The Rafiki Link program (www.rafikilink.org) is an initiative that connects students in Kenya with students in North America using information technology, and encourages them to "think, link, and act." The first in a three-part series, this article highlights the first portion of the program: "Think—Enhancing Global Awareness."
Ngeya Primary School has 1,800 students and an average class size of over 100 students. The school has one computer in the main office. Rafiki Link staff brings laptops to the school twice a week to facilitate the program.
At Rafiki Link in Kenya, we teach students how to use computers so they can keep up with changing technology. Because we have very few laptops in my school, each laptop is shared by six students. The students teach one another how to use the computers, which offers them an opportunity to grow as peer instructors.
The students have learned how to post on our blog (www.ngeyaprimary.blogspot.com), allowing them to communicate with students from different countries, including our partner schools—Martin Middle School in Austin, Tex.; Albion Heights Junior Middle School in Ontario, Canada; and Bannockburn Elementary and Middle School in Bannockburn, Ill. This interaction has helped my students improve their language skills as they exchange ideas and views with their peers from around the world and enhance their intercultural communication skills.
Some of the Kenyan Rafiki Link students come from very poor backgrounds and lack food, uniforms, and other necessities. Through Rafiki Link, they can participate in experiences normally unavailable to them, such as making friends with North American students, sharing their ideas with these new friends, and experiencing the positive effect this opportunity has on their attitudes.
The students are also able to compete with their North American counterparts in math, composition, and debate, which helps them feel motivated. As a result, their morale is boosted, and they are more interested in their studies. The computers they use also provide a new form of entertainment in which students can listen to music and watch videos created by the partner schools.
Also, through Rafiki Link, students can connect with the work of Comfort the Children (CTC) International in our community. For instance, CTC sets days to clean up the town by collecting garbage, which creates a more conducive environment for people to live in. They have planted trees at our school to improve the environment; offered disabled children aid for their special needs; and taught local parents different skills, such as tailoring, enabling families to raise their standard of living.
I am very excited about the ways that Rafiki Link has allowed our students at Ngeya to connect with students on the other side of the world as well as with their own peers and community.