Technology and Functional Libraries

Elimu Fanaka works closely with the communities we serve - we have the needs of these schools at heart. Through our research, we have learned that schools in rural Kenya are most disadvantaged and lack support. Lack of internet and technology has been a huge challenge for schools in rural Kenya. 

We have been working on the backend to ensure that learners are not disadvantaged as they have been in the past pone year due to the pandemic. Our e-learning platform will be powered to download e-learning materials with an intranet and a USSD version code. 

Through our functional libraries and technology, we are solving the challenges of books and equity in education. During the pandemic, we have witnessed more and more communities such as the one we work with falling short due to lack of technology. 

As many children in urban areas and international schools were able to shift the school to their homes through online learning, our rural learners lost almost a year home, with many of them never going back due to pandemic aftermath, including early marriages and pregnancy. 

Elimu Fanaka wants to solve these challenges by breaking the barriers and providing connectivity to such schools, and designing functional libraries and would help learners continue with their education regardless of the challenges that may come in the future. Thanks to COVID, we recognize how important technology is for rural and urban equally.

Need for technology and libraries in rural schools in Kenya. The pandemic has proven that technology is crucial in learning, and so Elimu Fanaka has been working tirelessly to empower teachers and learners on technology and computer literacy. 

Elimu Fanaka is working with 8 schools in rural Kenya, and we want to expand the reach to other counties in Kenya. Right now, our current challenge is financing to finalize the platform and launch it for all our 2000+ learners to use. It will cost 37,0000 USD for Elimu Fanaka to finalize the e-learning product. With the support from Solve MIT, we can finalize the platform and connect these and many other learners at zero cost and enable them to access learning from home using either a smart or feature phone. 

Elimu Fanaka has been able to train 25 teachers and 45 learners in tech. We have also been able to provide up to 4500 physical books. We aim to provide 10,000 physical books in 2021 to all 8 schools to ensure that learners have adequate resources and multi-millions of reading materials virtually using the e-Fanaka platform. 

Designing functional libraries. These will be both equipped with physical books and e-books for learners and teachers. 

We have designed an e-learning platform to support our partner schools. The platform is in testing; however, we need funding to launch it and incorporate it for all schools. 

Elimu Fanaka works with rural public schools. The schools that Elimu Fanaka serve are too disadvantaged and have been left behind on many occasions. With this solution, we bring our learners closer and closer to other schools nationally and globally as they will connect with technology. Through reading, they will become smarter and develop skills that will enable them to navigate an ever-changing work. 

Technology is no longer the future, but as we currently know, it is the present, and all children should be able to access quality education and enhance their technical knowledge. 

Most of the teachers in the schools we serve are still technology challenged. We are currently training both teachers and learners on basic computer literacy and programming with the idea that they will use this for their continued learning. 

Lack of books and technology in rural schools has created a challenge of learners not performing in their academics. Schools lack basic books and basic knowledge for technology which has proven too challenging, especially during the national exam, which tests all children equally regardless of the kind of education or school. 

We have been in operation since September 2019. Since we have reached 20 schools and selected 8 to partner within Taiata Tavet county - Kenya's Coast province. We work directly with schools and find solutions to challenges they face, including community resource mobilization, which has worked really well in putting up a library in a partner school.