Affordable Virtual Learning Society-AVL

The problem: of accessibility of tertiary education and practical training of teenangers in the rural areas after high school, leading them into teenage pregnancies, child marriages, crime & poverty

Virtual Platforms: As the world has become a global village we believe this is an advantage and now information, education or training can be accessed from anywhere with the right facilities, we therefore offer online courses & training to these teenagers & also have them put to practice what they have learnt, through incubated income or skill generating projects.

Positivity: in this project is that after high school these teenagers (especially women and girls) have something more to look forward to. It will reduce teenage pregnancies, child marriages, crimes and poverty, whilst making tertiary education and practical training accessible to all.

The problem is tertiary eduction in the remote/rural parts especially for the girl child of every country and in this case the country is Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe over 90% of the population has primary education and 47.2% of the population has secondary education, however only 5.8% make it to tertiary education. Unfortunately the education system is designed such that life skills and practical learning is done at tertiary level and hence why it is very hard for someone without tertiary education to be in the formal sector. 

Of this 5.8% that make it to tertiary education, less than 0.2% are from the remote or rural areas, whilst the remote areas accommodate more that 65% of the total population of the country. The reason for these unfavorable numbers is because of very few tertiary institutions where almost all of them are in the cities, also affordability and accessibility. AVL Society hope to address all these problems by bringing affordability and accessibility.

The solution is entirely based on the fact that the world has become a global village with ability to access information from anywhere. Hence we believe that education can be easily accessed as well with online/virtual learning platforms e.g EDx The solution is a cycle that consists of the following steps 

Step 1 - Set up centers in the rural areas which facilities and equipment that allow Online Learning (Projectors, Computers, Internet Connection)

Step 2 - Enroll students with at least primary education into courses of their choice to acquire knowledge. 

Step 3 - Group the students into profit generating projects and have them use their acquired knowledge (PRACTICAL LEARNING), while they also earn a livelihood. Incubate successfull projects and innovations into sustainable business for the students to run and we earn share or profit percentage.

Step 4 - Put back the money into expansion of the projects, putting up more centers and allow the students who are earning to start paying for their certificates online, instead of only taking the free versions. 

Its a cycle that will allow the development of women and girls, community, practical learning and life skills that allow innovation and growth. 

Teenagers and youths especially girls in rural areas who are prone to teenage pregnancies and child marriages, because they have nothing else to look forward to after primary and or secondary education. Even in the rural areas the few shops and industries if any still require skilled workforce or otherwise it is very cheap labor amounting next to nothing. 

These teenangers and youths in the rural areas need access to tertiary education and they are our main target. We have so far gone into the communities to understand their way of life, including those who are almost completing secondary school and what their hopes are. 

They see marriage as the next best solution as they have nowhere further to develop themselves, and small scale farming which allows hand to mouth living. Most of them confess they are not able to send their children even for primary education because they will not be able to afford it. 

We hope the virtual/online learning will allow these  teenagers and youth in the rural areas to develop skills and have hope for a better livelihood, whilst the projects  will allow the development of their livelihood and communities as well. 

Women And Children in education: 

The population that is most affected by lack of tertiary education in the remote/rural areas we operate is the women and the young children who are growing up. As irony has it the population of women has always been higher than that of men. 

Women who end up engaging in child marriages and teenage pregnancies are also not able to take care of their children because they did not get a chance tio improve their livelihood before. 

Hence our solution hopes to give better livelihood and education to mainly women and children affected. 

There are a lot of NGO's in Zimbabwe and Africa, tackling the issue of education, so far, we would consider primary school tackled successfully as it is over 90% and secondary education and half that and trailing. This is because these levels of education are not demanding and less expensive, However the 5.8% tertiary education proves that there has been little to no action in the tertiary industry. As per research that we made, there has been so far no organisations taking our similar approach as they end up charging expensive amount to sustain. Our solution is unique because it suits the needs of our users including affordability, it is designed to be self-sustaining in the long run. 

Unlike most affordable tertiary education providers AVL society also offers practical learning, we believe that it does not necessarily require a degree for someone to be a web designer, it requires passion and practice. However, we bank in their quest to practice being able to generate income and sustain the centre’s and the projects. 

Some organisers that may be partners more than competitors are the online education providers, they put up content at affordable or at no cost to the learner, however the learners need to be equipped to access it, we are the equipment and the mediator in this case.  In summary we are an innovative institution where a student can learn affordably, work, earn and develop all at ones.

Our solution has more of a new business model or a different application of an existing technology. 

It relies on online/virtual learning where-in there are over a million courses online that touch almost every subject or profession. We are therefore looking to use this technology and combine it with hardware that allows its accessibility. 

The hardware will include whiteboards, computers/laptops/tablets, projectors/internet connections (modems, MiFi’s etc.) 

A combination of these two plus being available in the remote or rural areas is our solution. We could consider it as a moving self-sustainable University. 

The technology of online learning and virtual learning is proven all around the world from online courses platform like Edx and Alison courses, to known and reputable Universities like Open University and Unicaf University. 

The above have been operational and have managed to provide education to busy, working individuals and those who cannot afford the cost of attending University physically. However, our solution wishes to address the fact that it has not yet reached where it is most needed ~ RURAL and REMOTE areas. 

Each day at AVL Society, we want to change a girl's mind from getting married or getting pregnant not because they want to, but because they have nothing better to do. 

Our activities include setting up classes, planning on the operation of the learning centres, having the lessons assistants give feedback, pre-recording and downloading classes, planning and including essential lessons in every learner's syllabus like life skills/ communication and language. 

Our students have given feedback that having grown up knowing the only way they have known how to learn has been by a teacher on a black board with a chalk and sometimes this is also not available, starting to know how to use the computer, learning on a big screen, having lecturers from all over the world has proven to have them want to have more focus, one student clearly mentioned: "One of our lecturers accent is different from what we are used to, you need to listen and focus to be able to understand", another learner mentioned " every class is always creative and I think of that lesson all the way home". These classes have improved the student’s communication skills and need to do better and accept change. 

Furthermore, our assistants have noted that most students come with zero knowledge of what is going in, the helping them out has made them appreciate privileges, grow more tolerance as well.

For our long-standing students from our pilot program they testify that this has changed and improved their way of life and they have become icons and examples in their community, one mentioned their little sister wrote a composition wanting to be like her and also have her skills. The community we have been and made impact now have their children and young youths looking forward to the next open spot to join our program as we are not yet able to accommodate all. 

Our vision to develop communities and bring better, bright education to the communities seems to be a success as it has brightened lives and brought about better livelihood.

Currently we serve 16 youths (11 ladies and 5 men) - They have engaged fully in the program and are currently working on different projects one includes horticulture (tomatoes and leaf vegetables) and the other involves poultry (broiler chickens and egg layers) 

In the next one year, we hope to increase the number to 500 and 3 centres’ around the same district since internet connection has already been established in the area. 

In the next five years we hope to be serving 50000+ students in different communities, as per our calculations, this is possible as the more number of students, the higher the number of projects, the higher the income generated and the higher the expansion rate

Our goal in the next year is to build a solid business models taking into consideration the different inputs from the different communities’ inputs. This will help us create partnerships with relevant organisation which will help accelerate our rate of expansion. 

Furthermore in the next year we hope to partner with more online providers and gain the support of Universities that offer MOOCs and online courses as well as huge organisations and technology companies like HP who can provide us with some of their entry level machinery at affordable costs that will allow us to set up centres. 

In the next 5 years we hope to have established our headquarters infrastructure and workforce to manage our centres and expansion, We also hope to start our 5 million learners target expedition as we expand into Southern African countries as well, this will mean a simultaneous roll out of centres and launches of our product and organisation in the Southern African Countries and a high rate of expansion using our stable model, this means in the next 5 years we hope to run a pilot project in every one of the Southern African countries so that we gather and research information to help us make tailor made business models for each country. 

Most of our barriers fortunately are once- off as our tentative business model looks to eliminate such barriers in the long- run 

For our upcoming and next year, the major barriers include: 

• Finances - these are for us to be able to expand into other areas and reach our first-year target of 500 learners, with limited resources and workforce. 
• Hardware - This is a recurring investment; however, it is a much-required resource. The hardware’s include laptops, desktops, projectors, MiFi, whiteboards for starters.
• Volunteers - We also require having volunteers at the beginning and in our quest for expansion as we may not have enough to go by and employ people.
• Partnerships - Long-term partnerships with organisations that will help us in getting our equipment, programs and syllabus together. These will range from educational institutions, IT infrastructure providers. 

In the long run however, challenges will include: 

Managing Finances - with the growth we anticipate it is common to be overwhelmed and misuse or underutilize funds or mix funds from different projects. 

Adjusting to un-anticipated change - The economies, communities and technologies will change, and we also need to go with the technologies, our investments and plans however usually focus on a stable and anticipated changes 

We hope to overcome and have been working to overcome these barriers by doing the following: 

RESEARCH & PLANNING: We believe proper planning is the way to overcome over 60% of any barriers and problems of any plan, we have been therefore tirelessly researching and planning and getting ideas from others. This will tackle volunteer problems, change and adjusting to it 

BACK-UP PLANS & INVESTMENTS: We also believe in the concept of not keeping your eggs in one baskets, hence on financials we look to investing in other projects and businesses seperate from AVL Society, It's like profitable banking of it's money in the case of emergency

FUNDRAISING & PARTNERSHIPS: To be able to get finances we hope to participate in as many events as possible to raise what we require as well as put up fundraising programs. Furthermore creating partnerships with institutions that help us develop as well as better craft our plan like Impact Hub, MIT, Founders live etc.

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7 people (Including myself)

3 Full time 

2 Part time

2 Volunteers (part-time)

The team comprises of people that are passionate on Social Impact and the Economie's development. We have a combination of expertise in the following fields, Commerce & Business, Economics, Education, Engineering, Corporate Governance and Innovation. 

The team also has individuals whom have passed and experienced the same problem we are addressing and therefore have an indepth first hand understanding of the problem, its challenges and a good skeleton on how best we can deliver the solution. 

I believe the team is more passionate about the cause and passion is 65% of getting the job done, also most have the expertise in the tasks that they handle which increases the rate at which work will be done and executed, finally the experiences and the team work there binds everything we have together and makes us am more likely capable of delivering team. 

We have been working to partner with Alison Courses, who have promised to set up a platform that we can use, we are however still in the middle of raising funds to be able to do that. The platform will allow us to customize learning pathways for our students as well as manage them all in one place, also allowing us to get the certificates and group discounted rates. 

We have also been getting assistances and information resources from Impact Hub-Harare & Founders Live, after having presented our solution, they connect us to platforms like Solve MIT and other relevant organizations that could further help us attain our cause. 

They also help us in getting volunteer resources in the community and other discounted services. 

Market: 

Our main market is the rural areas or remote areas, where tertiary education is almost a myth. Key customers being teenagers and youth with at the least primary education and did not manage to be in school for the past 2 years. age threshold is 30, and minimum age is 14.

Products & Services:

We will be providing courses online, a learning platform and what is needed to access information, in terms of internet, projectors, laptops, virtual machines etc. Furthermore, after a certain study pathway is completed the student will be assigned to an innovative profit generating project or otherwise can share their innovations. 

Why? 

There are no opportunities for tertiary education, something to look forward after secondary school, however we are going to provision this and reduce poverty, crime rate, teenage pregnancy, child marriages. It will also increase development of the communities and the way of living

The business model's aim is for AVL society to be self-sustainable. This is the major aim of the after-studies programs and projects that we want our learners to be involved in: 

It is more of the below cycle: 

Learn -> Participate in profit generating projects and innovation -> Take part of the earned profits back into the entity and starting of other projects -> transfer financial responsibility back to the learners who would have started to earn. 

With this model we believe that we will be able to help the livelihood of our students whilst putting the organisation to its feet to be self-sustainable and cater for its operating expenses and produce revenue for expansion without the need for huge external injections. 

Solve is well known and popular for its mentorship, financial and business model bulding services for young businesses and solutions. I am therefore applying to get help in solving the financial problems through funding, mentorship or fundraising. 

Furthermore I believe Solve being well connected in the business and solutions world will be able to connect me to the relevant partnerships I am looking for in the education and Virtualization industry hence once again my application to SOLVE. 

Finally there is nothing that beats exprerience and getting valuable feedback from mentors or people who have been in the industry, I believe that through my application I will be able to get valuable feedback that will better improve my solution and business model.

I am most interested in investors/partners who are long term and looking for a lot of growth before returns, with at least 5 or more years long partnership agreements. I am most concerned about self-sustainability of the business model hence patience is a virtue to any interested parties.

Partnerships I am looking for are mainly funding/investor partnerships, educational institutions & technology oriented organisations (in promoting accessibility of information through technology)

I also am interested in mentors willing to partner with us in bulding a better business model than we alreay have, so that we are able to achieve our goal of self-sustainability in a shorter time than anticipated.

HP/DELL/MICROSOFT - For these organisations we are looking to get contract in getting the inexpensive entry level equipment (Laptops, projectors, tablets) and licensing deals (microsoft) - These will help us in providing or bulding up the learning centers for our solution. The equipment can be re-furbished and we can also take up the testing and promotional role in the equipment through our use.

Educational Institutions - These are institutions that have embraced online learning and have MOOCs free or cheap online which our students can take up and actually get certificates, the institutions could also tailor some lessons or MOOCs to suite our learning enviroment. It is important to partner with them as we may require visiting lectures with the institutions for our learners. 

MIT Business Department - In our aim to buld a better model & look for funding we would be great and appreciate the valuable partnership with MIT business faculty or experts to be analytical and give feedback and provide mentorship on our solution.

I believe my solution although it is all gender inclusicve it benefits girls & women more, who are the most affected by the lack of accessibility to education as they end up in teenage pregnancies, child marriages and domestic violence 

And because they are uneducated usually never know their rights or their children's right to education and a better livelihood. 

Our team will use the Innovation for Women Prize to create support groups within our learning program for girls and women who have already been involved in teenage pregnancies, child marriages and domestic violence and want to take a step in improving their livelihood. 

Being in these communities were women seem to not mean much these women may have family barriers (husbands & in-laws) not willing to let them take a chance in improving their lives. We will also use the money in funding for women led profit making projects that the learners in our program will take up. 

I believe our solution would like to improve the livelihood of girls and women both those affected by teenage pregnancies, domestic violence, poverty and child marriages and also help prevent those who might get into it. 

Statistics in these communities confirm that boys have over 60% chance of continuing with their education, whilst girls have less than 30% chance after Primary school and we are hoping to change these statistics. 

Our solution by also improving the livelihood of the communities automatically improves the livelihood of girls and women, increasing their chances to better facilities. 

We will use the funding from GM Motors in making sure the girls & women get access to tertiary education but also practical STEM learning to those interested, bringing equality as it is a norm in our target communities that women and girls are not built for STEM programs. 

Furthermore, we would want to also support women and girls innovative ideas in the Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Technology streams.

Our solution is not very age limiting and willing to take up those who are willing to change and make a difference in their communities. Our solution also brings about digital literacy to all our learners, because the teaching and lessons are done virtually or online. 

With the prize money I hope we can expand the reach of our solution to different parts of the country and other countries as well. We are also willing to have a pilot in the rural sector of Portugal when we are allowed. Expansion to us means that we can more innovative ideas as we are certain not all solutions or projects are for every community and whilst trying to solve the problems in each community we will get a lot of innovation that may be helpful in solving other already existing problems in the world.