Thanks to your support, our digital learning programme is gathering momentum. In 2019, we're introducing student coding clubs and hope to provide a set of tablets to each of our partner schools this year.
In January, we were honoured to have a visit from Faraja Nyarandu, Founder of Shule Direct, which is one of the leading Tanzanian providers of digital learning materials. As a young female Tanzanian IT entrepreneur, Faraja is a hugely inspiring figure, especially for girls in our partner schools. Faraja and her colleague Iku Lazaro spoke to students in Lyra partner schools and conducted training for teachers from 10 of Lyra's partner schools, along with the Regional Education Officer and District Education Officers from each District represented.
While Lyra provided access to global education resources in the initial package, teachers are naturally keen to have materials developed specifically for the Tanzanian curriculum too. The Shule Direct materials are developed for the Tanzanian curriculum - which makes it easier for teachers, particularly when they are new to digital learning, before developing the confidence to draw from a range of different resources for their teaching. Most teachers have limited experience with computers or digital resources.
Since adding Shule Direct to our package, we've seen an increase in teachers' engagement, and the Regional Education Office is actively promoting expansion of the programme, keen to see every school in the region benefitting. We are working hard to make that dream come true.
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With the additional tablets bought with your donations, we've been able to extend the programme from 3 to 6 secondary schools!
The latest school to join the programme is Nyang'oro Secondary School, where Lyra has just completed a new hostel for girls to stay safely at school. The hostel girls have a fantastic opportunity to access the tablets to support their learning in the evenings and weekends.
We have given 10 tablets to Nyang'oro to get them started, and will be able to increase the number next year, as a result of our Christmas fundraising. Even with a small number of tablets per pupil, schools are very keen to join the programme, as it's hugely valuable to have access to digitial learning for the first time. Our two digital learning supervisors will be rotating around the schools to support pupils and teachers to make full use of the tablets.
At the hostel launch, Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, William Lukuvi said:
"It’s the first time in all my years of government service that I’ve seen an NGO doing such great work, it’s very good."
We're delighted to hear such praise for Lyra's work. Your support for education in Tanzania is hugely appreciated by the government and local community.
Please click on the link to get an insight into what your support means, and join the community celebrations for the launch where we handed over the set of new tablets to the school.
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, and thank you again for your valuable support.
Best wishes,
Maria
PS - we've been busy recruiting other donors to increase the impact you made in June. Donors giving a Lyra gift for Christmas instead of physical presents have raised a further $2000 this month for tablets, beds and bedding for new hostels. So we've just bought another 60 tablets ready to help more students in 2019!
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Back in June, we launched our first fundraiser with GlobalGiving. To qualify for future projects, we needed to raise over $6000 from 40 donors. Thanks to your generosity, we beat the target!
Now more than 1,000 students in three remote rural schools are regularly using tablets for studying. We used your donations to buy more tablets, install new interactive software and provide more training to students, teachers and District education officials.
Our digital learning coordinator, Neema Magembe says: “I’m really pleased that the teachers are loving the programme more and more, because that has helped the students love it more too, and they’re working really hard with the tablets. It was hard in the beginning when teachers didn’t understand the value or how to use them. Now the teachers say the students are answering exam questions much better because of the tablets. They love the new software Shule Direct because it is more closely linked to the Tanzanian curriculum.”
We would dearly love for the Tanzanian government to be in a position to provide tablets and computers for students, but right now that’s a distant pipe dream. Just providing enough teachers and classrooms for Tanzania’s fast-growing population is a big challenge. 66% of schools have more than the required 40 pupils per teacher. There are 650 primary schools that have over 100 pupils per teacher, with some having up to 180 pupils in a class. It’s a very challenging environment for teachers and pupils.
While we can’t solve the national education problems, we can make a practical difference to a significant number of pupils in these three schools and our work is growing. As well as supporting the national curriculum and students’ research skills, we’re starting coding clubs to build students’ problem-solving skills. Students will learn how to develop apps to address problems in their communities. We’re hoping that the digital programme will ignite their activism, and they’ll be better equipped to develop their communities.
For students who have learnt with chalkboards and teacher dictation for many years, they’re delighted with the interactive nature of the tablets and the wealth of information available to them.
Miria Mbungu is one of the students now using the tablets to learn. “I was really surprised when I saw the videos of people teaching, the first time I used the tablet. I was very attracted, and kept searching until I realised I could study science subjects. Before I got 60% in Chemistry, and then recently I got 80%. I think studying on the tablet has helped me a lot”.
Thank you so much for your support! If you would like to continue receiving updates on Lyra’s work, please sign up on our website https://lyrainafrica.org/
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