Students living with disability in the country will benefit from gadgets and empower their learning experience.
The
National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya (NFDK) on Tuesday received 140
tablets worth Sh2.2 million from technology firm Huawei.
Chairperson
of the fund’s board Kristina Pratt said that the tablets will be used
to give the learners with special needs a chance to digitally improve
their learning.
DIGITAL KITS
Ms
Pratt said the donation of the tablets is in line with the government’s
agenda of providing digital kits to schools aimed at equipping learners
in the era of technology.
At the
same time, she said the partnership will work to address forms of
exclusion and marginalisation of persons with disability by creating
opportunities for them to learn and work.
“We are grateful for the gesture by Huawei as
this will go a long way in empowering persons with disabilities and we
hope that it will not be a one-off,” said Ms Pratt while receiving the
donations at NFDK head office in Nairobi.
On
his part, Huawei Kenya’s senior director for public affairs Adam Lane
said the tablets come with customised software and applications to suit
users with different disabilities.
He
said Huawei is conducting skills training programs with its local
partners and will work together with the NFDK to ensure proper
utilisation of the tablets to enable the learners do something
productive using the tablets.
“Our
team is currently at Kapsabet school for the deaf providing training in
the use of the tablets. This is just the start of our partnership with
this organisation and we hope it can be a long partnership,” said Mr
Lane.
Mr Lane hailed NFDK as the
perfect partner as Huawei seeks to build on its 20+ years of operations
and community programs in Kenya and explore ways to use technology to
improve the lives of for persons with disabilities.
This
year Huawei launched its 'TECH4ALL' initiative and is committed to
helping 500 million people benefit from digital technology in the next
five years
NFDK is an endowment fund
established under the Trustees Act Cap 164 of the Laws of Kenya. The
mandate of the Fund is to enhance social and economic empowerment of
persons with disability in Kenya.
The
fund provides mobility aids, rehabilitative equipment and vocational
tools of trade to people living with disability, financial grants
towards infrastructural development or income generating activities as
well as engaging various stakeholders in raising awareness on matters
disability and carries out advocacy initiatives in a bid to bring
changes in legislation, policy-making and shaping public perception.
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