Nelly Cheboi is a celebrated social entrepreneur, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/nelly-cheboi/?sh=179de9a85764" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forbes 30 under 30</a> honoree, and<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/14/world/education-technology-recycling-kenya-poverty-cnnheroes/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> CNN Hero</a>. After growing up in rural Kenya and lifting her family out of poverty, she focused on her community.

CEO | CNN Hero | Forbes Under 30

We made a music video that celebrates your kindness, generosity and support. This one's for you.<a href="https://techlitafrica.org/video/heroes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://techlitafrica.org/video/heroes</a>Thank You 💛

The Network is a passionate and determined group of monthly givers on a mission to bridge the digital divide in our lifetime. People like you from different corners of the world, giving anything they can to prove how unstoppable we are when we work together.

We made a music video that celebrates your kindness, generosity and support. This one's for you:&nbsp;<a href="https://techlitafrica.org/video/heroes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://techlitafrica.org/video/heroes</a>Thank You 💛

The Merge 4: We Love You 💛 | TechLit Africa

Tyler Cinnamon is a American programmer and entrepreneur. He started TechLit Africa with Nelly Cheboi in 2018 to disrupt poverty with used IT devices.

Founder & COO

The Merge is our monthly newsletter, where we share everything TechLit from the last four weeks.

Digital Skills Unlock Global Opportunity | Disrupting Poverty in Rural Africa | Computer Classes for Primary Schools | Social Impact

The Merge | Monthly Newsletter from TechLit Africa

The Merge

The Merge 4: We Love You 💛

We are back from Kenya. It was a successful trip! <h2>Why Are We Building Computer Labs Again?</h2>Back in 2019, our goal was to set up 10 computer labs. When Tyler and I were working as software engineers in Chicago, we were uneasy about all the computers going to waste after being upgraded. I knew that back in my hometown, any one of those computers could be life changing.We started TechLit Africa because we believe that redistributing technology is an effective solution to poverty. Our theory of change is that by enabling youth to join the digital economy, entire communities will lift themselves out of poverty.We learned from our first trip that working with kids is the path of least resistance. Primary schools in Kenya had facilities to host computer classes, and kids were very eager to learn digital skills. We knew we had a recipe for success this time. When Covid restrictions were lifted this year, we got to work. <h2>This year, we built 10 computer labs!</h2>Every school day in Kenya, there are over a thousand children learning digital skills in our classes. An educator of ours comes to their classroom and guides them to the computer lab, where they sit at their own keyboard and log into our offline curriculum. Kids in our classes play games, learn basics like touch-typing and create digital assets like images, audio and 3D models. Some kids are even coding with Scratch!Before our program, many of these kids had never seen a TV screen, let alone used a keyboard. Not only is this a life-changing experience, it's truly an introduction to the most powerful tool for fighting poverty. In a few years, these students could be tapping into the digital economy straight from the village.Looking back on our trip, everything happened really fast, but it didn’t seem that way when we were on the ground. We were crushed! Between hiring, onboarding schools, updating computers and maintaining our social media accounts, it was tough to get an hour of downtime. We made it out the other side with a completely separate organization, TechLit Kenya, with 20 full-time teachers. Yes, twenty!The music video says it all. And we can never get enough of it.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwRspsAL3fs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwRspsAL3fs</a> <h2>We can set up 100 more schools next year.</h2>We like ambitious goals, so we want to grow ten times as much in 2022. Expanding from 10 to over 100 schools won't be easy, but just think of the impact we could have. Expanding to 100 more schools would empower another 40,000 children in Kenya from next year on.We still have plenty to figure out, but we've made so much progress this year.Thank you for all your support. We'll be in touch.Happy Holidays,&nbsp;💃Nelly Cheboi

Newsletter from TechLit Africa | Installing Computer Classrooms | Theory of Change | 100 Schools in 2022 | 40,000 Students

When Covid restrictions were lifted this year, we got to work.&nbsp;This year, we built 10 computer labs! Looking back on our trip,&nbsp;everything happened really fast, but it didn’t seem that way when we were on the ground.&nbsp;We can set up 100 more schools next year.

The Merge 3: Recap 2021

<h2>44 laptops, 140 desktops and five months in Kenya</h2>Last Saturday, I landed in Nairobi, Kenya with 44 laptops. Tyler and I plan on flying back and forth from Kenya to the States a few times every year. Every time we’ve flown as TechLit, we’ve packed about five laptops per person. Forty-four is a new record!<blockquote>We introduced over 1200 kids to computers in just a few months.</blockquote>You’ve probably seen our stories from 2019. They were all about running an “open lab”, where kids from any economic background were entitled equal access to a computer. We introduced over 1200 kids to computers in just a few months, and here’s the kicker: we did all that with 16 computers.<blockquote>Imagine for a moment the impact we will achieve with 200 computers.</blockquote>Now we have 200 working computers in Mogotio! You may remember that we shipped 140 desktops through Mombasa to Mogotio early in 2020. We introduced 1200 kids to technology with only 16 laptops, imagine for a moment the impact we will achieve with 200 computers.<blockquote>Thank you all!</blockquote>There are so many people who helped make these shipments happen, from our generous monthly donors, to our venerable board and the tireless volunteers across the world who resonate with our vision. Thank you all for making our work possible!<h2>Reimagine&nbsp;<a href="https://techlitafrica.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">techlitafrica.org</a>&nbsp;with us</h2>We have an all-new approach to stewardship, and it starts with positivity, excitement and hope! From here on, our stories can be as deeply visual as they are powerful. Everyone: head over there, send us your feedback!<blockquote>Our stories can be as deeply visual as they are powerful.</blockquote>For the techies: *We’re migrating from Ruby on Rails and Bootstrap on haml with jQuery to React on NextJs through express with Typescript and tailwindcss, but we’re still on Heroku for the time-being.*<h2>Let’s transform Mogotio, Kenya</h2>When I started Zawadi in 2015, I had no idea how far it would go. For me, Zawadi is about holistically transforming communities by involving all segments of the population. It started with just a few kids in primary school. The future of Zawadi will enable adults to further education, from technical training to basic literacy. Now Zawadi will serve kids, youth and adults alike.<blockquote>It started with just a few kids in primary school.</blockquote>Next week, we start building four more floors of Zawadi. The first floor will be for the primary school, and the last three floors will each host a different community-focused nonprofit. The third and fourth floors will host Neema for the Vocational Training and Read Across Africa for the Library and Adult literacy programs. The second floor will have TechLit, with enough room for our African headquarters.<blockquote>You can empower the entire population of Mogotio, Kenya.</blockquote>We, TechLit Africa, are on a mission to raise $60,000 to build the second floor of Zawadi Yetu. Through techlit, you can empower the entire population of Mogotio, Kenya.

Last Saturday, I landed in Nairobi, Kenya with 44 laptops. Tyler and I plan on flying back and forth from Kenya to the States a few times every year.

The Merge 2: Karibuni Mogotio, Kenya 🤗

<h2>The Network</h2>The Network is a passionate and determined group of monthly givers on a mission to bridge the digital divide in our lifetime. People like you from different corners of the world, giving anything they can to prove how unstoppable we are when we work together.<a href="https://techlitafrica.org/the-network" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Join The Network</a> <h2>We're Joining a Code For Good Summit</h2>We are co-hosting a summit called Code for Good on February 7th-11th, 2021 with Code Your Dreams, a nonprofit teaching kids to code. The kick-off event will be in a 3D virtual environment called Gamerjibe.Saturday, February 7th, 2PM - 4PM CTCoderHeroes will lead a CoderYoga session for kids and a regular yoga session for adults.Wednesday, February 10th, 6PM CTApple, Microsoft, Chicago Public Schools, MIT and Code Your Dreams host a panel: "The Future of Coding Education".Thursday, February 11th, 6PM CTTechLit Africa, Snap, GET Cities, JusticeText and Plasticity Project host a panel: "Using Technology to Build a Better World". <h2>Introducing Computers in Uganda</h2>We are also working with The Collective Effect, a nonprofit based in Uganda and Atlanta, to introduce kids in the Akenna Home to computers. The Akenna Home is a transitional home for 20 kids in Kampala, Uganda.So far, we have sent one laptop, and are planning on sending more this year.You can read more about The Collective Effect online,&nbsp;<a href="https://techlitafrica.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c3cf2ed89c3d6428e4b39f8bf&amp;id=1f481754ef&amp;e=43a775406c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. <h2>Objectives for 2021</h2>Coming back from Kenya in late 2019, we were excited to get back as soon as possible to build out our next ten computer labs, but covid has kept us in the States. This year, we have a few objectives for our time spent waiting for covid, and a few objectives for when we feel it is safe to continue our work in Kenya.<ul><li>Waiting for Covid</li><li class="ql-indent-1">We will ship one new parter lab every month. Our partners typically cover the cost of packing and shipping from our storage facility to their school or community center.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">After Covid</li><li>We will build ten operating school computer labs before we leave Kenya (not including Zawadi Prep). This includes:</li><li class="ql-indent-2">hiring and training local teachers for each school and a local operations manager,</li><li class="ql-indent-2">finding local funding for employees and operations, and</li><li class="ql-indent-1">all labs hosting regular classes.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">We will pursue waivers to ship everything we have in storage.</li><li>Regardless of Covid</li><li class="ql-indent-1">We will be better stewards by sending a newsletter every month.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">We will open-source our computer lab software.</li></ul>If you would like to help with these goals, please reach out. <h2>Show Your Support with TechLit Apparel</h2>Cloztalk raises awareness for nonprofits. In our agreement with Cloztalk, they promise to donate a share of their profits.<a href="https://techlitafrica.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c3cf2ed89c3d6428e4b39f8bf&amp;id=03a2ce76f0&amp;e=43a775406c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shop for Good - Wear TechLit</a>

The Network is a passionate and determined group of monthly givers&nbsp;on a mission to bridge the digital divide in our lifetime.&nbsp;People like you from different corners of the world,&nbsp;giving anything they can to prove how unstoppable we are when we work together.

The Merge

The Merge 4: We Love You 💛

The Merge 3: Recap 2021

The Merge 2: Karibuni Mogotio, Kenya 🤗

The Merge: 2021 Goals

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