post by:Amanda Armstrong
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| Making the space more colorful |
You can find almost everything you need in Kisumu including a variety of local and international cuisine,
with lots of Indian food because of the large Indian population in the city. There are lots of plazas, supermarkets, and shops, and the city has a lively nightlife with many clubs and bars that are busy every night. One of the highlights of Kisumu is going down to the lake for an authentic local fish fry at one of the many small tin-shack restaurants. This time when I visited with a new local friend Eva I was surprised to see the area packed with dozens of cars and lots of people, and several of the restaurants had expansions to a second floor. While it was a holiday so many families were there, it was also a good sign of economic development for Kisumu.
A big chunk of my week in Kisumu was spent at LAKEHUB, the one and only innovation and technology hub in Western Kenya. It is also the very first hub in Kenya outside of Nairobi. LAKEHUB was founded by 23-year old entrepreneur, web and mobile developer James Odede and some of his peers at Maseno University. I met James on my second day in Kisumu and spent a few hours at the hub talking with him. He’s a smart, friendly, humble, and mature young man who quickly welcomed me in to their community, encouraging me to spend as much time at the hub as I’d like. And so I did :)
While the early beginnings of LAKEHUB were started in 2013, the physical hub was officially launched and opened their doors this past March 2015. The idea of LAKEHUB was born after James spent many hours traveling to Nairobi for anything related to technology. There was nothing of the sorts in Kisumu at the time and this inspired him. James and his peers started organizing events and meet-ups related to technology and they created a community through Facebook, Whatsapp, and a mailing list. They now have a small office space where young entrepreneurs, developers, designers, artists, and tech enthusiasts spend long hours collaborating and working on brilliant new ideas and ventures. Every Friday from 4 – 6pm they host a community hangout where members can come together, discuss ideas, and learn more about the space.
LAKEHUB is also involved in social good and community initiatives. They are currently building free websites for schools which in turn provides their members with valuable experience. Financial literacy, especially amongst women and young girls, is also a big issue that they are working to address.
LAKEHUB is currently operating on a Google grant which is ending very soon. They are currently looking for funding to continue with their current success and grow to a larger space where they can continue to host events and provide office space to support the growing demand from young people in Western Kenya. At this time membership is free, since the majority of the young entrepreneurs are unable to contribute anything in their early start-up phase. LAKEHUB has a dedicated team of four full-time volunteers and several other regulars that manage the space. They have over 1,200 members!
Unlike iHUB and some of the others hubs in Nairobi, LAKEHUB is special and unique because of their very young team and humble beginnings. It was started by university students and no one is paid. James recognizes LAKEHUB’s young community as their biggest strength. Everyone is under 27 years old. The LAKEHUB community is young, creative, hardworking, determined, and passionate about technology and innovation. However, because of their humble beginnings, the hub faces several challenges and getting a bigger space is the elephant in the room. Their biggest challenge is finding partners, investors, and donors to sustain their operations and support their growth. 50% of the shares of LAKEHUB are still available, so please contact me if you’re interested in being apart of something amazing!! :) Another challenge they face is the low skillset in the region with young people looking for mentorship and training to improve their skills, and reluctance from industry players to work with them.
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| Artwork by the Ladies at lakehub community |
Besides James, there are many other LAKEHUB volunteers and members that I was fortunate to meet and become friends with. They were all extremely friendly and welcoming. Check out the video below along with two websites related to LAKEHUB and its members!
• James Odede (Founder, LAKEHUB| Connecting Africa starting with Maseno University
• Dennis Nyakach (Founder, Amazing Kisumu) | www.amazingkisumu.co.ke, @AmazingKisumu – a platform for information on Kisumu (tourist sites, places to eat, things to do, etc.)
• Bonface (Web Developer) | www.kisumudalaevents.blogspot.com
Five years from now, James dreams of having 10 – 15 successful tech companies from the region and a bigger space to provide training and skill development. I plan to continue working with them in partnership to support their dreams. We all have an important role to play in the future of LAKEHUB to support these talented young people. Look out for a crowdfunding campaign and more ways to get involved in the future!