Toto Centre Initiative

Toto Centre Initiative is a registered community organization that works with both state and non-state actors to address social-cultural inequalities and discriminations that affect education of disadvantaged girls and boys in Lamu County, Kenya. The organization was officially registered in May 2019 with the State Department of Social Development, registration number (CSD/HDM/LMU/CBO/VOL.V/094).

As a community organization we use the whole school approach (WSA) model as our strategy to bring together adolescents, school-community leaders, parents, relevant officials from the county and national government to sustainably identify and address barriers affecting education at school-community level. The primary objectives of our organization include:

1. Conduct research to identify sociocultural beliefs and practices that affect education of children in Lamu County.
2. Work with children, school officials, community leaders and parents to design and implement child rights and protection programmes that address all forms of gender based violence against children at school community level.
3. Work with State and Non-State Actors in the County to strengthen and or develop laws and policies that eliminates all harmful practices that affect learning and access of education by children in Lamu County.

The key programs of our organization include the following:

1. Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
2. Child Protection and Safeguarding
3. Gender Equality and Women Empowerment

The guiding instruments of our organization include the Constitution of Kenya (Article 53) on the Rights of Children; The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) (Article 11) on a Child’s Right to Education and personal development, and; The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (Articles 19, 28 and 42) on Protection from Violence, Abuse and Neglect; the Right to Education; and the State’s obligation to inform children and families of their rights.

1. Provide technical support to the Board members at all levels.
2. Work hand in hand with the Chairperson and Executive Director to ensure effective formulation and implementation of project activities at school-community level.
3. Work together with the Chairperson and Executive Director to develop and implement resource mobilization strategies.
4. To link the organization with like-minded partners and other external mmbers for synergies and sustainability of school-community projects

Our team lead and team members have a heart to supporting any community course that improves the skills and education of children in Kenya and in any part of the world. We are experts in volunteering amazing projects especially the ones that help to bridge gender gap in digital technology in Kenya. For example in this 12-week LEAP Project sprint; we are 100% ready to work with MIT Solve and participating teams to implement partnership opportunities that align with the challenge objectives. We have been volunteering to keep over 600 children in school through various school projects and we are more than ready to offer our time to ensure the LEAP project becomes a success here in Kenya.

A gender-focused digital literacy initiative in rural and marginalized Kenyan schools to promote equitable access and empower underserved communities.

In Lamu County (Kenya), Women and Girls have for so many years been discriminated through gender stereotypes and beliefs that they are not Culturally Fit to learn and understand Digital technology. Men on the other hand have been promoted by culture to learn and advance their digital skills and knowledge while women and girls left at home to do domestic duties and non-technological lessons. Our project seeks to address the gender gap in digital technology by targeting to train 1000 school going Adolescent girls (10 to 17 years)with basic knowledge of Computer skills.

We have been empowering adolescent girls and boys with basic computer skills and digital rights as one of our innovative ways of embracing technology. As the project continues, one of our monitoring strategy we have been using is data to inform our project milestones in terms of success, challenges and best practices to adapt and scale the project to empower many other adolescent girls in Lamu County, Kenya.

Since we have been using 1 laptop donated to us by Digital Opportunity Trust in 2022 to date, we are currently planning to use mobile technology and low-cost devices, like mobile phones as this way, many leaners can learn some basic digital skills at school level.

We have not done any research because all of our members are born and raised from the same local communities in Lamu County Kenya. And many of us including our founder and technical lead have been victims and survivors of gender based violence where education of women and girls has been considered less import compared to the male education. Our eyes are a witness of what has been happening in our County in terms of marginalization and discrimination of women and girls in terms of their access to digital skills and technology in Lamu County. We are happy and looking forward to partner with MIT Solve through the LEAP project so that we can have a proper study done and reports published to help also inform our Legislators and Policy markers both at County and National government.

Our project activities for the Girls in ICT project in the 4 schools we have been working with has shown that girls can learn quickly equally to the same way the boys child can learn and understand basic ICT skills. So the social-cultural misconception that women and girls cannot learn computer is just a myth and stereotype used by our society to continue stigmatized and discriminate women and girls further on not to access basic computer digital skills.

This is the perfect time for us to be part of the LEAP project because it will help us to conduct research to inform our current Girls in ICT project in the rural and marginalized schools in Kenya. We have been implementing this project since 2022 to date where over 300 adolescent girls have been trained on basic computer skills, But again we used our life experiences while growing up from our local communities here in Lamu County, Kenya to justify the need for the project. The LEAP project will help us to assess whether our project is effectively addressing the gender gap in digital access and skills among students in rural and marginalized schools. Gathering evidence allows us to measure the project's impact on participants' digital literacy, confidence, and engagement with technology.

Most importantly, our engagement in the LEAP project will us to come up with evidence-based findings that can be used to advocate for policy changes and investments in gender-inclusive digital education at the County level. By presenting compelling data on the benefits of our project, we can influence decision-makers to prioritize gender equity in education and technology.

1. What are the primary barriers and challenges faced by girls and boys in accessing and utilizing digital technologies in rural and marginalized schools, and how can these barriers be addressed to promote gender equity in digital education?
2. How do gender-specific interventions, such as tailored digital literacy training and mentorship programs, impact girls' and boys' digital skills development and confidence in rural and marginalized schools?
3. What is the long-term impact of gender-inclusive digital education interventions on students' academic performance, career aspirations, and socio-economic opportunities in rural and marginalized communities?

Below are our outputs explanation from my 3 research questions I highlighted above on the LEAP Project:

Outputs on barriers to Gender Equity in Digital Education:

1. Identification and documentation of the primary barriers and challenges faced by girls and boys in accessing and utilizing digital technologies, based on surveys, focus group discussions, and interviews with students, teachers, and community members.
2. Analysis of the socio-cultural, economic, and infrastructural factors contributing to gender disparities in digital education, providing insights into root causes and potential intervention points.
3. Development of a comprehensive report outlining key findings, recommendations, and actionable strategies for addressing barriers to gender equity in digital education within rural and marginalized school settings

Outputs on effectiveness of Gender-Specific Interventions:

1. Quantitative data on the digital literacy skills improvement among girls and boys in participating schools, measured through pre- and post-assessments.
2. Qualitative feedback from students and teachers on the perceived impact of gender-specific interventions on their confidence, engagement, and attitudes towards digital learning.
3. Comparative analysis of digital skill development between girls and boys, highlighting any disparities and identifying effective strategies for promoting gender equity in digital education.

Outputs on long-term Impact on Educational Outcomes:

1. Tracking of students' academic performance over time to assess the long-term impact of gender-inclusive digital education interventions on learning outcomes, graduation rates, and academic achievement.
2. Monitoring of students' career aspirations and trajectories, including their interest in STEM fields and access to employment opportunities in digital sectors, to gauge the socio-economic impact of the project.
3. Compilation of case studies and success stories highlighting the transformative effects of gender-inclusive digital education on students' lives and communities, showcasing the broader societal benefits and advocating for continued support and investment in similar initiatives.

Our organization (Toto Centre Initiative) has strong background of over 5 years in planning, implementing and monitoring of school-community led action plans. In this LEAP project, Toto Centre Initiative will continue to work closely with partner schools and teachers to implement the LEAP project developed during the formative research phase. This includes conducting training sessions for educators on effective instructional strategies and providing ongoing support and resources to facilitate curriculum delivery.

We will use the baseline data collected during the formative research phase to inform decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. This includes monitoring progress, evaluating outcomes, and making adjustments to program activities based on real-time feedback and insights from participants and stakeholders. Toto Centre Initiative will provide capacity-building support to teachers, facilitators, and school administrators to enhance their skills and competencies in delivering gender-inclusive digital education. This may involve offering additional training workshops, coaching sessions, or professional development opportunities tailored to the specific needs and contexts of partner schools.

The bigger picture that we look forward to see or achieve during and after implementing the LEAP project is to see sustained impact beyond the duration of the LEAP Project sprint, with participating schools integrating gender-inclusive digital education practices into their curriculum and pedagogy for long-term sustainability. We also looking forward to see a reduced gender disparities in digital access, skills, and confidence, resulting in greater gender equity in digital education outcomes and opportunities. Lastly we look forward to empowered students who shall be actively engaging on digital technologies, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills essential for success in the 21st-century workforce.