Keeping your phone charged comes naturally for many people in areas that are connected to the national grid. In the remote parts of Kenya, where the network is a new phenomenon and electricity is still a dream, powering phones demands a unique solution.

This was one of the key lessons learnt after the first phase of the Universal Service Fund (USF) project was completed: that while construction of telecommunication masts successfully bridges the connectivity gap, more gaps need to be filled.

Ian Siako, a Senior Officer for Technical Regulations at Safaricom who is part of the USF project, understands this all too well.

“On covering the usage gap, we have to ensure that the communities in these remote areas get access to phones, know how to use the devices and most importantly, they have constant sources of electricity,” said Ian.

Enter Stima ya Jamii, which borrows heavily from the Simu ya Jamii model used by Safaricom in the early 2000s to democratize access to mobile telephony. While one had to pay the Simu ya Jamii, the USF community charging spots are free to use.

The community charging provides a lifeline for Kenyans who live in unserved and underserved areas, where connection to the grid is limited or non-existent.

At Longopito Primary School in Ol Donyiro sub-county, Isiolo county, the charging spot is manned by an old Samburu man.

“The old man is earning a salary because of making sure that the people that come to fuel the booster are attended to. He is also making sure that the phones are okay,” explains Alex Muriki, the Head of Institution at Longopito Primary School.

The initial survey at Longopito was done in August 2021 and once the network went live, the area and the community around has enjoyed a transformation.

The school has more students; the teachers can now teach using digital aids as required in the Competency Based Curriculum while the community can communicate more easily.

And when their phones run out of charge, the community charging spot comes in handy.