Facing a practical difficulty?…try Practical Answers!

Are you a farmer or an extension officer ? Do you face technical problems in your day to day work? Are you seeking for knowledge to bridge this information gap? Well, look no more.Practical Answers is the solution for you!

Practical Answers is an online  technical information service initiated by Practical Action, an NGO which works in over 40 developing countries through use of  technology to challenge poverty. The platform is equipped with appropriate technology resources which range from energy, food and Agriculture,water and sanitation,disaster reduction,Climate Change,Markets,transport,new technologies, waste management,infrastructure, reconstruction and urban poverty.  These information resources are practically tailored to the simple language possible suit the user.They range from posters, newsletters, PDF documents, publications, short videos ,among others.

This works through a Technical Enquiry approach whereby interested users fill in  a form with the contact details and the technical enquiry which is uploaded to the Practical Answers  website.The requested practical information is therefore send to the enquirer via email, SMS or call back.

Visit Practical Action website to read more of Practical Answers.

For technical enquiries, kindly fill the Practical Enquiry Form and send it back to us.


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ICT skills help graduate to secure a job.

When Faith Mbithe Mutangili heard of an ICT training opportunity from a friend, she immediately visited Mutomo Maarifa Centre and enrolled for the course.

Two months down the lane, Faith is grateful for taking advantage of the opportunity; the skills played a big role in her securing a job as a voter registration clerk with Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)

The 23 year old graduate says that the ICT skills acquired are imperative in the day to day work as a registration clerk whose main duty is to type and record voter details.

During the 2 month long training , Miss.Mutangili went through 5 computer packages  which included: Introduction to Computers,MS Word,Ms Excel, Ms PowerPoint and Communication technology.

“ My typing skills have improved, I can now prepare PowerPoint presentation and have improved my internet skills,” says Faith  who is stationed at Mwamba Market polling station.

Faith congratulates ALIN for a job well done and urges them to offer more computer packages in future for diversity.

A man who cycled 60 KM to attend ICT training is rewarded with a job .

When 35 year old George Nzuki Mutuva heard a vacancy announcement on Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission(IEBC) recruitment on registration clerks, he was only too happy to apply for the opportunity.But there was a setback; one of the requirements was that an applicant must be IT compliant.

And although Mr.Mutuva had done a computer course in college, he felt that he lacked the practical skills necessary to be efficient in the job he had applied for.

He therefore visited Mutomo Maarifa Centre and had a discussion with the Field Officer so that he could be attending hourly ICT training every day for a period of two weeks for practical sessions.To attend these sessions, Mr.Mutuva had to cycle 60 KM everyday from his Ndatani  Location home.

However, this was not in vain,Mr.Mutuva successfully acquired the practical skills needed for the job and is now a voter registration clerk based at Ndatani polling station in Kyatune Location.

“I can now comfortably use a computer to register voters and I attribute this to the training I received from the Maarifa Centre,” says George adding that he was very impressed with the Maarifa Centre services and congratulates ALIN for the good work they are doing.

ICT trainee secures a job as a voter registration clerk

At Kongo Primary School polling station, Lillian Malunde Mulei is busy registering voters.Lillian is one of the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) registration clerks recently contracted to implement the voter registration process.

The trained P1 teacher says that she would not have secured this position were it not for a free ICT training she acquired from Mutomo Maarifa Centre.Mrs.Mulei was among the first community members to benefit from the opportunity at its inception on January this year.Her testimony had been compiled before as she was attending with her 63 year old father (http://mutomomaarifa.blogspot.com/2012/02/father-and-daughter-in-class.html)

   “ I am now computer literate and can access information online.These skills enabled me apply for the IEBC job online though the free internet services at the Maarifa Centre,” says Lillian who adds that she travelled 15 Kilometers each day to attend training sessions.

Mrs.Mulei’s duty as a registering clerk is majorly registering voters using the Bio Metric Voter Registration(BVR ) kit.

Lillian adds that she is grateful that the ICT training opportunity has helped her secure a job and applauds ALIN’s services for  uplifting  Mutomo community’s living  standards.

Youth demonstrates that disability is not inability

Josephine Mwende Kamene has a noble dream in life; to study hard, earn money and start a children’s home!The 19 year old physically challenged youth who wants to pursue a career in accounting has enrolled for a free ICT  training training opportunity at Mutomo Maarifa Centre  to make this dream a reality.

But what sets this enthusiastic youth apart from the other trainees is her determination to acquire this knowledge despite odds.Josephine has a mental condition known as Spastic Cerebral Palsy,a condition which has affected her speech and hand movement.

Because of her condition,Josephine cannot exploit computer applications normally and therefore holds a pen with her mouth to navigate the keyboard.

“I enrolled for this opportunity because I wanted to acquire further knowledge,” says Josephine who is a living proof to the saying that’ disability is not inability’