Camara Education, in partnership with Life Changing Technologies (LCT), a project of DevXchange International (DI) , and the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church Development Commission (EKHCDC), is currently implementing a five-year project initiative to support Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church schools (EKHC). There are over 250 EKHC-affiliated schools in Ethiopia, and this five-year project aims to support 4 in year one (2024) and an additional 35 until 2028.
In 2024, through funding from the LCT_EKHCDC Project, we have successfully implemented a digital learning programme in three schools: Bole Kale Heyiwet Secondary School in Addis Ababa, Rehoboth Secondary School in Arba Minch, and Enat Kale Heywet Secondary School in Humbo-Tebela.
Each school now has a fully equipped and networked Digital Learning Centre (DLC) with 35 workstations and Classroom Content Server PCs. The 3 schools received a total of 108 computers, which were installed in the DLC and 28 of which will be used in classrooms by teachers.
Projectors for the computers will also be installed in each classroom for the teachers’ lesson delivery.
The Camara computers provided to the schools are equipped with a wide range of applications and educational content, including virtual simulation, digital library, educational videos/audios, accessible content for students with special needs, and curriculum-relevant reference materials along with National Exam practice tests. These computers serve as powerful learning tools, especially in schools where physical resources like library books and science laboratories are scarce. Each computer also includes the entire Ministry of Education digital textbook collection, addressing the critical shortage of textbooks.
We have also deployed the Camara Learning Studio (CLS), a Learning Management System. CLS’s self-paced and personalised learning features enable students to progress at their own pace. It provides real-time data and feedback on learner progress, which allows teachers and instructional leaders to provide timely support, adjust the difficulty, content, and presentation of learning activities as needed based on individual student’s competencies, performance, preferences, and progress.
We have installed Camara’s CCNMS (Computer Classroom Network Monitoring System) in each of the DLCs. CCNMS provides a real-time understanding of the usage of the devices and contents within the DLC, which can be used to plan additional technical visits and provide additional support to schools. Using the data collected via CCNMS alongside the traditional methods of qualitative and quantitative M&E (Monitoring and Evaluation) data collection can give much more information on the impact of the project.
The DLC will have a content filtering server. The content filtering firewall server helps to restrict adult and unwanted content and monitor internet usage for students and staff.
The students now have access to offline learning resources, opening up new opportunities and allowing them to learn in ways they couldn’t before. The project is expected to enable thousands of students to gain equal access to quality education and become digitally literate.
We also provided leadership and teacher training on Digital skills and integrating technology in education for 72 teachers and school leaders.
This is only the beginning of a bigger mission. The aim is to keep giving more schools the technology and resources they need and help students succeed.
Here are some pictures taken showing the DLC and a thank you video from students and teachers.
Together, we are making a difference and working to build a brighter future for education in Ethiopia.
THANK YOU!
We acknowledge that this project initiative, and its positive impact on students, teachers and the school community in general, would not have been possible without the LCT-EKHCDC’s ongoing commitment and funding support. We are extremely grateful for our partnership and hope to continue expanding this work to other schools with your support.