Digital Inclusion Education Project (DIEP)

A solar-powered and satellite-enabled teaching and learning facility for an interactive digital learning targeting extremely deprived communities in Northern Ghana.

A Multi-Dimensional Child Poverty analysis in Ghana by UNICEF in 2020 reveals that the vulnerability of children is based on several factors drawn based on their different socio-economic, household and geographic characteristics. It reveals that approximately three-in-four children (73.4 per cent) in Ghana are identified as multi-dimensionally poor, facing at least three deprivations at the same time in Ghana. However, rural children largely in Northern Ghana are more vulnerable to multi-dimensional poverty with about 81.5 as against the national average of 62.5 per cent. This adversely hinders’ the country’s ability to achieve the SDG target 1.2.2; which aims is to reduce this multi-dimensional poverty rate by at least half by 2030 from 73.4 to 36.7 per cent.

Northern Ghanaian children continue to experience poverty as the lack of education, nutrition, health services remains issues to recon with. The lack of these basic needs often results in deficits that cannot easily be overcome later in life.  For instance,  the number of schools drop outs remained high at around 128,994 for males and 79,111 for females at primary and Junior High School level for the year 2019. (UNESCO Institute of Statistics, 2020). National data collected by the Education Management Information System of the Ministry of Education demonstrate that 7,575 girls in elementary and Senior High Schools have truncated their education due to unplanned pregnancy.  A further analysis of the data reviews that80% of the school drop-outs children are in deprived areas in Northern Region  

In Northern Ghana, the issues of child and household poverty coupled with  some socio -  economic practices requires  comprehensive actions due to its  multitude and overlapping dimensions. For instance, there is  prevalence of socio-cultural believe that women and children should not have the financial independence without the consent of a man (husband or a father). This gender-dynamisms has the propensity of hindering the ability of a child to access  digital technologies. Also, due to low telecommunications invest, there is a struggle to access public ICT facilities especially for children in rural Ghana due to limits on their freedom of movement or unsafe roads.  Alongside gender equality (in gaining digital literacy) as a fundamental human right. The LGF approach to reducing child poverty in Northern Ghana through digital literacy will also mainstream an integrated multi-sectoral approach through alignment, coordination and joint planning with the key stakeholders in the education sectors in the beneficiary districts.

A child friendly solar-powered digital learning platform to attract children and actors within the basic-school system in deprive district in Northern Ghana.

 Together with public and private sector partners, we are improving student learning and teacher effectiveness in the classroom, reaching millions through mass media distribution and empowering communities with transformative educational opportunities.

Sustainable Technology

Without adequate resources, schools struggle to provide quality education. LGF will equip resource-limited schools with sustainable technology  such as ‘Racheal devices and ekitabu e-books’ install in tablets with the aid of teacher ambassadors in each school  and provides specialized training to ensure its maintenance and maximize its effectiveness in the classroom.

Community Library

A solar-powered container library will be constructed at a central point of the communities which will serve as power space where these technologies are powered, it will also serve as out of school learning space for children .

LEARNER GUIDE Clubs

To engage out-of-school children in the community library space, LGF is creating student clubs that support access to education by bringing targeted educational opportunities into the communities.

Community Action Plans

Through community outreach and training, schools become centers of learning for the whole community – a catalyst to address issues including  girlchild education, malnutrition and the environment.

LGF will train communities to develop action plans to address local needs such as barriers to education, community heath and micro-enterprise

The proposed project will be implemented in the Northern Regions of Ghana where the socio-economic activities of the people is small hold farming and petty trading. Most families use their farm produces to cater for their children education. Some cannot even afford to buy learning materials for their children leading them to engage in other social vices such as stealing, drug abuse, prostitution and in some cases early marriage. The Ministry of Education performance report of 2016 indicated a decline in textbooks from 0.4 textbook per pupil in 2010/2011 to 0.2 in 2015/2016. Clearly this does not align with the targeted ratio of one numeracy textbook per child. Recently, the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service roll out a new curriculum for basic schools which means more new books will need to be provided to cover this gap. This will have an escalating effect on children’s education in rural communities and deprive families. Books are not the only type of teaching and learning materials in short supply. children in rural communities do not have access to technology and modern ways of learning such as e-learning platforms and e-libraries which will create a wider margin between children in rural areas and that of urban areas in terms of quality education

 When schools reopened, there was a need to address the learning gap created or exacerbated during the shutdown and closure of school due to the covid-19. Although the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service are putting in place substantial distance learning interventions, slower learning progress as a result of the closure of schools and disadvantaged students (including girls, the poorest, those with disabilities, children in rural remote areas, and who lack access to technology)  fell further behind.

To remedy the situation, the need for a reliable and sustained innovative and learner-friendly  educational intervention which will provide a learner with 24 hours learning and teaching materials will improve the quality of education the Northern Ghana.

Also, due to low telecommunications invest, there is a struggle to access public ICT facilities especially for children in rural Ghana due to limits on their freedom of movement or unsafe roads. With the right structural factors, change can happen, teaching children how to access content and share information on digital media can open up opportunities for economic and professional growth. Concerted efforts to close the digital gap will help low economic communities in the Northern Regions to meet their commitments to education and gender equality. Alongside gender equality (in gaining digital literacy) as a fundamental human right, learning digital skills will also impact on women’s ability to participate in government and politics, and engage more actively with their communities. 

 The organization will leverage on its gains which commenced  during the midst of the Covid19 pandemic 2020, due to the closure of schools and the children finding it difficult to access the various e-learning platforms introduce by the government and Ghana Education Service. With its recent start-up; the organization have however been able win the African publishing innovation fund  with which a library is built with e-learning center for Paga community in the Upper east region, we have  partnered with other organizations such as Book aid international to help provide a proportion of reading books to children from deprive families and communities. The organization has also been able to recruit some dedicated volunteers  from implementation communities who are helping in tutoring support for these children with the few logistics at our disposal. The organization has board members; the highest decision- making body of the organization. The board also defines policies and expected program outcomes and monitor effectiveness, participate actively in the activities of the organization. We also have the executive director, finance officer Web-Social Media Assistant responsible for social media advocacy and other communications as well as e-library initiative control. The volunteer manager who oversees all volunteer activities and the volunteers who assist in providing tutoring support and mentorship to children. The organization currently is working in partnership with other organizations to help deliver and fulfil its objectives and also have the abilities to manage any financial support provided to them. The team organizes community stakeholder forums in the districts of intended project implementation with the inclusion Ghana educational service and teachers who discuss the problems and the best and sustainable solutions to implement.

In 2020, amidst the covid-19 pandemic, the closure of schools affected the education of these vulnerable people leaving no hope for a better future. The devastating situation made the learners Girls Foundation team to undertake free tuition and mentorship programs under trees to help remedy the situation.

With the aid of the African Publishing Innovation Fund, the team have executed a pilot project with children within the communities alongside stakeholder engagements , this which has provided a detailed picture of the educational needs of the children in these marginalized communities.

Winning of the APIF has  been a pivotal life changing journey for LGF and these marginalized people from 2021 to 2022. A library space has been constructed with metallic  structure which is stock with 2000plus books with local published content inclusive. With an e-learning component for accessible digital content, to learn, create and belong.

Learner Guide Initiative; The APIF grant has also helped promote literacy through our learner guide initiative in five schools in the district and two educational empowerment camps to facilitate reading and writing.

Mentorship Program; About 500 young girls’ lives have been impacted with our STEM mentorship support initiative, as most of these girls have started enrolling in STEM programs in the universities with the implementation of STEM workshops and empowerment seminars.

A solar-powered and satellite-enabled teaching and learning facility for an interactive digital learning targeting extremely deprived communities in Northern Ghana, teaching children how to access content and share information on digital media to open up opportunities for economic and professional growth.
THE FOLLOWING ARE OUR APPROACHES;

In-School Projects

LGF increases student learning and teacher effectiveness by establishing dynamic Learning Centers in existing schools.

Sustainable Technology

Without adequate resources, schools struggle to provide quality education. LGF  will equip resource-limited schools with sustainable technology – such as tablets with offline educational software and provides specialized training to ensure its maintenance and maximize its effectiveness in the classroom.

Extensive Teacher Training

Empowering local educators multiplies impact. LGF will help teachers improve their skills and confidence with extensive teacher training on leadership, student-centered learning, gender responsive pedagogy, media-supported education, parent engagement and more.

Learning Videos

LGF  will create videos that bring learning to life. The video programs will be produce in collaboration with local educators, customized into the language of instruction and mapped to the local curriculum.

Community LIBRARY

A solar-powered container library will be constructed at a central point of the communities which will serve as power space where these technologies are powered, it will also serve as out of school learning space for children .

Community Action Plans

LGF  will train communities to develop action plans to address local needs such as barriers to education, community heath and micro-enterprise.

Student Clubs

To engage out-of-school children, LGF will create student clubs that support access to education by bringing targeted educational opportunities and serve as mentorship platforms into the communities .

LGF Work

Education is key to social and economic empowerment. Learners Girls Foundation is a non-profit organization using the power of volunteers, teachers  and media to transform education and improve lives in developing areas. Together with public and private sector partners, we will improve children  learning and teacher effectiveness in the classroom, reaching millions through mass media distribution and empowering communities with transformative educational opportunities.

Our Goal is to empower ten thousand children in five years of which two thousand children will be educationally empowered each year.

Mass Media

LGF goal is to  reach tens of millions through mass media initiatives addressing critical education, development and health issues.

 Extensive Teacher Training Empowering local educators multiplies impact. LGF will help teachers improve their skills and confidence with extensive teacher training on leadership, student-centered learning, gender responsive pedagogy, media-supported education, parent engagement and more.

LEARNING
Videos
 LGF will create videos that bring learning to
life. The video programs will produce in collaboration with local educators,
customized into the language of instruction and mapped to the local curriculum.

“Storytelling”
 This
will bring together narratives, African cast in a compelling story of nature,
culture and love through  grassroots screenings.

Book Talk Shows
This will be produced with local radio communications
which will reach 10 million listeners, engaging and inspiring children, while
emphasizing the value of education, especially for girls.

The project is an interactive child friendly solar-powered learning platform, to attract children and actors within the basic school system in many parts of Northern Region with a solar-powered container library which will be constructed at a central point of the communities which will serve as power space where these technologies are powered, it will also serve as out of school learning space for children . 

MobiStation, often referred to as a digital ‘school in a box’ – is a multimedia tool that supports education , built into  a portable suitcase, it is equipped with a solar-powered laptop, a low-power projector and an audio system. MobiStation can be used to project school books, teaching videos and other digital materials in a wide range of environments. Through the provision of specific offline content to compliment the school curriculum (e-books, lessons from the best teachers, and other multimedia content), it creates an innovative learning environment that can be carried to various locations, without the need for internet access. Interactive tools such as a touchpad with a pen and a wireless keyboard can also be used to more actively involve students in learning.

Our pilot program has benefited one thousand children with which we have a goal of reaching ten thousand in five years.  To deliver interactive learning sessions to2000 beneficiaries in total per year, students (60% females ,40% males and teachers) in the basic school level.

This project will benefit ten thousand in five years , to deliver interactive learning sessions to 2000 beneficiaries in total per year, students (60% females, 40% males and teachers) in the basic school level.

Book aid international: annual donation of books for stocking libraries and schools 

Ekitabu(Kenya): provision of accessible digital educational content for e-learning 

Ghana Education service: partnership on implementing programs according to curriculum.

Business Model
We provide an inquiry-based learning method that takes a constructivist approach to education, where students are encouraged to construct their own knowledge through self-directed learning process-essentially instruction less learning. Through the LGF’s numerous projects and programs, we are poised to inculcating the habits of learning among students, as well as courting the support of public institutions and partner organizations to deliver tailored educational facilities and programs with a far reaching impact. Our approach is non-profit. It relies on the benevolence of grants and funding from donor societies, cash donations, logistics support, and partnerships with other organizations, coupled with the enthusiasm from the team, volunteers and other stakeholders. The approach to achieving our goals involves dynamic and novel approaches to learning such as the in-school projects, sustainable technology, extensive teacher training, learning videos, community library, community action plans, student clubs, mass media, storytelling and book talk shows.
The digital inclusion education program will make up, in part, for the resource inadequacy in the various schools. It is also geared towards exposing these students, especially those in rural communities to Information Communication Technology.

This is just right to grasp the opportunity of the Ghana Education Service reform of the academic curriculum. This will make it easier for implementation in rural communities which will lead to improving local content, building rural children learning capacities and will ensure sustainability to this project since mentorship and tutoring support will be directly on the curricula. Inter-agency collaboration is actively being achieved through engagements and meetings, sharing of experiences which will help in focusing efforts into common goals thus we will partnership and share ideas of the project to others agencies for continuity. The attention of government agencies on e-learning projects in Ghana is another idea to build on. Energies could be turned to achieve cost effectiveness through grants, donations and also to bridge the gap between the rural and urban communities in accessing electronic educational content.