The purpose of this paper is to interpret a case study of the unexpected educational impact of an
Internet Café – Cyber – in the slum of Kibera, Kenya. Our focus is here to examine the transformation
of ICT in development country, and more specific in Nairobi, in Kenya. We consider this an interesting
illustration of the spread of globalization to a local community in a development country and how
learning takes place in unexpected contexts. Therefore the paper takes off from a comprehensive
portrait of one Internet café in the urban slum area and its management, some users and non-regular
users. As a part of a long-term field study this analysis is a first analysis of the project and it also aim
to illustrate from conception to realization, and implementation of Internet café.
We are studying one actor, a NGO driven commitment that opened an Internet café in Kibera primary
to generate income, provide access to Internet for the local people and a more general ambition to
develop the local community. Field work has been on-going and consists of a series of interviews with
key informants in the management, and interviews with adolescent customers (users and non-regular
users) of the Cyber. Our findings show that there is a clear ambition from the management of the
Internet Café to enable computer literacy and bridge digital divides, as well as social and educational
progress. Such learning takes place even if it looks like clients mainly use Facebook or browse the
Internet. The findings also show that focus on eco-friendly technique to act as a role model was
overshadowed by profit-making aims. Even if Internet Café is managed by a NGO they have a clear
profit focus. In the beginning the Cyber had a more educating purpose, or a charity purpose, by letting
poor people have access to Internet to a cheaply cost, but when established the economic aspects
made it behave like a market actor. The main purpose of the management to empower poor people
computer literacy is worthy, however doubtful, because it emerges with training and economy. Recent
technological development of Internet on the cell phones has challenged the Internet cafés and there
are incentives to use the cell phone even for activities that formerly was performed at the Internet
Café. If the Internet is in everyone’s pocket the educational arena of the Internet Cafes’ are threaten,
but the Cyber´s advantage is tutorial support from peers and management. The Internet Café
promotes learning ambitions in the slum and presents opportunities available for them, but it also
shows the divides of the knowledge society. Although youth in the slum with computer skills has got
increased access to Internet, and their voices has reached out and in some way the digital divide
between North and South has decreased.