Posts in category: Uncategorized

Training & Support to be offered to Youth Workers and Foróige senior managers

Camara Education Ireland which runs the national TechSpace network, has received a €530,000 grant from Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, to deliver computer science training, equipment, and ongoing support to over 300 youth workers and 48 senior managers in 60 Foróige youth groups around the country.

Camara Education’s TechSpace program inspires young people to get creative with technology, and to gain new skills through ‘learning by doing’.  With around 400,000 young people engaged with the youth sector every year, the partnership between Camara and Foróige is designed to have a major impact on how technology is used in youth groups  across the country. 60 new TechSpace sites – double the existing number – will be established in Foróige youth groups, including in Ringsend and Pearse Street, adjacent to Google’s EMEA headquarters. The youth groups will also receive a total of 360 computers to support the project’s implementation.

The funding from Google.org will enable Camara to develop and deliver training and support in 2019 to 300 youth workers and 48 senior managers to facilitate Computer Science activities through the TechSpace programme.   Youth workers will also be offered a bursary to complete a Level 8 National University of Ireland Certificate in ‘Digital Creativity in Youth Settings’ which will include a module in Computer Science education. This is a special purpose program run in partnership with Maynooth University, designed to significantly impact the adoption of technology in the youth sector.  Additionally the project will create a Computer Science in Youth Work Toolkit to be made available to youth workers nationwide, containing best practices, activity guidelines and resources.

Speaking at the launch of the programme today in Foróige The Big Picture Youth Club, Tallaght, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone said, “Opportunities for creativity are hugely beneficial to young people. It allows them to express themselves in fun and innovative ways. Creativity in technology has the additional benefit of allowing young people to develop skills in problem solving and critical analysis. I welcome this wonderful initiative and look forward to seeing the TechSpace programme grow across the country.”

Shane Nolan, Director of New Business Sales for EMEA and Community Outreach Lead for Google Ireland said, “We are delighted to be supporting this innovative partnership between Camara and Foróige. There’s a great buzz of excitement around Computer Science these days, with its introduction for the first time as a Leaving Certificate subject earlier this month, and potentially soon to be available at other stages in the school curriculum. More than ever, it is critical that all students have access to Computer Science education – both in and out of school. Computer science education is a pathway to innovation, to creativity and to exciting career opportunities in the 21st century, and Google believes that all students deserve these opportunities. ”

Marianne Checkley, CEO of Camara Ireland, commented, “We are really proud to be part of this innovative project that expands the use of technology as a catalyst for youth development. Digital media and new technologies can be wonderful tools to ignite young people’s curiosity, creativity and confidence. Used effectively they can enhance social awareness and contribute to an ability to engage as active citizens. They can also help to build young people’s sense of agency and enable them to develop new knowledge and skills, and provide platforms for their voices to be heard. ”

Seán Campbell, CEO of Foróige, said “This exciting initiative will make it possible for over 3,000 young people across Ireland to develop a suite of computer science skills that will set them on the pathway for success in the 21st Century. It will challenge young people to harness their innate interest in technology for the betterment of their own lives, their communities and society. In many ways, computer science has become as important as reading, writing and maths, making this partnership between Camara Ireland, Foróige and Google hugely important.”

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.”