TK Computers & Consultancy

Vision: 

We aspire to be leaders in EdTech or education applications development, providing effective, innovative, highly customizable, security-heightened solutions for businesses, governmental 

bodies and civil societies in Malawi and beyond to enhance the learning experience for students and educators as well as making the world a better place.

Mission Statement: 

Our mission is to provide and empower students, educators, businesses, governmental bodies, civil society organisations with sustainable, comprehensive, user-friendly, and cost-effective technological solutions and consulting services, and to make education accessible to all, regardless of location or background so as to achieve efficiency, effectiveness, 
productivity, profit maximization and ultimate goals of our clients,
customers and partners or collaborators; and also to bring social change so as to achieve positive social impact,
environmental sustainability, enhance learning outcomes, enable personal growt, bridge the gap between traditional and modern methods of education, and to create a global community of learners and educators.

Core Values: 

1. Accountability.

2. Forgiveness.

3. Entrepreneurial Spirit.

4. Humility.

5.Professionalism.

6. Respect.

7. Desire to improve.

8. Spirit of service.

9. Integrity 

10. Commitment to safety. 

11. We ensure accessibility and inclusivity for all learners.

12. We believe in social change and in good  relationship with our customers and everybody in the supply chain.

13.Our ultimate goal is to empower learners and educators with the tools and resources they need to succeed in the 21st century.

14. We are committed to providing innovative and technology-driven solutions that enhance the learning experience for students and educators

Thumbiko Shumba, the Chief Executive Officer, leads our team. He brings over 20 years of experience in management. He retired as Deputy Director of Finance in the Malawi Government. He worked as a secondary school teacher. He developed BarEl application, which is providing efficient intervention in Malawi. He has extensive experience in research, data analysis, monitoring and  evaluation.

 He does interpersonal roles  which means he is the figurehead, the leader, and the liaison. He maintains order and communication within the organisation.

 He does informational roles that involve gathering and sharing information. He is the monitor, the disseminator, and the spokesperson.

He does decisional roles, which are focussed on make ng decisions. He is the entrepreneur, the disturbance handler, the resource allocator, and the negotiator.

He is  responsible for  planning, directing, controlling and organising. He is ultimately responsible for financial management, budgeting, human resource management and operations management.

Below is the explanation of how and why my team and I, are well-positioned to deliver this solution:

TK Computers & Consultancy team members are professionals. 

Thumbiko Shumba, the Chief Executive Officer, leads our team. He brings over 20 years of experience in management. He retired as Deputy Director of Finance in the Malawi Government. He worked as a secondary school teacher. He developed BarEl application, which is providing efficient intervention in Malawi. He has extensive experience in research, data analysis, monitoring and  evaluation.

Tiwonge Kuyokwa, Mwawi Mbewe and  Mphatso Simfukwe add value to the team with their experience. They are experienced trainers.

We are professionals with a diverse range of skills, knowledge, hands-on experience in project management, IT,  education, business administration and financial management that help us to enhance educational outcomes.  We leverage our expertise together to foster creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills; thereby, achieving better outcomes and overall development.  

We incorporate human-centred design. Inclusive and equitable outcomes are considered in the design, implementation, and internal operations of our solution.

Our team is ethnically diverse and inclusive. We are gender-balanced.

We  have direct experience with the communities that we serve. We   were all born, raised, live and work in the communities we serve. We interact with our target audience on almost daily basis, enabling us to  understand the challenges they encounter.

We nurture human potential.

We are fluent in the language of our target market; hence, enabling effective communication. 

We  utilise human-centered design principles to ensure that our solution is user-friendly and accessible.

The design and implementation of our solution is meaningfully guided by the communities’ input, ideas, and agendas. We prioritise communities' input and feedback.  We get feedback on our solution from community leaders and members to understand their needs and experiences. We involve community leaders in our undertakings: This makes their people to accept us; thereby, ensuring lasting commitment and local ownership.   We collect data through surveys, focus groups, interviews and consultations.   

We are capable of coordinating, organizing, planning, directing and delivering results.

We are compact, agile and motivated to drive the innovation towards scale.

Our team has a strong commitment to accountability and delivering quality outputs. 

We have a deep understanding of our organisation's goals.

We have a realistic, practical plan for implementing the solution, and it is feasible.

We have set up robust communication channels that facilitate communication and quick decision-making. 

We have a network of  partners, including community-based organizations, giving us the opportunity to tap knowledge and experience through collaboration.

We are a team that has supported one another in many ways. 

We are geared  to create positive lasting change.  

We have a sound theory of change.

We provide consulting services. 

We have an active advisory board.

Lastly, we are well-positioned to deliver the solution to the target population; owing to our proximity to the communities we serve and our commitment to human-centered solutions. We leverage our dexterity and expertise, promote partnerships, maintain robust communication channels and prioritise activities.

Improving learning outcomes in STEM subjects, foundational literacy and numeracy for children ages 2-12 using BarEl application.

In Malawi,  access to education, relevance and quality of education, skills development training; governance and management  in education at all levels leave a lot to be desired.

393 million children have failed to gain the basic literacy skills at age 10 since 2015.

250 million children are not in school, and hundreds of millions are in classrooms that lack adequate access to learning materials.

Nearly   six-out-of-ten children globally are estimated to be affected by learning poverty, meaning they are unable to read and understand a simple text by the age of ten. In low- and middle-income countries, the share is an estimated seven-out-of-ten children. 

Globally, many learners,  out of school youths and adults do not have foundational literacy and numeracy skills. 

Foundational learning rates are alarmingly low in many low-middle-income countries. 

Children who cannot read and understand a simple text will struggle to learn anything else in school. They are more likely to repeat a grade and to drop out of school. They are less likely to benefit from further training and skills programs,  leading to worse health outcomes, greater youth unemployment and deeper levels of poverty. 

According to 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report in Sub-Saharan Africa, literacy rates are below the global average, adversely impacting the achievement of the SDGs. There is a strong correlation between illiteracy, poverty, poor health, and crime. The crisis mainly reflects lack of access, quality, and accountability in educational provision.

Average test scores for literacy and numeracy are low in Eastern and Southern Africa. In Zambia  and  Malawi,  27 percent of students have achieved basic reading skills by Year 6. In mathematics, the proportion of primary students with basic skills is even lower, with fewer than 50 per cent of students in Year 6.

The skills taught—in school or via other informal pathways—may not allow people to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Many students perform poorly in STEM education  because of lack of access to teaching and learning materials for STEM subjects.

 In Malawi, the gender gap in STEM appears early in life, and it persistently shows up along education and career pathways. In lower secondary, many students perform poorly in Mathematics and Sciences.

In Malawi, the problems in basic education begin with inadequate availability of pre-school programmes and the eventual lack of foundational skills.

Most schools in Malawi lack basic supplies, including teaching and learning materials. 

Students and their guardians or parents lack access to teaching and learning materials due to high poverty rates. As such, many guardians or parents, do not know how to assess or guide their children to read or write or solve mathematical problems or tackle basic sciences. 

Many public schools in Malawi are overcrowded; as such, many teachers pay little attention to the assessment of students' learning.

Malawi, like the rest of Sub-Saharan countries, has under-qualified and unskilled teaching force.

In Malawi, the dropout rate and repetition rate for primary and secondary education are very high.

My team and I believe in positive lasting change.  Our solution uses technology; specifically, BarEl application, which we developed. It provides better education.It improves access to education, relevance and quality of education, skills development training; governance and management in education at all levels.

Our solution through BarEl application provides skills that people need to thrive in their communities; including, entrepreneurial, business, problem-solving and literacy.

BarEl application provides learners with financial or business skills and knowledge that are crucial later in their lives; especially, when they become entrepreneurs, for it facilitates business and financial decisions. It is packed with components of Business Administration. In short, it is MBA made simple. Among other things, BarEl application provides skills and knowledge in the following: financial literacy, financial management, operations management, human resource management, marketing management, small business enterprises, technical and fundamental analyses.

Our solution unlocks the untapped potential of girls and women in STEM.

It supports educators in effectively teaching  STEM subjects in classroom or after-school settings to decrease successive drop-off in completion rates.

Our solution is designed for nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary learners.  

It improves educational outcomes for children ages 2-12 years.  

The basic numeracy and literacy skills our solution provides include: understanding numbers, counting, solving number problems, multiplying, dividing, adding and subtracting numbers; the alphabet, the concept of print, phonological awareness, phonics, vowels, consonants, syllables, high-frequency words and fluency.

It ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

It is effective in complementary basic education.

It facilitates home or self- learning.

It acts as a solution manual; thereby, enhancing self-assessment by a learner.

BarEl application uses the computer inbuilt narrator to help a learner to read. 

With our solution, every child has an opportunity to master literacy in their mother tongue. 

Our solution has pictures for teaching or learning, which are in themselves telling a story.

It allows targeted teaching as it is flexible as opposed to rigid text books.

BarEl application is offered offline as well as online. This allows us to access remote areas with weak or no internet connection.

Our solution enhances governance and management  of education at all levels by improving financial management, human resource management and operations management.

BarEl application is scalable, simple to use and can be replicated. 

Our solution is centered on the needs of communities and learners. It complements rather than replace human interaction. It facilitates efficient network and scale. 

Our solution ensures the following: access to foundational learning by every individual, improved performance in STEM subjects, and sterling performance in financial literacy. BarEl application supports teaching and learning in ways that improve learning outcomes. It imparts learners with skills that people need to thrive in both their community and a complex world; such as, problem-solving, creativity and critical thinking.It also imparts learners with digital skills, which allow individuals to use and understand technology. These skills are also critical for the development of communities and economies.

We conducted foundational research by using literature reviews and desktop research in the edtech space throughout the world. 

We did qualitative studies, where we collected data through focus groups discussions, interviews and case studies. The respondents expressed sentiments that BarEl application tremendously helps learners to acquire foundational skills.
The average test scores  of learners were much higher than those collected during baseline survey and higher than the national average test scores.

We conducted  formative assessments to determine students' learning levels and progression over time. 

We compared performance of learners before use of our solution and the performance of learners after use of our solution. We found out that the performance of learners after use of our solution was well above 27 per cent of students that achieved basic reading skills by Year 6 in Eastern and Southern Africa.

The performance also surpassed the less than 50% of students   that achieved mathematics skills by Year 6 in Eastern and Southern Africa.

We also made a comparative study with performance of students of neighbouring schools. And we found that our students outclassed them.

We also conducted the following feasibility tests to check if our prototype is feasible or infeasible.

Technical Feasibility Test: . Our application passed the test. Below are some key elements which we assessed for technical feasibility :

• Technological Stack - programming languages and operating systems, front-end framework, back-end framework, data storage and querying.
• Availability of resources: the availability of a skilled workforce with diverse expertise and knowledge.
• Integration and compatibility: Our application functions smoothly with different types of hardware .
• Risk assessment:  We assessed the possible risks that could arise during product development and we strategized contingency plans.
• Security and compliance: We identified and evaluated security vulnerabilities to avoid situations like data breaches, loss of data, or severe system malfunction. Our application has a security feature that has multifactor aunthentication, in other words, password security with multiple layers of protection. It also has a backup for data recovery.
• Scalability: Our product has the ability to accommodate future growth due to increasing user demand without major glitches in performance.

Operational Feasibility Test:  Our application passed the test.  We did tests on whether our application is easy to operate or maintain after deployment or usable. 

Economic or Financial Feasibility Test:  We analysed whether or not our project is fiscally viable.  We conducted cost-benefit analysis and it revealed that the benefits of the solution outweigh their costs.  

Legal Feasibility Test:  The test revealed that our solution conforms to the legal and ethical requirements in Malawi and beyond.

Cultural and Political Feasibility Test : The test showed that we will manage change. The suggested changes would be received owing to the involvement of the target population in the project. 

Market Feasibility Test : We evaluated how  the project’s deliverables will perform in the market through a market analysis, market competition breakdown, and sales projections. The test found that  there is a feasible market for our solution.

            
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Our summative assessments have provided us with some very encouraging results. We have found out that students using BarEl application outperform students who do not. This gave us the confidence to continue to scale our solution across Malawi first and then globally.

Evaluation studies have demonstrated gains in learning outcomes; particularly, foundational skills for children using BarEl application.

Through our surveying of  test results, we have seen that learners using BarEl application are making good progress in foundational skills. 

Learners who are using BarEl application are showing a more positive attitude towards numeracy and STEM subjects than those who do not use the application.

Our evaluation indicate that there is the transformative learning progress through BarEl application.

We compared performance of learners before use of our solution and the performance of learners after use of our solution. We found out that the performance of learners after use of our solution was well above 27 per cent of students that achieved basic reading skills by Year 6 in Eastern and Southern Africa. The performance also surpassed the less than 50% of students   that achieved mathematics skills by Year 6 in Eastern and Southern Africa.

We also made a comparative study with performance of students of neighbouring schools. And we found that our students outclassed them.

We have come to the conclusion that our solution is feasible and workable; prompting us to replicate it, and to scale it. We will scale it by:

1.  Training more teachers and other stakeholders in other places within Malawi and countries like Zambia and Tanzania on how to use BarEl application in teaching and learning foundational literacy and numeracy for children ages 2-12 years; particularly,  foundational literacy and numeracy, primary and lower secondary Mathematics and Physical Science.

2. Encouraging the trained teachers  to train more teachers within their establishment and outside their establishment on how to use BarEl application in teaching  foundational literacy and numeracy. 

3.Lobbying education authorities in central and local governments, and in schools to use BarEl application in teaching and learning  foundational literacy and numeracy 

4. Lobbying for advocacy from education NGOs and elected public officials so that learning institutions should start using BarEl application in teaching   foundational literacy and numeracy.

This is the right time to engage in LEAP project so that we should collect data that inform our design and implementation, resulting in customised and impactful support for learners, teachers and school authorities, and promoting collaborative practices.

We need to strengthen the evidence base of our solution so that we effectively support stakeholders and beneficiaries of our project by identifying specific problems they encounter, formulating effective strategies, and offering required tools and resources to solve those problems. 

By strengthening the evidence base of our solution, our organisation will have access to a global pool of research and social entrepreneur Fellows who apply their knowledge and skills to support our education solution’s evidence journey.

By strengthening the evidence base of our solution, our organisation will get a final report that details tailor-made research recommendations.

We are interested to have a research design for this solution, complete with research methodology, data collection, sampling plan and key performance indicators. This will enable us to conduct research as we scale within  Malawi and then across the globe. 

As we are scaling, there is a need for our organisation to strengthen evidence base of our solution through monitoring and evaluation.

We need to strengthen the evidence base of our solution so as to ensure its effectiveness, impact and its scalability. 

This is the right time to engage in LEAP project because our organisation will have valuable networking opportunities across the global cohort of LEAP Fellows and Project Hosts.

This is the right time to engage in LEAP project so that we should have an in depth understanding of how our solution is making a difference and how it helps learners acquire foundational skills.

We need to strengthen the evidence base of our solution so that we should identify areas for improving learning outcomes by measuring impact of our solution on foundational learning; and by conducting rigorous research, monitoring and evaluation.

Professionally-managed project facilitation provided by MIT Solve , will allow us to focus solely on the most critical elements of the 12-week project.

We would like to strengthen the evidence base of our solution so as to enhance STEM education.

Question 1: What are the Key Performance Metrics (KPMs) for BarEl application? 
Question 2: How can we design a research study to best evaluate these KPMs? 

Literature review will be conducted of similar solutions globally and how they were evaluated. A detailed and comprehensive analysis of existing high-tech solutions that monitor incremental learning gains in foundational literacy will be done.

Collaborative practices that teacher leaders, school leaders and supervisors can use to foster school wide improvement within their institutions.

Focus group discussions will be done to understand existing research design and identify areas of strength and improvement.

Formative study that might contribute to design will be done. The team will work on developing a robust research design. A research design for studying the educational impact. A robust pilot evaluation plan to identify design and implementation challenges, assess the potential for impact on student learning of the proposed solution.

Research report including analysis of data and recommendations will be done.

Interviews will be done with schools. Implementation team  to understand the solution and come up with Key Performance Indicators like :

1. Proportion of children and young people:

(a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex.

2. Percentage of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional 

(a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex.

A pilot implementation plan, including proposed training plan. 

Process evaluation will be conducted to determine whether program activities will be implemented as intended and resulted in certain outputs.

A robust pilot evaluation plan to identify design and implementation challenges, assess the potential for impact on student learning of the proposed solution, and determine core components of the solution that drive the impact at a small scale in a single geography and a handful of classrooms. 

Correlational studies will be conducted using linear regression analysis and multiple regression analysis. We will analyse the dependent and independent variable, and then draw a conclusion if there is correlation or not.

A research design validated by LEAP Fellows and MIT will give us more confidence in the results of the evaluation of BarEl application.This will give us more reason us to scale our solution in Malawi and then globally. 

The research report which will be developed  will be shared with our stakeholders and partners to bring to their attention the scalability and efficacy of BarEl application to address Malawi's education crisis. This dissemination will not only contribute to the broader knowledge base but also allow other organizations and researchers to gain from our insights and adopt evidence-based approaches in their own programs.

Recommendations from the LEAP fellows will be used into for this project and beyond. 

We will share these outputs to inform solution and evaluation strategies and appropriate modifications. 

A robust research design informed by literature reviews  will assist us in redefining our research strategy  and will be replicated as BarEl application scales to millions across Malawi, and then globally.

The outputs will help us to identify the specific challenges and gaps 

The outputs will help us to focus on unique needs of learners. 

The outputs will enable us to develop training programs  and materials.

By actively incorporating the outputs into our program, we will promote the importance of developing skills for preschool-age children. 

We will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our program, making iterative improvements based on the research findings.

We will leverage the research recommendations, guidance, and strategies brought forward by LEAP Fellows to inform and enhance our solution.

We will see to it that we  create a positive impact in the lives of young children by equipping them with essential business and financial skills.

We will use the outputs to make the necessary changes and adapt the BarEl application.

We will conduct a systematic review of existing research, evidence-based practices, and interventions .

By implementing the recommended research design, we will be able to come up with compelling evidence that validates and strengthens the impact of BarEl application.

Validated research design for replication as BarEl application BarEl application or our solution or our project scales.

Data-Informed Decision Making and enhanced competency. Educators develop the skills to collect, analyse, and utilise data effectively. They become proficient in using technology and data.They acquire knowledge and skills.

Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: Workshops allow school authorities, teachers and other stakeholders to exchange experiences and share best practices. 

Redefined research design and strategy for BarEl application or our solution or project.

Increased awareness of BarEl application through workshops.

Improved Student Outcomes: The solution improves learning outcomes that include better exam results, improved pass rate, improved foundational literacy and numeracy skills and increased number of learners with a positive attitude to STEM subjects.

Empowered Learners: By addressing the specific challenges and gaps in supporting learners, the solution empowers these learners to thrive academically.More learners will benefit from our innovative approach to STEM education.  

Inclusive School Practices.

Approval from skilled researchers of our research results.

Sustainable Change: The project's impact extends beyond the duration of the intervention. 

Validation of the efficacy of BarEl application or our solution or project in solving the education crises of access, quality and governance in Malawi and beyond in a reasonable time-frame.

Policy Influence: The project's  outcomes and best practices inform policy decisions.

Increased knowledge and capacities of our team.

Dissemination of research results across Malawi with engagement of both local and international stakeholders. 

Increase of our organization's visibility and reputation. We hope to gain more exposure and buy-in with stakeholders; thereby, attracting interest in collaboration projects and access to schools. Greater exposure and convincing evidence  will enable us to secure larger grants from donors and funders, therefore expand the reach and scale.

We will have concrete evidence of the value of BarEl application or our solution or project that will help us bring funders and partners for it.   We will scale and replicate BarEl application or our solution or project throughout Malawi and beyond.