Technology and Education for Kids in Kenya

Barack is a young boy who’s future is looking bright in Africa. He recently sat for his national exams for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination and scored 397 out of the total 500 marks, that’s 79%. Throughout his schooling in Malindi, Kenya, Barack spent much of his free time at Elimu Resource Centre (ERC) studying from the vast collection of digital content and books on the shelves.

Barack’s parents could not afford to buy him the textbooks he needed for school, but he always knew that he could catch up if he made use of the books at the ERC. Over the years, Elimu Resource Centre became his “go-to” safe spot. He would revise, do his homework, and even study ahead of the syllabus.

Barack’s story resembles that of thousands of the learners we have served at Elimu Resource Centre. The need among learners for access to textbooks and revision materials continues to be pressing over the years. At Elimu Resource Centre, students find a bright conducive learning environment, all the resources they need, in digital or paper format, and an active workspace to interact with peers. As they learn how to use the Kindles, tablets and computers, they also gain much needed digital literacy.

The state of education in Kilifi County, where Elimu is located, is worrying. There are less than 800 primary schools and not even 200 secondary schools. The challenges of insufficient teachers, textbooks and libraries continues to hinder learners’ access to education, contributing greatly to poor performance and high rates of school dropouts.

Barack was back at the Centre again recently to share his joy and gratitude. He told us how he lacked textbooks at school and that his parents couldn’t afford to buy them for him, so he relied on Elimu Resource Centre for his studies, and as he joyfully puts it, “Sure enough, I succeeded”! His good results qualified him for a top quality high school. He is now on a pathway to higher studies and more options for his future. Click here to watch Barack’s encouraging message.

At Elimu, we are removing barriers to quality education for vulnerable students in Kilifi County by providing the resources they need and encouraging them to achieve high performance and school completion. We believe that by growing learners’ reading culture and digital literacy, we are contributing to their personal development and in turn that of the whole community.

Links:

• Click above to read more about our Stay in School Project.

The Elimu team in Kenya is so happy to be open again and receiving students for their studies. When COVID-19 struck and public places were shut down, we had to close our doors to the thousands of students in Malindi area who would access the Centre on normal school breaks. Last year, the Centre started opening up to students, following the COVID-19 set protocols on public gathering. In that period, we had only 2,500 visits throughout the year. During school holidays in March alone, we received over 2,000 visits from learners of all stages. (Prior to the pandemic, we hosted over 15,000 visits in 2019.)

Our Elimu staff assists students in the study halls, helping them access digital reading materials and guiding them whenever they need help. On days when the Centre is filled to capacity, our team led by our office assistant, Ian, makes room on the balconies, bringing in more tables and chairs; and other times, even giving room to students in our office spaces. For many students, the resource centre has become a sanctuary where they can study without interruption and catch up on what they missed during their school term. Here, students have a sense of control over their studies. They are able to access digital study materials as well as consult with our volunteer teachers in areas they feel stuck.

It was such a joy seeing students stroll in again to the Centre in large numbers, all eager to get tablets and kindles from which they can access the materials they need to revise and work on their homework. Whereas students would normally stay at the Centre up until lunch hour, this time round we noticed students staying until evening; often revising or deep in group discussions. Prior to the national exams in April, we had many Grade 12 students who came to polish up and prepare for their final exams.

One graduate student described his experience, “I had really been struggling with comprehending one of the novels we were being examined on. And when I came to Elimu Resource Centre and requested to watch the play performance of the book, I learned so much about the context and this really helped me answer the questions in my exams. I am more confident now about the outcome of my results than I was before.”

While initially we have seen fewer female learners coming to the Centre, this time it is the girls who are more active and who are requesting for digital devices and consulting with our volunteer teachers. This is a good sign that girls in the coastal Kenya are embracing the value of an education and that they are committed to changing the stories of poverty and shame that have defined them for ages. We continue to encourage girls’ interest in science subjects so that they can be able to explore the variety of career options available in science and tech space.

One girl recounts, "Physics and Chemistry are my weakest subjects so far, so when we closed school for holidays, I promised myself to study harder in these two subjects. I was very ashamed of my grades and somehow I was wondering how I’ll make them better. One time a volunteer at the Centre asked if I needed help and I showed him a question in Chemistry that I was struggling with. He not only guided me through it, but has since then assigned me revision materials and exercises on the Kolibri platform which is greatly helping me understand. Now I never miss a day of study at the resource centre. So many of my friends are also using the tablets we are offered at the resource Centre to study."

Seeing the Centre at full capacity is our joy. It is a constant reminder of the significant role that access to education plays in the lives of learners. Everyday a student can study at the Centre is a day we have contributed to reducing the many millions of students who go without books let alone access to digital study resources.