Can ed-Tech be a catalyst for high-quality education in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Undoubtedly, education is one of the key factors we should focus on if we want to solve economic and social inequalities in our world. The importance of improving this Sustainable Development Goal, has been echoed through the efforts of charities, NGOs, public sector entities, and private individuals, who have spent billions of dollars in the last decades trying to fix a broken system.
Despite the efforts, in sub-Saharan Africa, millions of children are falling behind and failing to learn. School dropouts have been rising, and that part of the continent is plagued by a serious learning crisis. According to a recent report by UNICEF, it would take 11 years to get 70% of Learners to grade 7 maths, and only 1 in 10 learners has foundational skills.Edulution was founded in 2015 and runs catch-up programs in learning centers with offline Ipads in South Africa, Namibia, and Zambia.
The platform reaches marginalized Sub-Saharan African communities living in inner-city townships, remote rural areas, and refugee camps. The centers serve over 18,000 active learners per month. Edulution is notable and shows great promise as it tackles several systematic challenges simultaneously. The large unemployment of youth allows local youth to become coaches and train younger students on the tablets. The initiative also increases high-quality education and promotes entrepreneurship and innovation with its innovative business model.
About Kim:
Kim has worked for a decade in international development for UN entities, including UNHCR and UNOCHA, and local NGOs based in the US, Rwanda, Switzerland, India, and Hong Kong. She is an experienced storyteller, passionate about equal access to education, technological innovations, and sustainable development.
Listen to learn:
- That technology alone is insufficient to transform education.
- Human development and personal development is the secret ingredient.
- Creating a new job class is required to complement the current education systems in sub-Saharan Africa to transform educational outcomes.
Explore more on the website.
Connect with him on Linkedin.
Additional Articles:
- Partnership Announcement with the Government of South Africa
- The Economist Namibia – after-school programme enables learners to revise and master essential numeracy and computer skills
- Namibia Daily News – Namibia launches after-school learning program
- IPASA Funding after school programs Report
- Happel Foundation Project Announcement