Watoto Wazania NPC

Watoto Wazania, derived from KiSwahili, translates to 'the African Child.' Our mission is to empower every African child to unlock their full potential through quality education.

We are dedicated to breaking down barriers to equitable education by implementing innovative, human-centered solutions aided by technology. Our objectives include implementing transformative teaching methods, providing essential resources to underserved communities, and advocating for policy reforms in the education sector.

Our motivation stems from alarming statistics: two-thirds of a billion adults in Africa are illiterate, and three-quarters of a billion children lack proficiency in reading and writing despite being enrolled in schools. This educational disparity threatens to impede participation in STEM fields and hinder Africa's readiness for the fourth industrial revolution.

Through our initiatives, we strive to not only improve literacy and numeracy rates but also empower African youth to become leaders in STEM and drive socioeconomic progress. Together, we can create a brighter future for the African continent.

Ngcongo is the founder, co-inventor and director of Watoto Wazania NPC. In addition to the administrative functions of organisational management, Ngcongo is a seasoned systems analyst and developer, spends time engaging with stakeholders on end user support related issues.

Ngcongo holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Africa, a certificate in Early Childhood development, and a number of qualifications including a diploma in Human Resources and Industrial Relations, and certified recognition as a National Assessor in terms of National Qualifications Framework.

Ngcongo represents the organisation during periodic conferences and workshops. As a team lead, he spends some of the time managing and engaging with teams comprising mainly of volunteers. He is the chairperson of the Board of Directors, and as such is mandated to represent and uphold the organisational interest.

Ngcongo has facilitated the filing of five organisational patents which drive the economic activities and organizational development needs.

Watoto Wazania NPC boasts a robust team of 51 members, comprising a blend of dedicated 

• volunteers, 
• administrative staff, and
•  field workers.

For the upcoming 12-week LEAP Project sprint, a focused group of 6 individuals will spearhead the initiative, with 3 core members and 3 alternates in supportive roles. These individuals were carefully selected due to their unique qualifications and alignment with the project's objectives.

Whereas only 3 members are required to attend consistently, the committee of six has been conceptualised for diversified input.

First and foremost, these members bring a wealth of experience, having been integral parts of the organization since its inception. Their deep-rooted understanding of our mission and vision makes them ideally suited to drive the LEAP Project forward.

Additionally, this group embodies the rich diversity that characterizes our organization, representing various demographics including 

• youth, 
• women, 
• elderly individuals, 
• men, and 
• individuals from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. 

This diversity ensures that the project's perspectives are inclusive and representative of our entire community.

Furthermore, these individuals possess a diverse array of skills, ranging from 

• educators,
• information systems developers,
• seasoned entrepreneurs, 
• parents, 
• grandparents, and 
• community leaders. 

This multifaceted skill set equips them to tackle the challenges of the LEAP Project from multiple angles, ensuring comprehensive solutions and innovative approaches.

Moreover, the members are well equipped to connect remotely using their digital devices and fully participate in the interactive program.

Despite their busy schedules, these committed members have pledged 3 to 4 hours of their time each week over the course of three months to contribute to the success of the LEAP Project. Their dedication and expertise will undoubtedly drive meaningful progress and lasting impact within our organization and beyond.

STEM-Digital-Playground is an AI driven system to support parents, educators, care-givers in delivering K-12 learner-centric and future-fit equitable quality education.

There are nearly 26K public schools in South Africa, catering for almost 18 million learners. The public schools are arranged in quintiles one to five. Generally, quintiles one to three represent a scale of children from extreme poverty stricken homes, which are predominantly "no-fee" schools.

One of the biggest challenges educators face in the lower quintiles, especially quintile one, which is a no-fee school, is the large learner-educator ratios. At best these average between 1:35 and at worst 1:60.

Nowadays, many scholars and educationists are advocating for learner-centered teaching methods in which there is a shift of focus of activity from the teacher to the learners. These modern methods are proving to be highly effective, and include active learning, in which students 

• solve  problems, 
• answer questions, 
• formulate questions of their own, 
• discuss,  
• explain, 
• debate, and / or 
• brainstorm during class.

Under prevailing conditions, it is virtually impossible to provide learner-centric education that is in the interest of learners, especially at lower quintiles of the foundational phase public classes. It is virtually impossible to even provide adequate attention and periodic feedback to each child due to the said high learner-educator ratios.

It follows, therefore, that some learners never get the attention of educators throughout the year. In this environment, every learner fights for the attention of educators. Some learners, conveniently disappear "under-radar", their voice is unheard, and their work remains unseen by educators. Its like, they are there, but they are not there... Not surprising, they find themselves on the bitter end of the stick when they have to repeat grades. To the extent they decide "school is just not for me".

Due to the said limitations, educators are unable to fully analyze
learner responses and provide adequate and timeous feedback, especially
during normative and summative assessments.

Hence we find that out of a million learners that enter formal education in the Foundation Phase, more than a third drop out of the formal schooling system.  This is a problem, and it contributes to unemployability of young people, it exacerbates poverty, inequality, and contributes to crime and a number of social ills.

Furthermore, educators in South Africa, and Africa in general, have not fully embraced the power of the most recent technological advances.To address this would require deliberate and conscious effort, informed by skillful personnel. Indeed it also requires financial investment, but a little can be stretched to go a long way. The author is mindful of the digital divide, however, there is a plateau of opportunities presented by the power of mobile smart phones and other single board computing devices. We argue that this power is not being taken advantage of, especially in the education sector.

Our solution comprises of an information system that requires availability of one or more of these devices per school, class or household:

• desktop, 
• laptop, 
• mobile smart phone, 
• and/or a tablet.
• printer
• scanner

The solution does not require permanent availability of internet connectivity, but does require periodic access for updates and database synchronisation. A wi-fi router is optional. in areas where no connectivity exists at all, data may be synchronised using a portable USB stick.

The platform is primarily a practice platform, for maths, science and technology activities, hence we refer to it as a STEM-digital playground. The system assumes the learner would have received some lessons and requires practice of concepts. Hence the focus is on practice and not teaching. However, the system is able to provide animated hints and colour coding to assist a learner in the use case where the learner is interacting through a digital device.

This is how it works, consider a typical classroom with 60 learners, one educator and one educator assistant.  Let this class be equipped with one laptop, one mobile phone, one monochrome printer with toner and paper, a sporadic intermittent Internet connectivity would be added advantage. In this class, the laptop is operated by the educator assistant.

• Minimum learner details are initially captured into the system using a graphical user interface, OR using a scanned handwritten paper.
• Learner details are stored by the system in a secured, encrypted, standard query language (SQL) back-end, which is none-volatile, persistent, and can process millions of records.
• Whenever an assessment question paper is needed it is generated automatically by the system, the automated system populates the question paper with customized information relevant to each learner learners interest, level of competency and if necessary according to learner language preference. 
• The learner may work out their solution with pen on paper, and thereafter it can be scanned using a scanner or mobile phone. Solutions may also be voice recorded (.mp3) if necessary.
• The system analyses the evidence supplied and provides immediate feedback to the learner, through the educator or their assistant.
• The system remembers the learner performance and updates the KPI's for the learner's dashboard. Next time, the system would use artificial intelligence to adjust the next practice session based on the previous performances on record. 

In another use case, learners are able to use their mobile phones or devices to provide solutions instead of writing their solutions on pieces of paper. It is in this instance where a Wi-Fi router or Internet data plan would be required.

By leveraging on artificial intelligence the system provides the following unique features. Speed and convenience of technology to deliver

1. unique question paper for each learner regardless of the number and diversity in class. 
2. personalized adjustment to levels of competency for each learner through the use of machine learning
3. record keeping and portfolio of evidence
4. unbiased and near objective, instantaneous feedback
5. the use of non invasive, low cost technology in a classroom to enhance equitable access to quality education

Foundational research:

A foundational desktop study was conducted in 2021, the study focused on the "The Impact of the Societal ills on the Public Education Sector" during the period of ten years from 2011 to 2021.

In addition to this study an early pilot was conducted in 2021 with 526 children between the ages of 3 and 12, who included homeless street kids and kids who were only attending one day a week at school due to national lock-down requirements.

Furthermore, since 2021 we have been working with fourteen kids, some have never been to a formal school, whereas others are in formal schooling at the foundation phase. Some of these kids were located on the side of the road where street kids live. These kids have now reached a level of competency of grade 3. They have been assessed independently by Foundational Phase educators and have been found to be competent in reading, writing, and numeracy. In February 2024 two of these kids wrote Independent Benchmark Test (Mathematics), at the age of seven. This test is ordinarily written by nine year olds at the end of grade 3. It is encouraging to note they scored between 40% and 50% during this assessment. The work being done here is ongoing research and has informed the development of learning tools.

A very important stakeholder engagement was had with the United Nations Economic Commission of Africa (UNECA) in October last year (2023). The four day conference titled: The 2nd Forum of the Entrepreneurial Universities in Africa provided us a platform to engage with professionals across the globe. We had the opportunity, by invitation, to present and showcase our solution on this platform and received very important feedback.

A tangential, but remarkable achievement by these kids is that one of the projects they worked on in the class resulted in their inventing a mosquito hunter, a robot that hunts down mosquitos. The project was entered into a call for grassroots innovation program, and is currently funded by Technology Innovation Agency (TIA). The kids interests is being represented by their father. The project has sparked immense interest in the kids for robotics and coding.

Formative research
A stakeholder engagement was done in 2022 through the support of the City of Johannesburgh's smart city initiative. This stakeholder engagement involved all the seven regions from A to G in Johannesburgh. Participants included foundation phase educators, caregivers and the Department of Social Development officials.
 

Summative research
To date, we have not conducted any summative study.

The initial foundational study revealed what we termed: DIP3C 

• digital divide
• inequality
• poverty
• crime
• corruption and 
• covid19

as societal factors that had negative impact on the public education sector in South Africa. We have recently included a fourth c to mean conflict as a major source of displacement in the continent, resulting in the deprivation of education for millions of African children. 

This study informed our materials selection for the subsequent study, it also informed our approach towards "low cost, high quality educational toolkit". We also observed on first hand basis the abundance and availability of mobile smart phones and also observed that these were not being fully utilized by the participants.

The stakeholder engagement with more than 200 practitioners opened our eyes to another dimension. We learned about the real pain experienced by educators on a daily basis. As a result, we began to develop a training manual aimed at addressing that pain titled: "In the Beginning: Literacy, Numeracy and Coding the World."

The stakeholder engagement with UNECA was pivotal in highlighting the significance of aligning our offering to sustainable development goals. It also served an important role in validating our offering.

This digital workbook was our immediate response to the problem, and a first step towards development of a more "robust" solution which is presented here.

Through our learner support program, which has been going on for three years already, we have learned lessons which we have incorporated in the development and iteration process. One of the lessons from data analysis has led to the adoption and implementation of a performance based system instead of an age based or grade based system. Our system, thus, currently allows users to configure for either age based, grade based or performance based progression in an autonomous or human manipulated environment.

The learner support program has also provided us with opportunity to collect raw data in the form of handwritten scripts by learners. These are available to us in hard copies and digital / scanned documents. In the future we are looking to use this growing dataset as training data for our own systems, particularly in the area of foundation phase learners hand writing recognition.

The learner support program also highlighted the important role of parents / guardians in the cognitive development of children. Learning is an everyday activity. The schools are limited to what they can do by the number of days learners have to be at school and the number of hours. Given that learners attend on average 200 days, it leaves at most 166 days of "no school." These are the days in which kids are with parents or guardians. In order to make meaningful progress, a concerted effort has to be made for consistent learning to happen throughout the year. Our solutions presented here makes this possible.

Globally, the education sector is transforming at the moment. In most recent years, we are witnessing developments like never before. The advent of robotics and coding in schools and the use of artificial intelligence in classrooms.

These changes are necessary, however, it is not known whether all of the changes would be to the advantage of learners or to their detriment. Some scholars have argued that there is a trade off that take place with new technology adoption, in that we give away something. For example, when a pen was invented, we no longer had to remember things as we could write them, perhaps we began to lose the ability to remember. Likewise, when cars were invented humanity lost the endurance and speed they used to possess, and so we witness obesity, etc.   

Thus it is important for us at to test the assumptions on the basis of empirical evidence. Therefore we are making this application as we are about to commence with another iteration of the pilot in which we are putting to test what users have indicated to us as their major source of pain.

Our solution has been presented in at least 9 countries in 5 continents. The most recent being a presentation to the United Nations in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, October 2023, as mentioned in the previous section.

The solution has been launched already in at least three provinces in South Africa. Our current pilot is focussing on one school in a rural area in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The school has one principal, a handful of school governing body members, about 15 educators and almost 500 children in four grades between zero and three. The kids (boys and girls)ages range between 5 and 10.

Permission to conduct the pilot has been received from the school principal, community leaders and parents. All the equipment necessary for the study is available at the school. Some equipment has been secured through donations from local business, which include a laptop and a printer.  A number of educators are computer literate, and we do not believe they would have any difficulty learning and operating our solution.

Conducting this pilot marks a very important milestone for the development of our solution.

a. To what extent is the solution effective in addressing the identified challenges for the target communities?

b. What are the perceptions of educators towards the solution, do they view it as a burden or do they see it as an effective tool to address their needs? 

c. To what extent are major stakeholders benefiting through the availability of the solution currently and in the future, and how best can we maximise this benefit with currently available resources?

[In c, we are concerned with the cost benefit analysis. The stakeholders include: educators, learners, school administrators, regulatory officials, and parents].

Given the 12-week LEAP Project sprint, our desired outputs would focus on producing research recommendations aimed at strengthening the evidence base of our solution. Moreover, given the time constraints and the resources available through the LEAP Project, our outputs would need to be feasible within this timeframe and achievable with the involvement of approximately four LEAP Fellows working 6-10 hours per week.

1. Research Recommendations
The primary output would be a set of research recommendations aimed at addressing the identified challenges for the target communities. These recommendations would encompass various aspects, including

a. Study Designs
Proposals for research studies or surveys to gather data on the effectiveness of our solution in addressing the identified challenges. This could involve designing studies to measure outcomes such as improved access to education, enhanced learning outcomes, and reduced dropout rates among students.
 
b. Strategies and Frameworks
Development of strategies and frameworks for implementing and scaling our solution effectively. This may include recommendations for best practices in educational intervention design, teacher training programs, and community engagement strategies.
 
c. Monitoring and Evaluation Tools
Designing tools and methodologies for monitoring and evaluating the impact of our solution over time. This could involve developing surveys, questionnaires, or data collection protocols to track key indicators and measure progress towards our goals.

2. Partnership Opportunities
Additionally, we would seek to identify potential partnerships and collaborations that could support the implementation and evaluation of our solution. This might involve reaching out to local educational institutions, NGOs, government agencies, or other stakeholders working in the field of education to explore opportunities for collaboration.

3. Capacity Building
As part of the LEAP Project, we would also aim to build the capacity of our team members and fellows involved in the project. This could involve providing training sessions or workshops on research methods, data analysis techniques, and project management skills to enhance our ability to carry out research effectively.

4. Dissemination Plan
Finally, we would develop a plan for disseminating our research findings and recommendations to key stakeholders, including educators, policymakers, and community members. This might involve preparing reports, presentations, or other materials to communicate our findings in a clear and accessible manner.

In conclusion, by focusing on these desired outputs, we aim to strengthen the evidence base of our solution, provide valuable insights and recommendations for addressing the identified challenges facing our target communities. Through a collaborative approach with LEAP Fellows and leveraging available resources, we believe we can make significant progress towards achieving our goals within the 12-week sprint period. Ultimately, we believe this will be a breakthrough for many children across the globe in order for them to thrive through education.

Following the conclusion of the LEAP Project sprint, our organization is committed to putting the outputs into action in several ways to maximize their impact and benefit to the target communities.

Firstly, we recognize the importance of contributing to the body of knowledge in our field through the research recommendations produced during the LEAP Project sprint. We plan to leverage these outputs to inform our approach to addressing the identified challenges and to contribute valuable insights to the broader education community. 

One avenue for the abovementioned dissemination of knowledge could be through publishing our findings in a peer-reviewed journal. By sharing our research methodologies, results, and recommendations with the academic community, we aim to contribute to the evidence base for effective educational interventions and inspire further research in this area.

To this end, we have approached a few academics from the Universities of South Africa the Free State to partner for purposes of ethical clearance and publication platform.

Secondly, we are eager to translate our research recommendations into actionable strategies for scaling our solution on a larger scale. Through the interest and support we have garnered from stakeholders such as the 

• United Nations Economic Commission of Africa, 
• University of South Africa
• Moses Kotane Institute
• City of Johannesburg, 
• Quality Life Montessori schools in Cape Town, and 
• parents within the target communities,
• organisation's volunteers

we see an opportunity to expand the implementation of our model to reach more students and communities in need. By leveraging existing partnerships and engaging with key stakeholders, we aim to mobilize resources and support to roll out our model on a larger scale.

Additionally, we recognize the importance of ongoing monitoring and evaluation to assess the effectiveness and impact of our solution as it is scaled. We plan to implement the monitoring and evaluation tools developed during the LEAP Project sprint to track key indicators and measure progress towards our goals. This data-driven approach will enable us to make informed decisions, refine our strategies, and continuously improve the implementation of our model over time.

Overall, our organization is committed to utilizing the outputs of the LEAP Project sprint to advance our mission of improving access to quality education for all. By contributing to the body of knowledge, scaling our solution, and monitoring our impact, we aim to make a meaningful and sustainable difference in the lives of students and communities in need.

The desired long-term outcomes of the 12-week LEAP Project sprint for both our organization and solution can be multifaceted and impactful.

A. ORGANISATIONAL OUTCOMES
1. Increased Efficiency
The LEAP Project aims to streamline processes, enhance collaboration, and improve resource allocation within our organization for the benefit of children. This could result in a significant boost in overall efficiency, allowing our team to accomplish more with limited resources.

2. Enhanced Innovation Culture
Through the LEAP Project, we can foster a culture of innovation within our organization. Encouraging team members to think outside the box, experiment with new ideas, and embrace a growth mindset that can lead to ongoing innovation beyond the duration of the sprint.

3. Improved Employee Satisfaction
As the LEAP Project progresses, employees and volunteers may feel more empowered and engaged in their work. Clear goals, effective communication channels, and opportunities for skill development can contribute to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates.

4. Improvement in Decision Making
The insights gathered during the LEAP Project can inform data-driven decision-making processes within our organization. By leveraging data analytics and feedback mechanisms, we can make more informed choices that drive long-term success, sustainability and impact.

5. Enhanced Reputation
Successfully completing the LEAP Project can enhance our organization's reputation as an industry leader committed to continuous improvement and innovation. In the near future, this can help attract top talent, foster partnerships, and strengthen relationships with clients and stakeholders.

B. SOLUTION OUTCOMES
1. Improved Product/Service Quality
The LEAP Project provides an opportunity to refine our product or service based on customer feedback and market insights. By addressing pain points and enhancing features, we can deliver a higher-quality solution that better meets the needs of our target audience.

2. Increased Market Penetration
Through the LEAP Project, we can develop confidence and identify new market opportunities and develop strategies to expand our reach. This could involve entering new geographical regions, outside South Africa, targeting different customer segments, or diversifying our product/service offerings.

3. Enhanced Scalability
Scalability is crucial for long-term success, especially in fast-growing industries. The LEAP Project can help us identify scalability challenges and develop solutions to overcome them, allowing our solution to grow alongside our business and adapt to changing market dynamics.

4. Stronger Competitive Advantage
By continuously iterating and improving our solution through the LEAP Project, we can establish a stronger competitive advantage in the marketplace. Differentiating ourselves from competitors based on factors such as innovation, quality, and customer experience can help us maintain market leadership and sustain long-term growth.

5. Positive Customer Impact
Ultimately, the success of our solution is measured by its impact on customers. The LEAP Project aims to deliver tangible benefits to end-users, whether it's through increased efficiency, cost savings, improved user experience, or other value propositions. Creating positive outcomes for customers strengthens brand loyalty and drives long-term sustainability.

In conclusion, by focusing on these outcomes throughout the 12-week LEAP Project sprint, both our organization and solution can achieve significant growth and success in the long term.