Background:
The year 2020 began on a high in Kenya; celebrations were held and everyone set their resolutions on what to achieve in the course of the year. Incidentally, a number of those aspirations required one form of capacity building or another. However, come March 2020, the first COVID-19 case was reported in the country with the numbers escalating with each passing day and eventually COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. This new situation impacted the rollout of capacity building initiatives in Kenya and across the globe; information and knowledge management capacity building programs were not left behind. Face-to-face interactions proved unrealistic citing the COVID-19 protocols given the Government of Kenya. In July, we, as Information Africa Organization (IAO), came to the reality that COVID-19 was here to stay and we needed to adapt to the “new normal”. This formed the genesis of the e-workshops for exchange of knowledge, networking and generally to keep the Knowledge Management and Information Professionals alive. The first e-workshop was held in July 2020 and to date (May 2022), we have held 23 themed e-workshops.
The following is a summary of the attendance of the workshop:
No | Date | Theme | No of participating institutions | No of participants | Participating Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 31/07/2020 | Theme 1: Delivery of Library and Information Services in the midst of COVID – 19 | 10 | 22 | Kenya, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda |
2 | 28/08/2020 | Theme 2: Business Continuity Strategies for Information Professionals during and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic | 15 | 28 | Kenya, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda |
3 | 23/09/2020 | Theme 3: Transformation of Information Professionals during and post COVID-19 | 13 | 19 | Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo , Kenya, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda |
4 | 25/09/2020 | Theme 3: Transformation of Information Professionals during and post COVID-19 | 12 | 26 | Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda |
5 | 21/10/2020 | Theme 4: Information Professionals Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in the midst of COVID 19 | 24 | 33 | Austria, Kenya, Nigeria, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda |
6 | 23/10/2020 | Theme 4: Information Professionals Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in the midst of COVID 19 | 28 | 38 | Kenya, Nigeria, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda |
7 | 25/11/2020 | Theme 5: Information Professionals Achieving the African Union Agenda 2063 in the midst of COVID 19 | 25 | 33 | Austria, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Somaliland, Sudan, Uganda |
8 | 27/11/2020 | Theme 5: Information Professionals Achieving the African Union Agenda 2063 in the midst of COVID 19 | 23 | 31 | Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Somaliland |
9 | 16/12/2020 | Theme 6: Information Professionals, the catalysts of SDG 2030 & Agenda 2063 | 22 | 25 | Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Somaliland, Sudan |
22/12/2020 | Theme 6: Information Professionals, the catalysts of SDG 2030 & Agenda 2063 | 21 | 17 | Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somaliland, Sudan | |
10 | 27/01/2021 | Theme 7: Operations perpetuity for information professionals in post-COVID 19 era | 17 | 21 | Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Somaliland |
11 | 29/01/2021 | Theme 7: Operations perpetuity for information professionals in post-COVID 19 era | 18 | 29 | Kenya, Nigeria, Somaliland |
12 | 24/02/2021 | Theme 8: Generating knowledge products for institutional sustainability | 23 | 33 | Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda, United Kingdom |
13 | 26/02/2021 | Theme 8: Generating knowledge products for institutional sustainability | 21 | 28 | Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda, United Kingdom |
14 | 24/03/2021 | Theme9: Intellectual Property and Information rights/related laws | 15 | 23 | Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda, United Kingdom |
15 | 26/03/2021 | Theme9: Intellectual Property and Information rights/related laws | 25 | 31 | Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda, United Kingdom |
16 | 28/04/2021 | Theme 10: Intellectual Property and Information rights/related laws | 32 | 36 | Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia |
17 | 30/04/2021 | Theme 10: Intellectual Property and Information rights/related laws | 26 | 32 | Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia |
18 | 26/05/2021 | Theme 11: Sustainability of Indigenous Knowledge | 19 | 22 | Cameroon, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia |
19 | 28/05/2021 | Theme 11: Sustainability of Indigenous Knowledge | 25 | 27 | Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique , Nigeria, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Sudan, Zambia |
20 | 23/06/2021 | Theme 12: Indigenous Knowledge and Contemporary Knowledge | 16 | 18 | Cameroon, Kenya, , Nigeria, Somaliland, South Africa, Zimbabwe |
21 | 25/06/2021 | Theme 12: Indigenous Knowledge and Contemporary Knowledge | 18 | 19 | Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Somaliland, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe |
22 | 28/07/2021 | Theme 13: Knowledge Management approaches for Sustainable Transformation of African Livelihoods | 27 | 35 | Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Lesotho, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
23 | 30/07/2021 | Theme 13: Knowledge Management approaches for Sustainable Transformation of African Livelihoods | 32 | 45 | Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Lesotho, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
24 | 25/08/2021 | Theme 14: Knowledge Management and Policy in Africa | 30 | 38 | Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
25 | 29/09/2021 | Theme 15: Knowledge Flows in Organizations | 34 | 38 | Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
26 | 27/10/2021 | Theme 16: Community participation in Knowledge Management and Governance | 30 | 40 | Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Tunisia, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
27 | 24/11/2021 | Theme 17: Language dynamics and transfer of indigenous knowledge | 29 | 40 | Cameroon, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa Uganda |
17/12/2001 | Theme 18: African Traditional Culture and Sustainable Development | 24 | 26 | Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa | |
26/01/2022 | Theme 19: Language Policy and Sustainable Development in Africa | 23 | 40 | Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Sudan | |
23/02/2022 | Theme 20: Effects of Foreign Policy on African Indigenous knowledge | 30 | 45 | Cameroon, Canada, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa | |
30/03/2022 | Theme 21: Transforming Africa through knowledge: Action Points | 24 | 35 | Botswana, Canada, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Somaliland, South Africa, Zimbabwe | |
27/04/2022 | Theme 22: Indigenous Knowledge on Nutrition and Sustainable Health Care Development in Africa | 27 | 44 | Botswana, Canada, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Somaliland, South Africa, Zimbabwe | |
25/05/2022 | Theme 23: Indigenous Knowledge and Alternative Health Care experiences in Africa | 43 | 52 | Botswana, Canada, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe | |
TOTAL NO | 773 | 1046 |
How it works:
Guest Speakers:
We source for guest speakers from across Africa who are willing to share their expertise and experiences with colleagues as mentors for free. In return, IAO offers complimentary slots to them. Guest speakers are allocated 15 minutes to speak on topics of their choice based on the theme of the month. Participants get to interact with them after their presentations/talks. Then they are free to leave the meeting, stay on or rejoin later in the day.
Panelist:
Panelists are volunteers from among the participants. They are allocated 10 minutes to share experiences based on the theme of the month. They bring in diverse views from different backgrounds. Participants get to interact with them after their presentations. They pay the e-workshop fee of Ksh. 1500 (US $ 15).
Participants:
Participants are drawn from different backgrounds and institutions. Each participant is allocated a maximum of 5 minutes to share their experience. They interact and learn from each other including the panelists. This is an opportunity to network and link up mentors and mentees. They pay the e-workshop fee of Ksh. 1500 (US $ 15).
Moderators:
This is made up of the team from Information Africa Organization.
Achievements:
- Participants:
By February 2022 a total of 915 participants had gone through the e-workshop. These were drawn from the academia (heads of departments, senior lecturers, lecturers, and post graduate students), United Nations, private entities, practicing information and library professionals, knowledge management practitioners, records mangers and Non-Governmental Organizations.
The e-workshops have been graced by various thought leaders such as the Director, Division for Africa, Technical Cooperation, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna Austria; Director Red Sea Foundation- Somaliland; President of African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA); President of Kenya Library Association; and President of Nigeria Library Association.
Participating countries:
IAO intends to reach out to most, if not all, African countries. To-date, IAO has managed to bring on board the following 22 countries as guest speakers, panelists and participants: Botswana, Cameroon, DRC, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, Sudan, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Challenges:
- Potential participants such as school librarians are not able to raise the e-workshop fee of $15
- With the COVID- 19, some of the targeted participants lost their jobs therefore not able to raise the e-workshop fee of $15
- Other potential participants have challenges of poor communication infrastructure
- In some cases, participants don’t access equipment’s such as computers and laptops
Success stories:
- Participants have been able to share their experiences allowing colleagues to replicate at their respective institutions. This includes library management systems, access and use of electronic resources and implementation of knowledge management at institutional level.
Key outputs (July 2020 to May 2022)
- 23 themed workshops, 22 African countries; +1000 number of participants; +300 Institutions represented
- 4th Africa Regional Conference on Knowledge Management (4th ARCKM) – Theme: African Indigenous Knowledge Management and Sustainability: Harnessing the contemporary African Challenges. 21st – 25th November 2022, Mombasa Kenya
- IAO Indigenous Foods recipe book (submissions ongoing)
- Communique
- Proposed- database of traditional foods from across Africa
- Proposed Journal
- Call for partnership and Sponsorship