Transforming life chances in Africa with technology
Delighted to share the exciting news that Camara has been shortlisted for the 2018 UK Social Enterprise Awards in two categories: International Impact and Environmental Social Enterprise. The winners will be announced in November! Stay tuned for updates. For more information on the awards see https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/uk-social-enterprise-awards-2018.
Nairobi, September 6, 2018:
Camara Education has been working with Kenyan schools for over ten years, providing ICT skills and hardware to teachers and students alike in over 800 schools during that time through its social enterprise model as well as implementing projects such as iMlango, supported by the Ministry of Education. (iMlango is a comprehensive educational technology program delivered by a ground-breaking partnership of public and private sector organisations, which aims to improve Kenyan pupils’ learning outcomes, enrolment and retention.)
Supporting and aligning with the Ministry of Education’s Digital Literacy Project, Camara Education has teamed up with Dell and Computer Aid to provide access to information technology and skills through the Dell Youth Learning Program giving the schools the opportunity to start on their digital journey for integrating ICT into their everyday lessons.
Two primary schools, Al-Huda Muslim Primary and Ngong Township Primary School, based in Kajiado County, are the beneficiaries of an ICT-in-education project through which Camara Education – working with Dell and Computer Aid – sets up computers in classrooms and solar powered labs. There are two labs in each school and the classrooms have also been equipped.
The Solar Powered labs program is a fantastic initiative which helps to deliver sustainable and affordable connectivity to schools in some of the most underprivileged areas of the world. Using a combination of solar power, energy-efficient Dell Wyse technology and air-cooled servers, the labs are built into well-lit, well-ventilated shipping containers and help take electricity supply out of the equation while bringing internet connectivity into the heart of communities. This solution uses less than four percent of the energy of a typical PC.
To initiate the project, a process which began in early 2017, Camara Education and Dell – working with Ministry of Education and officials from the local community – identified the institutions to host the labs. These decisions were made on key criteria such as lack of access to electricity and the location of the schools (if close to an underserved community). The computers and equipment were provided by Dell and deployed by Camara Education. The project management of the deployment of the solar lab was driven by Computer Aid international. The program was delivered in two phases: 1. The equipping of the classrooms with computers and 2. The classrooms were equipped between 22nd -24th September 2017 at Al Hudaa Muslim primary school and between 26th – 28th September 2017 at Ngong Township Primary school. The solar labs were deployed on the 25th January 2018 in both schools. The Primary School ICT learning and Solar Program is complementing the implementation of the Digital Literacy Program by the Government (DLP) in all 23,951 public primary schools countrywide. The focus of DLP (or DigiSchools) program is to enhance learning through the use of digital technologies with emphasis on digital content, not devices. The project targets to deliver over 1.2 million devices in two years at a cost of Kshs 29 billion with additional investment in school infrastructure, teacher training, electricity connections and content development.
This therefore means that any other projects involving the donation of computers and ICT equipment paired with skill and capacity building of teachers in the schools should be viewed as complementing what the government is already doing – i.e. this provides the schools with an additional access level support upon which the government initiative can build and use as an added resource to launch content on. In the two schools a total of 66 teachers received capacity building on Skill Builder and Intel Teach courses. A total of 80 hours support was provided to the teachers during the capacity building sessions in each of the schools. This enabled the teachers to use ICT as a teaching tool, to integrate ICT into teaching for example. Thanks to this program, the students enjoyed the new learning methods and benefitted from access to extra teaching/learning resources.
With the opening and official launch of the Primary School ICT learning and Solar Program at Al-Huda Muslim Primary School in Kajiado County, the number of Dell Learning Labs has now risen to 17 in total – that is two in Kenya, twelve labs in South Africa, with another one in Nigeria, Colombia and Morocco. The impact of the Dell Learning Labs so far is huge – nearly 7,500 students have benefited from the project during school hours, and many more members of communities have access to the labs after school. This access to technology and learning new skills boosts self-confidence, bringing quality of life and job opportunities into communities that need them the most.
In the few months it has been operational, the Al-Huda Muslim Primary School administration has already noticed how the computer lab and container have become popular with students in the school. The project gives access to ICT and internet to 2,839 students across the two project schools: Al-Huda Muslim Primary (789) and Ngong Township Primary School (2,050). The two labs are meant to inspire youth to learn about sustainability and innovation using technology, additionally the space also became a canvas with the intervention of local artist Harrison Chege “Bantu” whose intervention made the spaces even more attractive and adapted to the school context.
Mr Mayquva Wanjala, the Principal of Al-Huda Muslim Primary School who has been involved with the project from its inception, said that with a population of over 700 students, controlling the number who access the facilities has become a challenge, but in a good way.
Said Mr Wanjala: “This project is going to impact very much positively to this community and I am sure the youth are going to realize their dreams through research, experience and networking. It is the best thing to me that can happen to a visionary society. “
For Camara Education, with the launch of the Dell Youth Primary School ICT learning and Solar Program at Al-Huda and Ngong township complete, the next phase to consider is how to ensure the facility remains sustainable while serving the students and youth from the community.
Speaking during the launch, Mr Daniel Oloo, the Camara Education Country Manager for Kenya noted that they’ll keep working with the schools to ensure that the facility and computers in the labs are kept in good condition.
Stated Oloo: “We are very privileged to work with the various relevant Kenya government entities in supporting this initiative. Camara Education will continue to focus on contributing towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 quality education and 8 which aims to ‘promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’. The partnership with Dell, Computer Aid and the Kenya government has developed new lessons.”
His comments were reiterated by Ms. Lotta Kinnunen, Camara Education’s Head of Africa Operations who said: “We have been working with schools across five countries in Africa for over ten years and we are very excited to be part of this project in Kenya, making use of renewable energy and a combination of technologies to support these schools. This is a great platform for students and teachers alike and we are looking forward to seeing the educational impact of the project”.
Mr. Ken Kagota, the Kenya Office Site Lead and also the Client Solutions Lead for Southern and East Africa at Dell EMC said: “This worthwhile program has support from across the Dell company. Our senior management as well as our local team members all invest time to make it a reality. It’s fantastic to be helping students to gain digital skills that will open up opportunities for them across all areas, but particularly in STEM careers where there is strong demand.”
Speaking about the launch, Houcine Faïk, EMEA Strategic Giving Manager at Dell, said the following:
“Programs like the Solar Powered Labs reflects perfectly our DNA which is to use our technology and expertise to enable Human progress. This concept is set to breach the educational divide in areas suffering not only from poverty, but also from lack of access to energy”.
As Volunteer & Communications Manager I recently had the great pleasure of travelling to Ethiopia. I got to visit and talk with some students and teachers alike. Here is some of what they had to say.
The children I met in Ethiopia fascinated me. They were equally fascinated with us, the “firenge”/foreigners. Some of them were quite shy and hesitant to speak, but others freely expressed their love for learning and what their hopes and dreams were for the future.
Meet Ephrem, a student at Sodo Preparatory School in the Sodo region of Ethiopia. When speaking of the role of education in his life, he said: “Education for me is very important. It helps me to think better and help the society. It is something that even thieves can’t steal. It transforms me.” He says using technology in education has had a positive effect on his education and that it has saved him a lot of time. He is so enthusiastic about learning that he skips going home for lunch so he can use the e-learning centre and eat at the same time! Ephrem wants to do a PhD in computer science and I’ve no doubt he will succeed with his enthusiasm and commitment to his studies.
I then went on to interview Roman, and what she told me was so insightful. She said education is important “because if one person learns, they will not only help themselves but also their community and country.” Truer words were never spoken.
The principals I met in the various schools had incredible insights into the difference a technology enabled education was having on their students lives. I asked one of them what difference having the computers made to his students and he said they could now compete on a global stage. Isn’t that amazing? They are now on a level playing field with children all over the world. He also said the introduction of technology via education had inspired the teachers to continue learning as he said what happened at the beginning was the students were more knowledgeable sometimes than the teachers and the teachers had to catch up! So the e-learning centres are doing more than just educating the children, they are helping teachers to improve as educators also. It is great to see in person that what Camara Education is aiming for is working.
As I finish my near eight year career with Camara Education, our wonderful communications team have asked me for one final blog. How can I possibly summarise into a short page what has been the greatest privilege of my professional career? I could talk about the work we do. However, like life, it’s not about the journey but the people you meet along the way. People that I have been very privileged to meet and who inspired and continue to inspire me.
People like Edom Mesfin who told me that one day she will be Prime Minister in Ethiopia:
People like the students of Mbheni School in Mombasa, Kenya, who took to the streets to raise funds for their eLearning Centre so they could have a world class education:
People like Asma Jabir, Head of Bondeni School who so succinctly and beautifully said ““Computers are important because it makes the world small”:
People like Patience Kamuche in Mombasa, Kenya who told me that access to technology in school is helping her realise her dream of becoming a neurosurgeon:
People like the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins who said “Digital technologies transform the teaching and learning experience as they open endless possibilities in classrooms. Wherever a student is learning around the world – access to a rich variety of digital resources can expand their horizon”:
People like the late Demissew Bekele who was instrumental in Camara’s establishment in Ethiopia. Demissew had a desire to ensure every child worldwide had access to a quality education and was one of the most inspiring passionate people I ever met:
John it is just left for us to say thanks for your legacy, we will miss you and we hope we do you proud as Camara Education continues to grow and impact millions more children.
We recently launched a new elearning centre in Shimelis Habte Secondary School in Addis Ababa. This was done in conjunction with our partner Dell who has provided a grant of €520,000 in cash and computers as part of a €9.7m project to support 1,250 schools in Ethiopia. We received significant media coverage about this trip – you can read more on Ireland’s national broadcaster’s website here and in The Irish Independent here.
While there we met with quite a number of students who talked about the hugely positive impact a technology-enabled education was having on their lives. We caught up with Haregewoin Ababu, an 18 year old student we first met 4 years ago when she took part in a UNESCO-sponsored video. This video had to be conducted in Amharic as Hargewoin had limited English. Now she has fluent English, is preparing to go to university to study Computer Science and won a scholarship to study coding at weekends in a top college for 9 months. Of her experience with a Camara technology enabled education she had this to say:
“It has improved my life a lot. It has enhanced my interaction with my classmates and teachers. It makes school more interesting and has played a crucial role in enabling me to go to college.”
Inspirational and celebratory day for the young people and educators who participate in the TechSpace Programme
The first TechFéile event, took place at Limerick School of Art & Design on Friday 27 April 2018. The event centres around the Camara Education Ireland TechSpace Programme, which is aimed at encouraging creativity and technology among young Gaeltacht and Gaelscoileanna students. It was organised in association with the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and TG4, as a celebration of Bliain na Gaeilge.
Over 200 students, from Gaeltacht Schools and Gaelscoileanna around Ireland took part in the event, to celebrate creativity through technology.
Workshops took place on a variety of topics across media and technology. Media workshops included Weather Workshops with TG4, Sports Commentary with Nemeton, Acting with Fíbín; Re-voicing Animation with Telegael, and Mojo with Nuacht TG4. STEM Workshops on the day included, Circuit building with Moonfish, Programming with GráTek and how to create a Hologram. Students attending also had an opportunity to try VR and Oculus Rift as well as 3D printing. Entertainment on the day was provided by the bands KILA and TOGRA.
The TechSpace programme has been running for 3 years under the auspices of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. https://www.techspace.ie/clartechspace
Alan Esslemont, Director General of TG4 says that supporting the development of new talent and stimulating creativity in youth is an integral part of the TG4 strategy. TechSpace is a fantastic project that supports creativity and communication skills with the young people taking part. Who knows maybe some of those who are taking part today will develop future proposals for TG4.
Minister of State for the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, Joe McHugh, T.D. stated: ‘I am very proud of this event, TechFéile 2018, which is being funded by my Department for the first time this year. TechFéile 2018 has a great deal of importance and is a great opportunity in the way that the proposal allows young people to develop their imagination and creativity and to put the Irish language on display. Technology has a great deal of power in our everyday lives and this demonstrates the interest of teenagers in technology and they are very comfortable in the digital era in which we live today. So I am delighted that this proposal is having a huge impact on young people and putting the Irish language on an equal footing with English.
Photo credits Mauricio Figueroa
TECHFÉILE 2018
Lá inspioráide agus ceiliúrtha do na daoine óga agus oideachasóirí a ghlacann páirt i gClár TechSpace
Ghlac ós cionn 200 dalta Gaelscoileanna agus Scoileanna Gaeltachta páirt sa gcéad TechFéile a bhí ar siúl sa Limerick School of Art & Design ar an Aoine 27 Aibreán.
Is ócáid í Techféile a d’eascair ón chlár TechSpace, atá á rith ag Camara Education Ireland i gcomhar leis an Roinn Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta agus é mar aidhm leis an chruthaíocht agus an teicneolaíocht a spreagadh i measc scoláirí óga Gaeltachta agus Gaelscoile. Eagraíodh TechFéile i gcomhar le Roinn Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta agus TG4 mar chuid d’imeachtaí Bhliain na Gaeilge.
Ar an lá, cuireadh béim ar sárobair na ndaoine óga atá ag glacadh páirt i gClár TechSpace. Ag eirí as an mana, Samhlaigh – Cruthaigh – Spreag, bhí béim ins na ceardlann ar réimsí na meán chumarsáide agus na teicneolaíochta. I measc na gceardlanna Meáin, bhí Ceardlanna Aimsire le TG4, Tráchtaireacht Spóirt le Nemeton, Aisteoireacht le Fíbín, Athghuthú Cartúin le Telegael agus Iriseoireacht Físe le Nuacht TG4. Cuireadh béim freisin cheardlanna Teicneolaíochta, ina measc Cruthú Ciorcaid le Moonfish, Códú ar iPad le Grátek, cruthú Holograms agus dúshlán innealtóireachta le Lego Camps. Tugadh taispeántais ar an lá freisin do na daoine óga ar ghnéithe mar VR agus Oculus Rift a thriail chomh maith le priontáil 3D. Bhí ceol bhreá ag an ócáid freisin ón mbanna ceoil KILA agus ó bhanna ceoil TOGRA ó Phobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne.
Tá an clár TechSpace á rith le 3 bhliana faoi scáth na Roinne Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta. https://www.techspace.ie/clartechspace
Deir Alan Esslemont, Ardstiúrthóir TG4, gurcuid lárnach de straitéis TG4 í tacú le talann nua a fhorbairt agus an chruthaíocht a spreagadh i measc an óige. Is togra iontach í TechSpace a thugann tacaíocht le scileanna sa gcruthaíocht, agus sa chumarsáid a fhorbairt leis an aos óg. Cá bhfios ná go mbeidh cuid acu seo atá ag glacadh páirte inniu ag forbairt tograí do TG4 amach anseo.
Dúirt an tAire Stáit don Ghaeilge, don Ghaeltacht agus do na hOileáin, Joe McHugh, T.D.,‘Tá an-luacháir orm go bhfuil an ócáid seo, ócáid TechFéile 2018, de chuid Clár TechSpace atá á mhaoiniú ag mo Roinn á rith don chéad uair i mbliana. Is iontach an tábhacht agus an deis atá ag baint le TechFéile 2018 sa bhealach go dtugann an togra deis don aos óg a gcuid samhlaíochta agus cruthaitheachta a fhorbairt agus an Ghaeilge a chur ar thaispeántas. Tá an-chuid cumhacht ag an teicneolaíocht inár saol laethúil agus taispeánann sé seo an suim atá ag déagóirí i gcúrsaí teicneolaíochta agus iad go mór ina gcompord sa ré dhigiteach ina maireann muid inniu. Mar sin cuireann sé ríméad orm go bhfuil an togra seo ag dul i bhfeidhm go mór ar an aos óg agus an Ghaeilge á chur ar chomhchéim leis an mBéarla sa saol digiteach.’
The last week in March was a busy one in Camara Education with Steven, our Head of Income and Partnerships, and Mathieu, our Head of Education, travelling to UNESCO Mobile Learning Week in Paris.
The conference, held in UNESCO headquarters, is an opportunity for people from all over the world to come together and discuss all things ICT in Education in the developing world.
A huge number of nationalities were represented, with everyone from teachers from the Beijing Royal School, to the Kenyan Minister of ICT!
On the Monday morning, alongside with the Director of ICT for the Government of Indonesia, the Senior Vice-President of Weidong Cloud Education Group, the Vice Rector for continuing education of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia and representatives from UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, Mathieu participated in the workshop called Teacher Skills in a connected world: ICT competency for the transformation of teaching and learning. The main goal of this Workshop was to share innovative pedagogical approaches and teachers’ management and professional development methods based on ICT use.
The Workshop has featured examples of responses to the new ICT-based educational environment and has offered the opportunity to interrogate the models of emerging approaches and practices for teaching and learning from the network of the UNESCO International Teacher Task Force for Education 2030. The workshop has collected feedback on the potential for scaling up the examples presented and their replicability to other contexts. The result of this workshop will be used by the UNESCO Task Force Working Group to pursue its action towards the increase of qualified teachers and the improvement of teaching for better learning outcomes.
Mathieu presented to a packed room on the Camara Learning Academy, our new online teacher training platform. Since its launch in 2016 we have already trained over 1,000 teachers in courses varying from the ‘Basics of ICT’ to ‘Leadership and change for ICT implementation in a school’. Participants to the workshop highlighted the relevance of Camara’s initiatives to overcome the barriers faced by teachers and also pinpointed that Camara’s approach (Hardware, Software, Warmware) is one if not the only way such intervention can be successful.
The conference was also a really good chance to sit down with some of our existing partners and brainstorm for future projects. The team from Learning Equality (LE) were over, leading to lots of conversations about exciting potential new projects similar to the Maths component of the ZamSTEM project we are delivering in Zambia. Using ‘Kolibri’ LE’s online content platform we will be working to improve numeracy outcomes in 10 Zambian schools as part of a larger Irish Aid funded project. The overall project will reach over 75 schools and training more than 400 teachers, improving computer literacy skills and numeracy skills for Zambian students.
Exciting times ahead!
In January, Camara Education Ireland celebrated an exceptional milestone with the start of the ‘NUI Certificate in Digital Creativity in Youth Settings’, designed and delivered in partnership with the Department of Applied Social Studies at Maynooth University.
Eleven youth workers and educators began a pioneering 10 month, level 8 certificate programme designed for those who wish to develop a specialism in the emerging field of digital creativity in youth settings. Through 100 hours of tuition students are learning to use technology as a tool to enhance learning activities for young people.
Professor Maurice Devlin, Head of the Department of Applied Social Studies said, “We live in a world where new technologies, social media and instantaneous global communication have become an integral part of our daily lives. These transformations are all underpinned by developments in the STEM disciplines. But many people, even those who make abundant use of new technological opportunities, have only a superficial knowledge of how they work, and perhaps even less understanding of the underlying science. It is very important that everyone is enabled to be digitally competent. But to be able to avail of all the opportunities presented to us today, and respond to all the challenges we face, it is necessary to go beyond this and become digitally creative. This ground-breaking certificate programme opens up that possibility for those who work with young people, so that it can also be extended to young people themselves. We’re delighted in the Department of Applied Social Studies at MU, where youth work is one of our core specialisms, to be working in partnership with Camara on such a timely and exciting initiative.”
The programme is unique in Europe and utilises an innovative learning approach to develop digital creativity among young people in youth settings. The programme addresses the continuous professional development (CPD) needs of the youth and non-formal education sector by developing youth workers’ and educators’ abilities to work creatively through technology with young people in diverse settings. The first cohort of students are some of the most passionate and innovative youth educators in Ireland. They come from an exciting mix of backgrounds; from youth theatre, vocational education, national youth work organisations, a start-up STEM education business for schools and youth workers working through the medium of Irish.
Students will be equipped with specialist digital and STEM skills to design and deliver projects for young people. These specialists will be key to enhancing young people’s futures by enabling them to build key 21st century skills such as creativity, critical thinking and problem solving, communication and collaboration, as well as digital and technology literacies and technical skills.
Dr. Hilary Tierney, Academic Director of the certificate programme said, “The programme is a valuable addition to the Department’s range of certificate programme designed to respond to the community work and youth work sectors professional development needs. We are delighted to welcome students from all over the country to participate in this unique learning experience in Maynooth University. We are impressed with their enthusiasm, engagement, commitment and creativity”.
The certificate covers seven fundamental competencies to effectively deliver digital and STEM projects in youth settings. Each competency will develop the participants’ knowledge of digital creativity learning models and build their skills to confidently use digital and STEM frameworks, models, approaches and tools to ignite creative confidence in young people. Between June and October, students will undertake an applied project where they put in to practice their newly developed competencies in a youth setting.
Janice Feighery, Camara’s Education Programme Director said, “The curriculum is underpinned by an educational philosophy that promotes non-formal, experiential learning central to good youth development practice. This will include the deployment of a framework to strategically integrate educational technology in youth and community organisations, supported by an established pedagogical approach to digital creativity in youth work”.
The certificate culminates in October with a student exhibition event. Students will showcase their applied projects to demonstrate their new specialism for designing and delivering innovative, digital creativity projects for young people. This new programme is an evolution of the work of TechSpace and we’re excited to partner with Maynooth University on this new venture and look forward to our first graduates of the programme!
Demissew became the Chief Advisor of Camara Ethiopia in 2011, and prior to this, was instrumental in Camara’s establishment in Ethiopia. He worked for the Ministry of Education for over 38 years, mostly within the Educational Media Agency (EMA), as a radio producer, head of the radio panel, a television producer, and then head of television in 1978. Demissew joined Cornell University to study an MSc in Communications and returned to Ethiopia becoming Head of the EMA in 1993, retiring after 17 years to join Camara Education Ethiopia. Demissew served as Chief Advisor to Camara Education Ethiopia until 2017. Demissew sadly passed away in January and here follows an obituary written by Camara Education’s CEO, John Fitzsimons.
I woke up on the 12th of January and checked my phone to uncover some very sad news. The message from my colleague in Ethiopia, Yared Ayele, was short and sweet; “Demissew passed away early this morning”. My heart sank. Minutes later I was called into my five year old son’s room as he awoke. I nearly tripped up on a t-shirt on the floor outside. It was a blue t-shirt with a picture of Lalibela, the famous Ethiopian location; a gift from the wonderful Demissew. I went down to make breakfast, opened up the presses where the cups and mugs are kept and found a selection of Ethiopian cups to choose from. All gifts from one of the most generous and kind people I have ever met; Demissew Bekele. Despite earning a relatively meagre salary from Camara Ethiopia, Demissew used all means possible to share kindness in the world.
When I first met Demissew in Ethiopia, despite our very different backgrounds, I knew I met a kindred spirit. Like myself he was very passionate about giving children the opportunity they deserve and specifically technology’s role in education. I also quickly discovered that he possessed an Irish-esque talent for poetry. For every visit and every occasion there was a wonderful poem from Demissew. His highlight was when one of his poems about the work of Camara was published in the national newspaper in Ethiopia:
One thing I am delighted that Demissew did get to do was to visit Ireland. When he visited the Camara workshop in Dublin and meet the volunteers refurbishing computers, he was literally brought to tears. He was completely bowled over witnessing Irish people giving their time, even sweeping the floor, for the benefit of children in his own country. He insisted on thanking each volunteer personally. As part of his visit I got to bring Demissew on a day trip to Glendalough, County Wicklow with my young children. We had a wonderful day out and it was lovely seeing my children playing and bonding with this amazing human being. Both clearly made an impression on Demissew as they were renamed “Jack the Ethiopian” and “Ella my Mother”! He later explained the naming: “Jack, the Ethiopian is strong, can withstand any falls and my mother Ella, who never accepts dependency, are life examples to be strong enough to be independent. The two together need each other to be strong and independent… a lesson for all of us.” A poem of course also ensued:
On that morning recently, when I told my kids that Demissew had passed away, they started to cry. Such was the impact this man had on them that they felt so sad with the loss. Demissew was like that; no matter what colour, creed or age, he had a profound impact on us all. Life is not about the destination but those you meet along the way.
The greatest way we can mark Demissew’s life is to follow through and deliver on his desires; ensuring each child everywhere has a world-class education.
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In 2016, Camara Education worked with 1,031 schools, trained 7,816 educators and distributed over 10,600 computers. As a result, 225,542 learners were impacted through our Social Enterprise activities.
Camara Education recently conducted a monitoring and evaluation exercise in selected partner schools in Africa and Ireland. The evaluation surveyed 96 schools in Africa and 40 schools/youth centres in Ireland, including 106 educators and 1,587 learners from Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Tanzania, and Zambia. The main purpose was to assess the relevance, effectiveness, and impact of activities carried out by Camara hubs in 2016. The exercise mainly focused on measuring Key Performance Indicators including the length of computer lab access and usage by learners and educators, computer share between learners, and the impact of Camara provided training on educators. The satisfaction levels of school leaders, educators, and learners on Camara-provided services and Camara hubs’ performance were also part of the survey.
The length of timetable access of computers by learners for 2016 was 98 minutes per week on average, showing a 7% increase from 2015.
Chart 1: Reported access to computers by learners (in minutes/week)
Comparatively, the lowest access was reported from Ethiopia with 79 minutes per week. However, Ethiopia registered the biggest improvement in terms of access to a 20% increase from 2015. Both Kenya and Tanzania’s hubs also registered a 10% and 12% increase in access respectively. The longest access was reported from Zambia with 108 minutes per week though it has decreased by 9 minutes from 2015. A closer look at our data shows that this decrease in access is in line with the decrease in one computer per student ratio. In fact, the results obtained in terms of computer share between learners seem to show a direct relationship with the length of computer access by learners, i.e learners who did not share a computer with others reported longer access time than those who shared a computer with at least one other learner.
Computer sharing is a major factor that influences the quality of computer access and length of usage by learners. In 2016, 29% of learners enjoyed using a computer without sharing it, while 71% had to share with at least one other student.
Compared to 2015, the percentage of learners that did not have to share a computer increased by 11%, and the percentage of learners that shared a computer with at least one other student decreased by 11%. As seen in the access section, there appears to be a direct link between length of access and computer share between learners. Overall, there is a trend of less computer sharing between learners, and more learners are accessing computers without the need to share.
Chart 2: Reported computer share by learners
In 2016, the average length of Camara-trained educator’s computer usage for teaching was 175 minutes per week. On the other side, usage by educators who did not attend the Camara training was 128 minutes per week. This represents a 36% longer usage among trained educators compared those who did not attend the Camara training.
Chart 3: Reported usage of eLearning centres by educators
The results of the survey also show that computer usage among Camara-trained educators increased by 7% from 2015 and by 17% from 2014. This indicates that more Camara-trained educators are using ICT for teaching.
Chart 4: Computer usage among Camara trained educators
The Camara-provided training has also had an impact on the confidence and ability level of educators. Of the 109 educators who rated their ICT use confidence 6 or more out of 10, 64% had attended the Camara training. Similarly, 66% of those who rated their ICT use ability 6 or more attended the Camara training.
Chart 5: ICT use confidence and ability among surveyed educators
According to the surveyed school leaders, the overall performance of Camara hubs for 2016 was 84%, an improvement of 6% from 2015 and 8% from 2014. ‘Attitude of Camara staff’ was the highest scoring performance area with 93%, followed by ‘Ease of communicating with Camara’ and ‘Understanding the schools need’ both scoring 89%. On the other end, ‘Provision of relevant training’ was the lowest scoring performance area with 74%.
Chart: Performance scores for Camara hub
Compared to 2015, six of the 10 performance areas showed an improvement. These include the provision of quality support (20% improvement), the meeting of agreed deadlines (13% improvement), and timely resolution of problems the school have had (12% improvement). On the contrary, three performance areas showed a decrease from 2015, ‘Provision of relevant training’ showing the largest decrease with 7%. Table 1 below shows the details.
Table 1: Changes in performance areas (2015 – 2016)
To summarize, access and use of Camara-provided computers have increased among learners and educators. The percentage of students that reported using a computer without having to share it with other students also increased from previous years. When it comes to the impact of Camara-provided training for educators, Camara-trained educators reported using ICT for teaching longer than those who did not attend the training. ICT use for teaching among Camara-trained educators had also increased from previous years. In terms of Camara’s overall performance, an increase of 6% from 2015 and 8% from 2014 was reported by the surveyed school leaders.