Introduction to Kakamega CKC

Introduction
A maarifa center also called Community Knowledge Center (CKC) is a center equipped with appropriate ICT tools to enhance information generation, access, dissemination and skills development for the community.

Kakamega Community Knowledge Center (CKC) or Maarifa Centre.
The Kakamega CKC is located in Western province, Kenya at a distance of 18km from Kakamega town and approximately 418km from Nairobi. The centre was established by Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) in the year 2007 as a fully fledged CKC commonly referred to as Maarifa Center. This came as a result of an increased demand for tele-center services and the need to document local knowledge by ALIN membership in the region. The center is based at Isecheno community within the Rainforest and hosted by Kakamega Environmental and Education Programme (KEEP) in collaboration with the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE).

The Role played by the Center
The center plays a catalytic role in offering appropriate information and acting as a center for local knowledge documentation. The center is centrally located for ease of access by communities.

Residents in the area engage in subsistence farming and livestock rearing. They also engage in ecotourism practices. Kakamega residents are also well known for their boda boda activities i.e. an activity that involves the use of bicycles and motorbikes as taxis, a venture that has created employment opportunities for many youths in the area.

Background Information
Kakamega Environmental Education Program (KEEP) which is a Community Based Organization (CBO) was established in 1995 by Mr. Wilberforce Okeka with a mission to promote sustainable environmental conservation within and around the forest. The organization was officially registered with the Ministry of Culture and Heritage as a Community Based Organization in the year 2000. The organization is now under the management of Mr. Benjamin Okallo as the chairman.

Currently, the organization (KEEP) in collaboration with ALIN through ICIPE, is involved in environmental conseravtion activities/projects such as tree nursery planting, community environmental education, energy saving technologies i.e. Briquette making, energy saving jikos, fireless cooker/basket etc. with a special project about Mondia whytei (Omukombera) farming and manufacturing/processing for commercialization.

Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN)
ALIN is mainly responsible for Information Network within Eastern Africa by carrying out information acquisition, repackaging and dissemination to and from the communities on matters pertaining to environmental and climate friendly activities such as Energy Saving Technologies e.g. Briquette making, fireless cooker/basket, energy saving jikos and Tree nursery planting.

Through ALIN, the centre has been recognized worlwide through publications such as the Baobab, LEISA, Joto Afrika and id21 among others. In addition, the centre carries out computer literacy trainings to communities living around its setting besides free internet services so as to promote accessibity to information by the marginalized groups in the society e.g. the rural areas based residents.

Kakamega Rainforest
Due to its rich biodiversity, Kakamega Rainforest through ecotourism has been and remains a major promotion to the centre by bringing in more visitors who come from various places in the world and therefore giving ALIN an opportunity to spread its Gospel about the threats environmental unfriendly activities are contributing to climate change.