By Egline Samoei
A day after the courtesy visit to Mwanajuma Hiribae, Ag. County Secretary and CEC for Lands and Physical Planning, Agriculture, Livestock, and Cooperative Development, the KICTANet team convened a community engagement with Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and cooperative members in Hola, Tana River County. The session aimed to introduce the Enhancing Digital Access and Community Resilience (EDACR) project, listen to community perspectives, and explore how digital skills can strengthen livelihoods, service access, and local enterprise.
Community Gathering in Hola
The meeting was held at the Social Hall in Hola on Friday, 30th January 2026. The turnout reflected strong community interest, with about 140 participants representing women, youth, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and men from various VSLAs and cooperatives across the county.
Participants were joined by national and county government officials, Tana River County Government representatives, and representatives from the Pastoralist Girls Initiative, underscoring the multi-stakeholder commitment to advancing inclusive digital development.
Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and cooperative members gathered at Hola Social Hall in Tana River County for the EDACR community meeting.
Introducing EDACR and Digital Empowerment
Mwenda Kivuva of KICTANet introduced the EDACR project and outlined its design to build foundational digital skills among community groups. He emphasized practical pathways for using digital tools to improve communication, access information, and engage with online services, while also highlighting the importance of cyber hygiene and online safety to protect individuals and groups in the digital space.
He noted that EDACR’s community-driven approach, working through Community Digital Champions, ensures that learning is locally relevant and responsive to the realities faced by VSLAs and cooperatives.
Voices from VSLAs and Cooperatives
A member of a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) raises a question during the EDACR community meeting at Hola Social Hall, Tana River County.
During the dialogue, VSLA and cooperative members shared the challenges they face in managing finances and accessing markets. Several groups explained that they currently save money in physical cash boxes and expressed a strong desire to learn how to save and transact digitally while staying safe online.
Others, particularly those engaged in farming and agribusiness, highlighted the need to understand how to market and sell their produce through digital platforms to reach broader markets and improve incomes.
These insights reinforced the relevance of EDACR’s focus on basic digital literacy, online safety, and digital entrepreneurship as practical tools for turning community aspirations into achievable opportunities.
How EDACR Is Responding
Through the EDACR project, KICTANet is working to address these needs by providing training on the use of digital devices, productivity tools, communication platforms, online safety, and digital entrepreneurship. The programme’s inclusive design ensures that women, youth, and PWDs are actively supported to participate and benefit.
By partnering with organized groups such as VSLAs and cooperatives, EDACR creates a pathway for collective learning and peer support, enabling communities to adopt digital solutions that strengthen financial management, market access, and engagement with public and private services.
Conclusion
The engagement in Hola, Tana River County marked an important step in grounding the EDACR project within the everyday realities of Tana River County’s communities. By listening to local challenges and aspirations, KICTANet and its partners are shaping a programme that goes beyond access to deliver meaningful, safe, and inclusive digital participation.
As EDACR continues to roll out across Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL), these community dialogues will remain central to ensuring that digital skills translate into real, sustainable impact for VSLAs, cooperatives, and the wider community.
Egline Samoei, a KeSIG 2020 fellow is a digital marketer, a technology writer, and the founder of Samodigital Agency.