[podcast]http://www.afrinnovator.com/afrincast/AfrinCastEpisode009CrystalKigoni.mp3[/podcast]

This has to be one of the most interesting podcast so far. Crystal Kigoni (@VOA_Crystal) is a social entrepreneur/innovator in Kenya. She is the founder of Voices of Africa for Sustaniable Development through Information Empowerment (VOA4SD).

Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development (VOA) is registered as a non-governmental organization in Kenya.

Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development

Our vision is to live in just world without abject poverty. To this end, Voices of Africa will foster sustainable development in Sub Saharan through information empowerment and fair trade.

Crystal’s organization in conjunction with Intersat Africa have been working on a project that aims to take the internet to rural areas in a way that is fitting culturally and sustainable economically, environmentally and socially. NTV (a local Kenyan TV broadcaster) recently did a short feature on the project:

Crystal talks to us about this very interesting project, we also go on to discuss social innovation and social entrepreneurship and especially how projects aimed at ‘saving the poor Africans’ fail many times due to a lack of that cultural fit. Crystal herself has actually lived the rural life in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and this really sets her apart and drives her passion for the rural youth and empowering them to be productive in the information economy.