About Us

by James Kamuye Kataru

Who we are

Kataru Concepts is a content development, management and deployment entity based at Ganja La Simba Ukunda, Kwale County, Kenya. We specialize in Social media platform networking and advocacy. Through collaborating with unilateral development partners, we strongly mitigate the adoption of friendly scientific measures in attaining a food secure, climate friendly and healthy society hence immensely contributing to social development.

At Kataru Concepts, we strongly believe in the implementation of digital solutions in bridging the gap for extension service provision and encouraging peer-to-peer education. The improvement of agriculture, health, conservation and other practices that drive social change and development using digital content that’s easy for communities to adopt is our priority.

We train communities, structured groups and organizations using the readily available and educative digital content from our partners and equip them with tools that can be easily shared and accessed via locally available tools. Recycling and using locally available, inexpensive plastic containers has been given much emphasis in our programs.

Our networking expertise employs the use of social media platforms e.g., WhatSapp to manage and train groups as they discuss and disseminate content. The networks bring together different players and professionals in Kenya and other African countries united by a common need to “provide solutions”.

“KATARU” which means “three-3” in luhya language (western Kenya) is an alias given to the founder James Kamuye by his supporters in a political duel for an elective position in 2013. The “CONCEPT” started as a “three point campaign agenda” aimed at improving livelihoods through Agriculture, Health and Social development.

By bringing together an array of professionals from different fields, enthusiasts driven by the passion to make things work, opinion leaders and shapers with a heart for their communities, Kataru Concepts seeks to provide a multilateral platform for progressive information exchange.

COLLABORATION WITH SAWBO

Scientific Animations Without Borders™ (SAWBO) is a Purdue University-based program. SAWBO transforms extension information on relevant topics such as agriculture, disease and women's empowerment, into animation videos, which are then voice overlaid into a diversity of languages from around the world.

All SAWBO animations are made freely available to anyone wishing to use them for educational purposes. Cell phone ready animations can be downloaded from the video library: https://sawbo-animations.org

As a knowledge partner, Kataru Concepts collaborates with SAWBO in the following aspects;

Creating WhatsApp based volunteer networks in Kenya and other African countries then use social media platforms to access, download and deploy educative SAWBO animated videos in their communities of residence.

We organize online and physical training sessions for network volunteers and groups of interest that include farmers, health workers, conservationists, traders, youth and women groups, CBOs, and NGOs. In these sessions, we show trainees how to access SAWBO content, download, use, and share using locally available gadgets like phones and TVs.

We create content on the volunteer network activities especially on the content uptake and practice through blogs published at www.kataruconcepts.com, local dailies, radio, and TV stations. Through this we create awareness and increase SAWBO content presence and publicity in communities.

We establish collaborations with new partners and extension service providers from SAWBO areas of interest in Kenya and other African countries thus growing and expanding the network.

We spearhead animation video translation into several local languages across Africa and increase the availability of free educative content and help in the bridging the digital gap for the much needed content.

We research and run field studies to determine the level of information uptake, impact and degradation in user communities to determine requisite intervention measures.

Products & Services

At Kataru Concepts we employ a three pronged approach to service delivery for maximum output. Our self-driven, result oriented experts volunteer time and resources to ensure a satisfied clientele and thriving community.

Advisory: Skilled experts and extension service agents provide effective advice to consumers in structured groups and organizations on the best practices in agriculture, health, conservation, and social development. We emphasize the use of locally available reusable and inexpensive tools with a focus to reduce costs.

Technology: In collaboration with our main partner Scientific Animations Without Borders-SAWBO, we equip our clients with digital tools and information that improves productivity, enhances peer-to-peer extension education, acts as a source of entertainment on locally available gadgets such as cellphones, smartphones, and TVs.

We encourage the extensive use social media platforms and embrace modern technologies that improve on production, food security and environmental management. By creating requisite content in digital format we strive to bridge the gap and avail resources to the consumers at no fee.

Facilitation: Our follow-up program includes elaborate end user training sessions that are organized online and in physical meetings. We ensure our volunteers are mentally and physically prepared to facilitate sessions, have ability to create the right environment for trainees, and can establish their expectations.

We also ensure the expected outcomes and objectives of all sessions are clear to help trainers manage participation of energized groups and adjust their facilitation style where necessary. Our products and services can be classified as follows;

Agriculture: Our team of experts provides advice on using and managing agricultural land by employing modern technological tools with an aim to help farmers, landowners and players in the industry to have commercially viable practices. We offer technical advice and supply our clients with inputs and services that improve agricultural production.

Health: We train extension service providers in the health sector who work within local communities on how to use readily available and free digital tools to improve on service delivery while visiting households. Our tools provide education on preventing and controlling common infections by simple environmental protection practices and promoting hygiene.

In promoting health we prioritize factors such enhancing health behaviors, improving clinical behavior by care givers know as community health volunteers-CHVs, social economic factors that improve health, and environmental factors that impact on health.

Social Development goals: In holistic development we factor five aspects that include physical, which helps development of personal and social skills, intellectual development vital in learning the use of language, ability to reason, organize ideas and solve problems leading to physical growth, and gaining knowledge and skills needed for successful interaction.

Collaboration with GBPP

Kataru Concepts collaborates with Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership-GBPP to understand the Kenyan potato value chain stakeholders and their knowledge, opinions, and attitudes on biotechnology to gain acceptance across the value chain of a late blight resistant (LBR) potato developed through genetic engineering.

This knowledge is used to develop strategies and activities to educate potato value chain stakeholders on the benefits and safety of genetic engineering and the LBR potato, achieve the goal of acceptance of the LBR potato, and increase awareness and understanding of GMO technology by Kenyans through this communication and advocacy.

We provide the following communication and advocacy Professional Services to in-country Kenyan communications and advocacy support through:

Logistical support for GBPP events such as photo and video shoots,

Participation in mapping activities to identify key potato value chain stakeholders for communications and advocacy strategic plan

Write long- and short-form social media messages that attract new users and engage current users for GBPP Facebook and Twitter.

Provide written recommendations on messaging and media delivery methods that respond to the African context.

Create blogs on a mutually decided topic and word length as scheduled

Participate in strategic planning and project team meetings as scheduled

Participate in bi-monthly check-in calls with GBPP key personnel or as scheduled

Provide a quarterly written report of activities to the Communications Global Resource Lead

GBPP Branding Strategy and Marking Plan and collaborate with GBPP partners as necessary

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