SEATPACK

Over 95 million African School Children have no provision for sitting or writing during class. We are turning school bags into flexible/mobile classroom furniture called the SeatPack: A personal school-bag that turns into a mobile bamboo classroom-chair with a portable writing-surface to perform indoors and outdoors, the functional duties of wooden classroom desks/lockers too expensive to afford for every school child. 

Locally made, highly subsidized for (semi-urban, rural and refugee) Primary School Learners in Uganda between ages 5 -13years with No/Inadequate Classroom Furniture due to under-facilitation, post-conflict or post-disaster situations. SeatPack is 80% cheaper and much more sustainable than traditional wooden classroom furniture. 

Scaling SeatPack means transforming (inclusive of remote learners) the Physical classroom to behave in a flexible/mobile way (classroom furniture as an extension of each child) at scale, providing a firm basis for improved literacy and development of Interactive/flexible learning techniques (by teachers and students) at rapid scale.

Over 95-Million African school children attend school without a place to sit or write in class (Tutudesk, 2017) due to the high unit price of traditional wooden classroom furniture (up to USD110 per unit to furnish 2 children as per the regulations, while averaging 77 children per classroom without furniture to aid proper learning experience). 

Traditional (wooden desks) classroom furniture is too bulky to meet covid19 safety space requirements for classrooms by majority rural African schools and is difficult to transport to marginalized learners.

With the continued growth in population of African school-going children (including refugee/displaced school-child population), and the growing need for inclusive, interactive/flexible learning techniques, we are Rethinking how classrooms are physically composed, thereby changing how they are used by the school-child and teacher. 

Reimagining the Physical Classroom's Composition (from expensive, inflexible furniture to personal/mobile, sustainable and low-cost furniture) by availing sitting and writing surfaces of flexible/mobile nature to school children in poorly furnished physical (and remote) learning environments, enables access to a better classroom experience, (the classroom furniture as an extension of each child) to improve literacy and help develop Interactive/flexible learning techniques (by teachers and students) at rapid scale.

SeatPack is a personal school-bag that turns into a mobile bamboo classroom-chair with a portable writing-surface to perform in flexible fashion, the functional duties of wooden classroom desks/lockers too expensive to afford for every child, thereby facilitating a basis for improved literacy and Interactive learning through mobile, flexible primary-school classrooms. This way, where the school children physically are, the classroom is.

Used by (and designed for semi-urban, rural and refugee) Primary School learners in Uganda between ages 5 -13years with little or no classroom furniture due to under-facilitation, post-conflict or post-disaster situations, the SeatPack makes flexible, safe-classrooms possible for rural schools also during the covid19 pandemic. In comparison to wooden furniture that cost averagely USD110 each, the locally made USD19 SeatPack is required across Africa by over 95million school children without classroom furniture to aid the learning experience. 

SeatPack is personal/mobile, acting as a flexible extension of each child, weather-proof (canvas and bamboo material base) to manage well indoors and outdoors, Light-weight (700 grams, maintaining less than 10% the body weight of an average 5year old child) with one main compartment to discourage heavy load since many students walk up to 6miles a day for school.

Currently, over 95 million African school children attend school without a place to sit or write in class (Tutudesk, 2017) due to the high unit price of traditional wooden classroom furniture (up to USD110 per unit to furnish 2 children as per the regulations, while averaging 77 children per classroom without furniture to aid proper learning experience). 

SeatPack is locally built for ages 5 to 13years whose primary-school classrooms can not  afford traditional wooden furniture whether due to under-facilitation, post-conflict or post-disaster situations. The SeatPack makes personalized, safe-classrooms possible for rural primary schools even during the covid19 pandemic by meeting covid19 safety space requirements (1.5meters apart) for classrooms .

In a Post covid19 world, SeatPack is ideal for School Children in; Overcrowded yet underfunded classrooms, Outdoor/Nomadic classrooms, Natural disaster/conflict affected schools, and Displacement camp classrooms. 

Over a 2 year period, we have designed 9 iterations of the SeatPack basing on school-child feedback for improvements are currently furnishing sub-urban and rural schools in Uganda. We work closely with the local government to identify schools that are licensed, follow covid19 Standard Operating Procedures and yet lack classroom furniture for there students. 

Currently highly subsidized, the schools only pay 5% the unit cost for the entire SeatPack (comprising of a schoolbag, Mobile bamboo chair, and writing surface). 

We are partnered with development stakeholders to study the effects of this approach to furnishing classrooms through both scheduled and surprise visits to the schools using SeatPacks. 

Feedback received informs our iterations for the next schools that require the SeatPack, allowing for continuous improvements in our production and application cycles. 

The lack of a proper place to sit and write in class for over 95-million African school-children hinders access to a quality learning experience for children in these under-facilitated learning environments at scale.

Reimagining the Physical Classroom by availing SeatPacks (sitting and writing surfaces of flexible/mobile nature) to school children in poorly furnished physical (and remote) learning environments, drastically improves the quality of classroom learning. Classrooms whose furniture is an extension of each child can easier facilitate Interactive/flexible learning techniques (by teachers and students) like imaginative play or collaborative learning due to the mobile nature of the classroom.

SeatPack has tested 9 iterations over 2 years and is currently in use by Primary schools in 2 Ugandan districts (Wakiso and Hoima districts).

We are currently running a campaign to make and deliver 10,000 SeatPacks to 10,000 School Children by March 2022. At this point together with Impact partners, we should be able to advise based on learnings, how the mobile classroom can best be utilized for improved learning in the remotest physical learning environments as well.  We have set-up a production facility in Kampala - Uganda and are working to make/deliver 1,000 SeatPacks to 1,000 Primary School Children by September 2021. 

Our sustainability model involves making and commercially selling Laptop backpacks and foldable bamboo chairs to the European/North American market. 10% of each sale funds a SeatPack for a school child. We have tested this model and are ready to scale it.

The SeatPack suggests that classroom furniture be a personal extension of each school-child, through their school bag. This creates mobile furniture for indoor and outdoor learning across economically separated learning environments (working well for semi-urban and rural/displaced learners with no classroom buildings). Completely new to the education sector in Sub Saharan Africa, this approach to making classrooms mobile means $20 to furnish 1 child where up to $110 has been required to furnish 2 children as per classroom space regulations. 

As the market ready low-cost solution to furnishing classrooms in a localized and scalable way, we expect the SeatPack to create guidance for the education sector on how to not only solve the lack of classroom furniture, but also how to best create flexible classrooms affordably.

The SeatPack comprises a School bag, a mobile bamboo classroom chair and a portable writing surface. We make beautiful commercial bags (www.madewithhumans.com) and for each sale, 10% is dedicated to making the School bag and mobile bamboo classroom chair. We encourage the Parents to buy the portable writing surface for a sense of equity. (Our commercial product labels have a QR code allowing customers to remotely track the SeatPack classrooms we create together). 

We rely on Impact and CSR budgets to supplement this subsidization for the school children at scale.

Scaling SeatPack allows easier adaptation of Interactive/flexible learning techniques (by teachers and students) like imaginative play or collaborative learning regardless of the school economic environment due to the mobile nature of the physical classroom. 

School Children Furnished since January 2021: 

• 35 Primary School Children. (SeatPacks ready and pending delivery - for 115 Children)

School closures due to covid19 have slowed down our planned furnishings temporarily. We are however engaged with the Ministry as a safe alternative for classroom furniture that can space out each child indoors and outdoors while still availing sitting and writing aid for safety against covid19 spread. 

Currently a 41 day school closure for all teachers vaccination: 

• Number of School Children to be furnished after 41day lockdown: 650 Children (SeatPacks in production - for 500 Children)

• Number of School Children to be furnished by September 2021: 1,150 Children. 

• Number of School Children to be furnished by March 2022: 10,000 Children. 

Based on the learnings from furnishing 10,000 children with low-cost mobile/flexible classroom furniture, we intend to inform how best to rapidly distribute and measure effectiveness or potential of low-cost mobile/flexible behaving classrooms to impact partners and Ministries of Education.

From learnings on application with 10,000 School Children: 

• Number of School Children to be furnished by December 2025: 1 million School Children.

From learnings on application with 1 million School Children:

• Number of School Children to be furnished by December 2030: 10 million School Children.

(Where currently over 3million in Uganda and over 95million school children across Sub-Saharan Africa have no provision for a sitting and writing surface during class).

To understand the Impact of SeatPack's next 1year goal (provision of a mobile classroom sitting and writing surface for 10,000 School Children in Uganda/East Africa by March 2022), we are keen to understand the following primary outcomes (open to adjustment based on expert advise): 

Socially 

• Number of children without access to remote learning (due to covid19 closures) with Increased access to the classroom through mobile/flexible classroom furniture that maintains Standard operating Procedures curbing spread of Covid19 at school. 
• Improved quality of classroom learning experience by provision of low-cost sitting and writing aid based on before and after writing and literacy changes by teacher termly reports, termly grade analysis versus school with no furniture/inadequate classroom furniture.
• Changes in teaching technique and learner interactions by teacher termly reports on testimonials and tangible evidence of testimony through learner understanding. 

Environmentally: 

• Conservation of tree cover by substitution of Wood-based furniture with Bamboo based mobile furniture by annual comparison of timber required to furnish 6 children with 3 wooden desk (carpenter assumption that 3 desks require 1 tree) verses bamboo poles required to furnish every 6 children with a SeatPack (design estimate for three, 3meter bamboo poles for 6 SeatPacks). 

Economically: 

• Saving accumulated to furnish classrooms with SeatPacks versus other alternative wooden classroom furniture options by annual comparison of cost (2 children with a wooden desk at $100 versus cost to furnish 1 child with a SeatPack at $19)

(Please access draft impact matrix guidelines here, open to expert adjustments)

Full time team: (4)

Daphine Nakanjakko, Production Lead

Laura Althaus, Design thinking Lead / Commercial Lead

Arnold Mugagga, Design lead / Team Lead

Matthias Mobias, Business Development Analysis

Part-time team: (55)

Bamboo Contractor - (15 full-time staff - Lead: Fred Ijyo)

Textile Contractor (MOTIV) - (40 tailors)

Advisory Board: (4)

Daphine Nakanjakko, 

• Graduated from a technical collage majoring in fashion and design, Daphine puts feedback and design very well together and her organized nature helps keep local production progressing amidst the unending challenges producing from Uganda. She has a humble economic background and honestly cares to do better for communities less fortunate or neglected by state resources.

Laura Althaus, Design-thinking lead

• A Phycologist by profession, She started her own company conducting design-thinking workshops in Uganda and has since stayed to help SeatPack grow. Through her Laura is driven to create a fair and sustainable production business. Her expertise in lean operation, firm work ethic and understanding of company culture helps us stay the course while having fun.

Arnold Mugagga, Team lead 

• Loves sustainable design, background in architecture and design-thinking. A believer in local African production and design as a tool for social and economic empowerment. Arnold quite his job as an Junior associate Architect to solve the classroom furniture problem after a visit to primary schools in Isingiro District-Uganda. 

Solve can help us understand how to scale our sustainability model with North America as a potential market to make that successful, and linkages to SeatPack funding within this ecosystem are a great investment. 

We have a problem worth solving for 95million African school children and the covid19 challenges have the African education system at a standstill. We need smart affiliations and Solve is a smart decision for us. 

We require Human capital in Europe and North America to develop our sustainable business model for the market base there so we can support locally with amazing high quality production based on market feedback received. 

We are curios how best to scale the SeatPack model across African nations and how best to scale the commercial products supporting SeatPack work across North America and Europe. 

To spring forward over the next 2years, we are actively raising USD450,000 (having set out to raise USD550,000 since the last 8 months). 

An experienced monitoring and evaluation partnership will give credibility to our findings and advise on a policy level how to create low-cost mobile classrooms at scale and what teaching techniques can best utilize the mobile classroom in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

The lack of a proper place to sit and write in class for over 95-million African school-children hinders access to a quality learning experience for children in under-facilitated learning environments especially refugee camps where classrooms are nomadic in nature.

Reimagining the Physical Classroom with the Andan Prize for Innovation, by availing SeatPacks (sitting and writing surfaces of flexible/mobile nature) to refugee school children in Sub Saharan Africa drastically improves the quality of classroom learning. Classrooms whose furniture is an extension of each child can easily facilitate Interactive/flexible learning techniques (by teachers and students) like imaginative play or collaborative learning due to the mobile nature of the classroom, giving creative capacity to displaced learners to contribute to the world positively through there education.

Over 95 million African School Children have no place to sit or write during class. We are turning school bags into flexible/mobile classroom furniture called the SeatPack: A personal school-bag that turns into a mobile bamboo classroom-chair with a portable writing-surface to perform indoors and outdoors, the functional duties of wooden classroom desks/lockers too expensive to afford for every school child. 

Locally made, highly subsidized for (semi-urban, rural and refugee) Primary School Learners in Uganda between ages 5 -13years with No/Inadequate Classroom Furniture due to under-facilitation, post-conflict or post-disaster situations. SeatPack is 80% cheaper and much more sustainable than traditional wooden classroom furniture. 

Scaling SeatPack with the GM Prize means transforming (inclusive of remote learners) the Physical classroom to behave in a flexible/mobile way (classroom furniture as an extension of each child) at scale, providing a firm basis for improved literacy and development of Interactive/flexible learning techniques (by teachers and students) at rapid scale.

Over 95 million African School Children have no place to sit or write during class. We are turning school bags into flexible/mobile classroom furniture called the SeatPack: A personal school-bag that turns into a mobile bamboo classroom-chair with a portable writing-surface to perform indoors and outdoors, the functional duties of wooden classroom desks/lockers too expensive to afford for every school child. 

Locally made, highly subsidized for (semi-urban, rural and refugee) Primary School Learners in Uganda between ages 5 -13years with No/Inadequate Classroom Furniture due to under-facilitation, post-conflict or post-disaster situations. SeatPack is 80% cheaper and much more sustainable than traditional wooden classroom furniture. 

Scaling SeatPack with the GSR Prize means transforming (inclusive of remote learners) the Physical classroom to behave in a flexible/mobile way (classroom furniture as an extension of each child) at scale, providing a firm basis for improved literacy and development of Interactive/flexible learning techniques (by teachers and students) at rapid scale. 

For financial sustainability,  we hand-make beautiful commercial bags (www.madewithhumans.com) and for each sale, 10% is dedicated to making the School bag and mobile bamboo classroom chair for a school child. 

Our commercial consumers receive accountability in real time, by scanning the bag and bamboo chair QR-Code label that helps them see the individuals that made their particular product and the classrooms we are creating together (Please see www.madewithhumans.com)