A survey conducted in 2018 in Kenya showed that one in two children between ages 6 and 16 could not read a short grade 2 level text. And this is not for lack of going to school. The children do go to school but lack quality learning opportunities. The survey was conducted in three counties and these results clearly show that something has to be done lest we have some children lagging behind in matters education.
Towards this, Samsung Electronics East Africa LTD and Safaricom Foundation have launched a partnership to support the Accelerated Learning Program in Bungoma County. The Accelerated Learning Program is a partnership between Zizi Afrique Foundation and Safaricom Foundation. The programme being implemented in Bungoma, Turkana and Tana River counties aims to support learners lagging behind to acquire foundational literacy and numeracy skills within a short period of time. Each County has 40 schools participating in the programme and over 7,000 learners in grade 3 to 5 have so far benefitted.
The program has both school-based and community-based approaches. In the community-based approach, teachers have a maximum of 25 children for each learning session known as camps, held in the communities. A full camp runs for 30 days, with each cycle lasting for 10 days. The support from Samsung will see over 1,250 learners access KICD-approved curriculum through 250 state of the art technology Galaxy 8.0 Tablets.
“Our investments in education aim to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for Kenyans. However, we understand that we cannot do this on our own and that partnerships are key for us to achieve our ambition. That is why we are proud to be partnering with Samsung to ensure the Accelerated Learning Programme reaches even more learners in Bungoma County”Joe Ogutu, Safaricom Foundation Chairman.
Samsung on their part are committed to education and recognize that one of the key pillars to enhance good learning is technology. Their contribution to the partnership will go a long way in equipping children with communication technologies.
“Technology has transformed many sectors including education. Tools such as mobile learning, cloud computing, and gamification are dynamically changing the learning experience. When a child does not have access to education, it means that they are not operating in an equal competitive environment with other children and are potentially a step behind in life. This gap is reason as to why we are supporting the Accelerated Learning Program in order ensure that our children are well equipped for the future,” Samsung Electronics East Africa MD. Mr. Seok Min Hong.
