and their talents needed to be tapped into. Thanks to Safaricom, they have been able to provide students with computers to teach them basic computer knowledge. They have brought their vision to life. Thanks to Safaricom’s Ndoto Zetu the lives of so many people have been changed for the better and communities have been empowered to do great things.
If you wish to participate in Ndoto Zetu kindly send a written submission through Safaricom Foundation’s Ndoto Zetu website or visit any Safaricom Retail Shop and fill in an application form for a chance to have their community dream realized. Successful participants will be contacted by the Safaricom Foundation through 0722 000 000.
Follow Slum Talanta on their Facebook page to learn more about them.
