Mawingu and ATC Kenya Launch Digital Communities Program to Bridge Kenya’s Rural Connectivity Gap
This milestone marks a crucial step toward equipping learning institutions with essential digital infrastructure and connectivity.
The Mawingu Foundation , in partnership with American Tower Corporation (ATC) Kenya, has officially launched a three-year Digital Communities initiative aimed at expanding inclusive digital access across underserved regions in Kenya.
As part of the program’s initial rollout, the first Digital Community was handed over to Tenri Vocational Training Center in Embu County. This milestone marks a crucial step toward equipping learning institutions with essential digital infrastructure and connectivity.
The initiative will establish technology-enabled community spaces offering:
- Digital literacy training for youth
- Vocational and financial skills development for adults
- Access to essential healthcare services
Targeting vocational training centres, secondary schools, special schools, dispensaries, and their surrounding communities, the initiative is projected to directly benefit over 50,000 people.
Highlighting the urgency of such interventions, the partners noted that currently, only 1 in 25 households in Africa has access to affordable internet. In Kenya, the figure improves slightly to 1 in 10 households, but rural communities still face the greatest barriers to access—holding back progress in education, healthcare, and economic opportunity.
“Closing the digital divide must start where the gap is widest, at the heart of rural and peri-urban communities.”
–Farouk Ramji, Chief Executive Officer, Mawingu.
He emphasized that the initiative reflects the Foundation’s commitment to Open Opportunities by connecting the communities most in need.
“The collaboration strengthens ATC’s Digital Communities program, which uses infrastructure to extend digital and social services to underserved populations.”
–George Odenyo, Chief Executive Officer, ATC Kenya.
By combining strategic infrastructure with grassroots partnerships, the Digital Communities initiative aims to accelerate digital inclusion and unlock transformative opportunities across Kenya’s rural landscape.
