The Power Within

Women From Rural Kenya are faced with the fear of not being able to Be, Do and Achieve that which their minds can think about and most of them brush it off, and let the men take over major projects and Technical jobs especially concerning the Internet.

There is a major fear about the INTERNET being an unsafe place for them to venture and when they see one who is using it they deem that one as lost or is being brainwashed by other peoples culture and ways of life as proven by the provocative music videos and movies that are shown on free T.V. So What has led and instilled this fear is the fear of the unknown, they are not educated about the internet and the men take advantage of their ignorance further sit on them and mistreat them because even from the internet you can learn a lot about your rights and who you are and can be in relation to this life, yet this they don't know too.

Technology in Rural Kenya is also looked at as something to be shunned instead of embraced, of course I do not advice to drop everything and embrace everything that comes but slowly and steadily computers can be introduced, shown and taught to the women in a way that they see the advantages of using it especially the internet,

Illiteracy is another thing that shuns women from venturing into the net, 'thinking' of the net as a complicated thing and yet even a five year old who has started reading can maneuver through the net because of its simple straight forward instructions.

Availability
Internet facilities are not common in Rural areas and libraries are an unheard of privilege there, thus making it evenless thought about there.

Power/Electricity
With a mental attitude of lack and limitation, scarcity, Rescuer programmings and poverty consciousness surrounding them, electricity is a luxury that wastes time and money and is left for the Rich and City folks to deal with, and this is something that can really push a society forward.

The Good news is that all this can be changed, because the problem lies mentally, it's the negative thinking about usage of the internet and refusal to accept that times are constantly changing and they can use the internet to learn and further their lives, The women can be slowly weaned to this, beginning with someone they trust and look up to in society, another woman and of course when a man is present with support it completes the energy.

Workshops are the best way to talk to them and show them first hand how simple it is to access it, how to keep yourself safe from negative sites by typing or not typing certain words in search engines.. these workshops can begin with a training about changing mental attitudes towards technology and showing another side of it because everything has two sides and what they know about the internet is negative at the moment, and when your attitude about something is not changed first then chances are you will not be interested in it too so flipping the coin and reintroducing them to it from another angle in a loving supportive environment where they feel safe to come out of their cocoons is a good start.. Then let them walk through the door by themselves because you can take the cow to the river but you cannot force it to drink water.

Watering the seeds planted
Patience is a virtue and a seed has to go underground before it can sprout and see the light, so watering what was talked about in the workshop is key, Media awareness programs, radio or T.V, Posters and constant reminders, like follow up workshops.

Finally...
Building the internet cafe's and libraries so they can taste their new grounds and explore what this new world of internet has to offer, to attract them. the government can come in and help in the mentioned solutions especially the library because a government library would mean affordability and an initiative by them to support the women in stepping up.