The Raspberry Pi Foundation (RPF) and Frontier Counties Development Council (FCDC) have recorded significant progress in their joint efforts to advance digital literacy in Northern Kenya, with schools in Marsabit and Lamu reporting an unprecedented demand for ICT lessons.
The partnership, launched to address gaps in technology education, has grown from a modest pilot phase reaching just 55,000 learners to now benefiting over 71,000 students across ten counties.
In Kenya overall, the program has impacted more than 250,000 students in 3,000 schools, with ambitions to expand coverage to every school in the country.
Under the initiative, learners are introduced to a structured computing curriculum that includes programming, algorithms, creating media, and data handling.
Schools implementing the program have noted high levels of engagement, with students showing increased curiosity, creativity, and confidence in digital skills.
Participation from marginalized groups, including girls and communities in remote areas, has also seen a remarkable boost.
Teacher capacity building remains central to the program. More than 154 educators have received hands-on ICT training, enabling them to deliver lessons using a simplified curriculum that accommodates teachers with little or no prior experience in technology.
Monthly peer-learning sessions have further strengthened skills, promoting collaboration and innovation at the school level.
To support implementation, the program has expanded device allocation, distributing 120 laptops to 120 schools across all ten FCDC counties.
Additional infrastructure upgrades have been prioritized, although challenges such as limited connectivity, high learner-to-device ratios, and inadequate technical support persist.
Despite these hurdles, the initiative is driving transformation in digital education, reducing absenteeism, and fostering problem-solving skills among learners.
With growing interest in coding and computing, the program is shaping a future-ready generation in Kenya’s frontier regions.