DI establishes new partnership with Strathmore University, Kenya

Development Initiatives (DI) and Strathmore University’s @iLabAfrica are pleased to announce a new partnership, to be taken forward in 2020 and beyond, which will see them combining their expertise in data analysis and data science to drive poverty eradication in Kenya and across East Africa.

Under the new agreement, the two organisations will collaborate to convene a forum of civil society organisations (CSOs) to better understand their data and analysis needs, as well as publish analyses to promote the availability and power of data to the wider public. The partnership will also see DI offer internship placements for Strathmore students, while Strathmore provide data science training for DI’s staff.

DI’s Executive Director, Harpinder Collacott, who travelled to Kenya to attend the signing, said: “I am delighted that DI and Strathmore University are able to come together through this partnership, which will increase the impact of our work. Supporting policymakers, civil society and the media to access and use data and information, our joint projects will aid informed planning, policymaking and reporting to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development in the region.”

Dr Joseph Sevilla, Director of @iLabAfrica, said: “This is a great opportunity for Strathmore University and DI to work hand in hand to empower Kenyans of all walks of life to use data for decision-making. This will help and encourage organisations in the public and private sectors, as well as NGOs, to make data available, accessible and usable – as we have done for the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and the World Health Organization, among others.”

The new partnership is expected to bolster both organisations’ efforts to respond to the specific data needs of CSOs in Kenya. The existing connections, diverse expertise on both sides of the partnership, as well as the datasets available to both partners, will be a valuable combined resource for helping CSOs in Kenya to make the most of data.