Connecting the Unconnected in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya
Kakuma Refugee Camp, is located in the northwestern region of Kenya. It is one of the largest and most longstanding refugee camps in the world. Established in 1992, Kakuma was initially set up to host refugees fleeing conflicts in Sudan, but over the years, it has expanded to accommodate displaced persons from multiple countries, including Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Today, the camp is home to over 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers, living in challenging conditions with limited access to essential services and opportunities for education, employment, and entertainment.
On July 2024 in response to these challenges, the GSR Foundation, Techfugees and EdgeEDD embarked on a mission to improve the quality of life in Kakuma by introducing our EDDs devices, designed to deliver digital content in environments with minimal or no internet connectivity.
Chosen Locations for Deployment
The deployment of EDDs units within Kakuma Refugee Camp has been carefully planned to maximise impact and accessibility for the refugee community. The selection of specific locations was guided by several key criteria, ensuring that the technology reaches those who need it most and provides the greatest benefit to the camp's residents
Free Access to Educational Content
The chosen locations are places where the need for educational content is particularly acute. EDDs provides free access to a wealth of educational resources, empowering refugees to continue their learning and development even in challenging circumstances.
Affordability
EDDs were strategically deployed throughout the camp to create localised Wi-Fi networks, enabling refugees to access a wide range of preloaded content, including educational materials, health information, and entertainment, all without requiring an active internet connection. This initiative aimed to bridge the digital divide and empower the camp's residents with the knowledge and resources they need to improve their lives, despite the challenging circumstances they face.
Collaboration is the Key
Driving Digital Inclusion Globally
Through this collaboration, EdgeEDD and Techfugees have provided crucial digital resources to one of the most underserved communities in the world and demonstrated the potential of technology to bring positive change to the lives of displaced persons.
“Techfugees UK and Techfugees Kenya worked closely with UK company EdgeEDD on this project to deploy these highly innovative content sharing devices to refugees in the Kakuma refugee camp. We are delighted the project went so smoothly, given the cutting-edge innovation of this endeavour. It’s Techfugees’ belief that the emerging world should have exactly the same access to the leading edge of technology and education as the rest of the world, especially refugees — through no fault of their won — who caught up in the chaos of climate crisis and man-made disasters.”
Mike Butcher, Founder, Techfugees.
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