Mavis Talking Books

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, faces a significant education and security crisis. According to the UNICEF, there are currently about 18.5 million out-of-school children in Nigeria – the highest in the world. This educational deficit, combined with a lack of comprehensive civic education, poses a substantial challenge to developing socially empowered and civically engaged communities. It has also given rise to a lot of insecurity in the country.

Civic education in Nigeria, as in many other countries has often been overlooked or inadequately addressed in curricula. Finding enough quality teachers in rural and semi-urban areas for literacy and numeracy is a daunting task already and finding them in the area of civic education is even harder. What is harder still is finding those that have this subject knowledge expertise and is able to communicate same in the language the learner understands. Given the country’s rich cultural diversity, with over 250 ethnic groups and numerous local languages, there is a need for civic education that is culturally relevant, delivered in the language they understand and in the format that makes them enjoy the content such as storytelling and song learning. Civic education should not be restricted to formal school settings. It should be accessible to all, including out-of-school children and adults.

A study conducted by Ishaq et al in 2019 revealed that inadequate education is the root cause of insecurity and that there is a significant relationship between inefficacious education and insecurity associated with penury, unemployment, corruption, kidnapping and insurgency in Nigeria.
The absence of well-rounded civic education has repercussions that extend beyond individual learners. It affects the overall quality of community engagement, the health of democracy, and the capacity for collective action on very important social, political and environmental issues. This creates a huge gap in representation and decision making, leaving all the important decisions in the hands of the select few.

Using the Mavis Talking Book Technology, we will engage the power of contextual storytelling, song learning, and games to provide high quality civic education to learners in a learner-centered, interactive way, and in a language they understand.

Our solution employs a unique combination of traditional story telling and cutting-edge technology to create a powerful and engaging learning experience.
The Mavis Talking Book consists of the Mavis Book – a specially printed book that, when used in conjunction with the Mavis Pen – a specialized digital pen – transforms into an interactive audio-visual learning tool.
Here’s how it works: The Mavis Pen uses Optical Index technology to identify the print areas in the Mavis Book. When a learner taps a part of the page with the Mavis Pen, the pen produces the corresponding audio in the local language. This audio can be a story, a song, or even a game, designed to provide civic education in an engaging and entertaining manner.
In this way, the Mavis Talking Books cater to different learning styles – visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Learners can see the text, hear it spoken aloud in their local language, and actively participate in the learning process by tapping and interacting with the book.
Additionally, the Mavis Talking Books are designed for collaborative learning. Under the guidance of trained learning facilitators, who could be teachers or trusted members of the community, learners can use the Mavis Talking Books in group settings. This promotes peer learning, fosters social interaction, and encourages discussion, all of which are key components of civic education.
Our solution also leverages digital technology to track and assess learning progress. We will use available web and cloud platforms for monitoring the gradual mindset change of the leaners through properly crafted scenario-based questions. This feature also allows educators and stakeholders to monitor learners’ engagement and progress, providing valuable insight on their mindset change because of the learning content and delivery.
Through the Mavis Talking Books, we aim to make civic education accessible, enjoyable and impactful for learners across diverse communities and languages. By providing civic education in a language they understand and in a format they enjoy, we empower learners to actively participate in their communities and contribute to democratic process.

Our solution is primarily targeted at the 18.5 million out-of-children in Nigeria, as well as older members of the community that haven’t had the opportunity to receive formal education. These groups are often marginalized and left out of the traditional education system due to various socio-economic factors such as poverty, geographical isolation, cultural norms, or even insecurity.

Children and adults in this category have little or no access to quality civic education. This lack of access not only impacts their personal development but also hinders their ability to effectively participate in civic activities, engage in informed decision making, and contribute positively to their communities and the wider Nigerian society.

Currently, most of the education resources available in Nigeria in this regard are in English and most times not in the local language of the learners.

The Mavis Talking Books aim to address these needs by providing interactive, engaging and high-quality civic education that is accessible to all, irrespective of their formal educational status. The use of local languages in delivering the content ensures that learners can fully understand and engage with the material, breaking down language barriers that may have previously hindered their learning.

Furthermore, the Mavis Talking Books are not just meant individual learning. They are designed to foster group learning and community engagement. The learners can come together under the guidance of a trained facilitator, encouraging peer-to-peer learning, discussions and even experience sharing as members of the community use the Mavis Talking Books together. This communal approach to learning will not only improve their civic knowledge but also their social skills, self-confidence, and sense of community. We will endeavor to test and provide data relating to this as we go along with the implementation. 

Our team is strategically located in Abuja, at the heart of Nigeria, which provides us equal access to different communities across the country. This central location enables us to reach out to and engage with various communities in the different geopolitical zones of the country.

Our team’s strength lies in our understanding of the education system in general and the communities we serve, an understanding that stems from numerous pilot projects and feasibility studies we’ve conducted across these regions. Throughout these pilots, we’ve interacted directly with learners, learning facilitators, and other key education stakeholders. We’ve listened to their experiences, understood their needs, and incorporated their feedback into our solution.  This iterative process has allowed us to refine our content and delivery method, enhance our training process for facilitators and identify the most effective forms of support for the project during deployment.

The team lead spearheads the development of the Mavis Talking Books and oversees the deployment of the Mavis Talking Books in semi urban and rural areas in different parts of the country. The members of the team are all products of the current education system here in Nigeria and have first hand experience of the challenges faced in this area and the effect it has on the community and the nation as a whole.

But our engagement doesn’t stop at delivery. We maintain ongoing dialogues with the communities, conduct refresher trainings, monitor the usage of the Talking Books and have focus group sessions to discuss challenges and proffer solutions that eventually feed into our original design. Our team in essence are partners with our communities, working together to build a future of informed, educated and engaged citizens. 

Our work with the Mavis Talking Books has a lot to benefit from Solve and the MIT Solve community in general.

Firstly, we recognize that as we scale, we will require information and mentorship on improving our solution’s efficiency and effectiveness. We need more support in areas such as data collection, data analysis and content development.  The experience from the M.I.T solve community in Behavioral Insight and Human Centered Design will be very helpful.

We also believe that despite our efforts to create a cost -effective solution, making a positive dent in providing civic education and other byproducts of this education process in terms of literacy especially would require funds to produce the Mavis Talking Books, train the learning facilitators and provide adequate monitoring and evaluation to ensure that there was positive mindset change in the learners during this period.

Given Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity, creating content that is culturally relevant for as many communities as possible could prove to be a challenge. Any additional connections with other local organizations or cultural experts who have made things like this happen in their own communities will be very helpful for us.

Our work involves creating Talking Books that also have to be in line with education policies in Nigeria. Our Talking Books are licensed by the Nigerian Education Research and Development Council – the body in charge of developing the curriculum. However, as we develop our content in a more engaging way, support in understanding and navigating these legal and policy landscapes would be beneficial, especially as we aim to influence policy for broader adoption of our solution.

Finally creating awareness and acceptance of our solution which is new and disruptive among communities and government bodies is crucial for our work and for the sustainability of the programs we set up. We hope Solve can give guidance on and if possible facilitate strategic partnerships and strong relationships with key stakeholders, and mentor us on market penetration strategies. 

Our solution introduces a significant innovation in the delivery of civic education in Nigeria by using a simple technology and well-designed content (stories, songs, games) to create an engaging and accessible learning experience. Unlike many technology-based solutions, the Mavis Talking Books do not rely on internet access or a consistent electricity supply – making them uniquely suited to the challenges of our target communities. This minimal requirement makes it sustainable for and truly independent, overcoming the infrastructure barriers in semi-urban and rural communities, making it crucial for regions in conflict where often times, power supply and internet availability is minimal at best.

The simplicity and accessibility of the Mavis Talking Books make them an attractive learning tool, sparking learners’ interest and engagement. The fac that the Mavis Pen can only be used for learning reduces the likelihood of theft, contributing to the sustainability and longevity of the intervention.

By addressing these fundamental barriers to access to quality education, our solution has the potential to spark more positive impacts in the education technology space and the civic education space in particular.  It demonstrates how innovative technology can be adapted to the specific needs and constraints of underserved communities. This could inspire and guide others tech developers and organizations in creating practical and context-sensitive solutions, potentially leading to a shift in the market towards more inclusive and adaptable education technologies.

The success of the Mavis Talking Books could provide a strong case for the integration of technology in civic education, potentially influencing policy and market decisions towards more inclusive and innovative approaches in education, stimulating further investment in this space and eventually leading to a wider reach and impact in the provision of civic education. 

Over the next year, our primary impact goal is to reach up to 20,000 out-of-school children in Nigeria wit the Mavis Talking Books. Our aim is not just to provide access to civic education but to instill a mindset shift, promoting social-emotional learning and fostering an understanding of their roles in the society and the nation at large. By engaging them through our program, we hope to spark an interest in formal education, using the Mavis Talking Books as a stepping stone.

In five years, we aim to expand our reach significantly, contributing to a major reduction in the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria. We hope to have reached up to 200 communities and up to 1,000,000 out of school children with the Mavis Talking Books. We envision communities making better decisions and electing capable leaders who will make transformative changes in their communities.

 We plan to achieve this by implementing community-based projects that promote learning. These projects will include community engagement discussion programs. The aim is to gradually transform rural areas, one community at a time, into hubs of education and civic engagement. By doing so, we hope to create environments conducive for further investments in education, health, agriculture, and other sectors.

Our strategy includes continuous refinement of our solution based on the feedback from the users, forming strategic partnerships to aid distribution and adoption, and advocating for policy support to integrate our solution into the broader education framework. By measuring our impact regularly, we will stay informed about our progress and make necessary adjustments, ensuring that we stay on track to achieve our goals. 

Our impact measurement framework revolves around improving learning outcomes, accessibility to quality education, learner engagement, positive perception of education, and Learning Facilitator effectiveness. Key stakeholders, including education boards, community leaders, parents, guardians,  and school leaders, are identified as they play a crucial role in our intervention.

In addition to learning outcomes in literacy and numeracy, attendance rates, and learner engagement, we specifically include civic education indicators in our measurement plan. This involves using scenario-based questions asked in local languages to assess the children’s understanding of civic duties and rights. We also plan to incorporate these questions into focused group discussions, with responses logged and analyzed to gauge the impact of our civic education efforts.

While our data collection methods have primarily centered around Early Grade Reading and Math Assessments (EGRA and EGMA), we are now expending these to better measure our impact on civic education. This will include surveys for facilitators and coaches capturing information about training, usage, attendance, topics taught, and overall engagement in civic education.

Parent and guardian interviews, stakeholder workshops, and feedback from implementing partners will also form part of our data collection process, with a particular focus on understanding the broader community impact of our civic education efforts.

We establish a baseline to track learners' progress in civic education throughout the project. Regular monitoring and evaluation, carried out by coaches in collaboration with independent implementation partners, help identify areas for improvement in this area.

Continuous improvement is a priority in our framework. Based on data and reports, we make adjustments within the allocated budget, aiming to enhance our solution continuously. Our final project reports analyze the project's success level in improving civic education and highlight areas for future improvement.

Our partnership with Solve could provide an excellent opportunity to refine and expand our impact measurement in the area of civic education, ultimately helping us to better serve our communities and fulfill our mission. 

Our theory of change is centered around the belief that access to engaging, culturally relevant, and easily understandable civic education content can significantly improve the civic understanding and active participation of school-aged children in Nigeria.

Key Outcome: School-aged children have an improved understanding of civic responsibilities, societal norms, and the importance of active participation in democratic processes.

Barriers: Limited access to quality civic education, lack of culturally relevant content, lack of quality teachers that understand the subject matter in the language the learners understand in rural and semi-urban areas

Sub Outcomes:

• School children develop strong civic understanding through easy-to-use, language-sensitive, and culturally relevant content.
• Increased interest in civic education due to the integration of songs, games, and engaging content.
• Children learn to value their roles in the society and the importance of active participation in civic processes.
• Improved decision-making capabilities and critical thinking skills in societal and civic matters.
• Children also improve in their literacy skills as they learn to read and understand the meanings of some terms

Key Hypotheses:

• Children understand and engage better with civic education when the content is delivered in their local language and is culturally relevant.
• Utilizing a simple, interactive technology like the Mavis Talking Books can overcome the barriers of access to quality civic education.

Project Activities:

• Train facilitators on how to use the Mavis Talking Books for civic education.
• Develop and deploy culturally relevant civic education content using the Mavis Talking Books.
• Run demo sessions in learning centers to ensure facilitators and learners understand how to use the tool effectively.
• Monitor progress, gather data, and make adjustments as necessary to improve the effectiveness of the intervention.

Our expected impact is based on our experience with literacy and numeracy education, third-party research supporting the effectiveness of local language instruction and interactive learning, and our past evaluations showing improved learning outcomes with the Mavis Talking Books. Through this project, we aim to transform the delivery of civic education in Nigeria and empower our young learners to become active, informed, and responsible citizens.

Our solution leverages a blend of traditional and modern technologies to provide accessible and engaging civic education. At the core of our solution is the Mavis Talking Book - an innovative educational tool that uses Optical Index Technology (OID). This technology enables the Mavis Pen to interact with the Mavis Book. When the pen touches text or an image, it reads out the corresponding audio content, providing an interactive and engaging learning experience.

This low-tech solution is designed to be simple, user-friendly, and does not rely on internet access or consistent electricity supply – making it uniquely suited to the challenges of our target communities. The content for the Mavis Talking Books can be easily updated, allowing us to adapt to the evolving educational needs of the learners and ensuring the sustainability of the intervention.

Complementing this, we utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analysis techniques for our monitoring and evaluation efforts. Through community-focused group sessions, we gather data on the impact of the Mavis Talking Books on the learners' civic understanding and mindset shifts. AI and data analytics help us analyze this data and generate insights that guide our continuous improvement efforts.

Moreover, we employ web and cloud technologies for data storage and visualization. This enables us to efficiently manage and share the progress and impact of our solution with current and future partners. It also facilitates transparency and accountability, contributing to the trust and credibility of our intervention.

In summary, our solution combines Optical Index Technology with AI, data analytics, and cloud technologies to deliver quality civic education, track our impact, and adapt to the needs of our target communities. We believe in leveraging both traditional and modern technologies to create a solution that is practical, accessible, and effective in improving civic education in Nigeria.

At Mavis Computel, we are deeply committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusivity in our work. We believe these principles are not only morally right, but also crucial for driving innovation, creativity, and the effectiveness of our solution.

Firstly, our hiring process is non-discriminatory, and we ensure that opportunities are equally accessible to all, regardless of gender, religion, marital status, or any other identity marker. Our team is a testament to this commitment. We have a balanced blend of male and female staff members (8 male, 6 female). We work with and have worked with staff from different religions in this country. We also value the diversity of marital statuses, understanding that each life stage brings unique perspectives and insights.

However, our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion extends beyond our hiring practices. Our solution - the Mavis Talking Books - is designed to be accessible and beneficial to all learners, regardless of their socio-economic background, language, or ability. The content is available in local languages, and the simple, intuitive design makes it easy to use for learners of different abilities. By making quality civic education more accessible, we aim to challenge and reduce educational disparities in Nigeria. The fact that our solution meets learners where they are bridges the gap with respect to access to quality education

Furthermore, we ensure that our solution is sensitive to and respectful of cultural diversity. The content we develop is mindful of the various cultural contexts in which it will be used, and we strive to create learning materials that are inclusive and representative of the diverse identities and experiences of our target communities.

Moving forward, we will continue to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusivity in all aspects of our work. We will regularly review and update our policies and practices to ensure they align with these principles, and we will seek feedback from our staff and the communities we serve to hold ourselves accountable. We firmly believe that these commitments are essential for the success of our mission and the positive impact we aim to create in Nigeria's education sector.

Our business model is designed to optimize both impact and sustainability, recognizing the financial constraints of our primary beneficiaries – out-of-school children in underserved communities.

Our key offering is the Mavis Talking Books, a technology-driven educational solution that provides high-quality, accessible, and engaging learning experiences in local languages. We aim to enhance literacy, numeracy, and now, civic education among the children, contributing to their holistic development and preparation for their roles in society.

However, recognizing that our primary beneficiaries often can't afford our products, we primarily work on a B2B model, partnering with state and federal governments as well as local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These entities fund the distribution of Mavis Talking Books in the targeted areas, ensuring the children have access to the resources they need for learning.

These partnerships not only provide the necessary funding for our operations but also increase our reach and impact. By working with these organizations, we can tap into their existing networks and infrastructure, enabling us to reach more children and communities.

In terms of revenue diversification, we are also exploring alternative markets to broaden our customer base. As the effectiveness of our solution becomes more widely recognized, we believe there is potential to disrupt the current educational structure and expand into more modern and developed areas. We are considering providing home learning and community-based learning solutions for children in these areas, as well as after-school support services. These services will be offered on a fee basis, providing an additional revenue stream for our organization.

Furthermore, we're also considering the production of customized versions of our talking books for organizations seeking to disseminate information or training in an accessible and engaging format. This customization service will be another source of revenue.

In summary, our business model is a hybrid one, combining social impact with strategic partnerships and diversification to ensure the sustainability of our operations and the maximization of our impact.

Our plan for achieving financial sustainability includes a multi-pronged approach that combines grants, service contracts, product sales, and data provision.

1. Grants and Donations: Like many social impact organizations, we will continue to apply for grants and seek donations from philanthropic individuals and organizations. These sources of funding are crucial for supporting our mission and allowing us to reach more underserved communities.

2. Service Contracts: We will continue to form partnerships with government bodies and international organizations, providing them with our Mavis Talking Books. These contracts provide a consistent stream of revenue and allow us to reach larger numbers of children.

3. Product Sales: We plan to expand our customer base to include regular parents who are seeking high-quality, engaging educational materials for their children. By developing Mavis Talking Books for home use, we can generate additional revenue while also furthering our mission of improving educational outcomes.

4. Data Provision: As we continue our work in underserved areas, we collect valuable data on technology usage and adoption. We plan to offer this data to organizations that can benefit from this information, providing another source of revenue.

5. Digital Expansion: We are in the process of developing web and mobile applications that bring our unique approach to learning to people all around the world. This expansion will not only allow us to reach more learners but will also provide us with a new revenue stream through app sales and subscriptions.

6. Workshops and Training: We will organize workshops for different stakeholders, providing training on the use of our products and also on best practices in education and technology. These workshops can generate revenue while also strengthening our relationships with our partners.

In the long term, we expect that the combination of these diverse revenue streams will cover our expenses and allow us to continue to grow and expand our impact.

We have been successful in implementing our financial sustainability plan in several ways.

1. Private Health Sector Alliance Nigeria: We received a grant of $30,000 from Private Health Sector Alliance Nigeria. This funding was used to produce content in Health Education that was used in Kaduna state.

2. The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID now FCDO): We were awarded a 170,000-pound grant from DFID to improve learning outcomes in Lagos’ private schools. This project allowed us to expand our reach and impact in the region.

3. Aid for Rural Education Access initiative: In partnership with local NGOs, we implemented education programs in 200 learning clusters serving approximately 4000 children in IDP camps.

4. International Rescue Committee: We successfully completed a pilot project in 2022, funded by a $45,000 grant, that provided literacy and numeracy education in Hausa to out-of-school children in Borno state, an area significantly affected by insurgency and conflict. The success of this pilot led to a larger project of approximately $149,000, allowing us to reach more people in the area during our design and implementation research.

5. Nigerian Military: We have received funding from the Nigerian Military to provide local language learning in conflict areas. This project highlights our commitment to making education accessible in even the most challenging circumstances.

6. Awards: We have received both national and international recognition for our work. This includes the ELTons innovation award by the British Council in the local language initiative division.

These examples demonstrate our ability to secure diverse sources of funding, and to successfully implement and scale our projects. They also highlight the recognition and support we have received from a range of stakeholders, from government bodies and international organizations to private sector actors. We will be delighted to partner with Solve in expanding our reach and impact.