Introducing the second of three news blogs, reporting on how our Africa programmes are coping with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the impact on the schools and wider communities where we work.
Thanks to the thousands of ITSA computers that have been delivered to hundreds of schools throughout Zambia, more pupils than ever are acquiring the digital skills they need for future jobs. Computers for Zambian Schools (CFZS) is our sister NGO responsible for providing computers and digital support in the country. Based in the centre of the capital city Lusaka, much goes on behind the scenes at CFZS; ITSA volunteer Maya Horwood has been talking to the team over the last few months to see how their work is carried out and the challenges the charity faces amid a global pandemic.
Thanks to the thousands of ITSA computers that have been delivered to hundreds of schools throughout Zambia, more pupils than ever are acquiring the digital skills they need for future jobs. Computers for Zambian Schools (CFZS) is our sister NGO responsible for providing computers and digital support in the country. Based in the centre of the capital city Lusaka, much goes on behind the scenes at CFZS; ITSA volunteer Maya Horwood has been talking to the team over the last few months to see how their work is carried out and the challenges the charity faces amid a global pandemic.
Since 2015, Boni Chipembere has been the programme manager at CFZS, heading up the social enterprise. The team also has an admin assistant, a technician and an external accountant. Boni oversees operations for the whole country and the technician is responsible for checking the donated equipment and networking IT labs.
Around 80% of CFZS’ work is supplying computers to schools, teachers and students. Many people come into CFZS’s tiny shop to purchase discounted computers, laptops, scanners and printers. Boni maintains that the majority of customers hear about the reasonably priced, high quality equipment and technical lessons via word of mouth, emphasising the power of community conversation. The rest of CFZS’ work is focused on installing new e-labs for schools, of which they complete about two each year. The process can be lengthy and takes months of budgeting and planning. CFZS select schools in need of a new computer lab based on whether they meet the criteria of CFZS’ current mandate. This mandate considers many factors such as the region of the school and whether there is a deficit of IT within that region that needs addressing more urgently than others.
There is a further challenge with ensuring that IT classrooms are used in the most effective way, as many teachers aren’t trained well enough to teach IT. To help improve the delivery of digital education CFZS has partnered with another local NGO to provide IT teacher training. Unreliable power is a constant disruption to pupils' learning where sometimes the electricity is only working for half the day. The majority of the country is powered by hydro-power and consequently is affected by poor rainfall.
Positively, the number of computers in African schools is rising, helped by a UN campaign to improve digital literacy worldwide. The idea is to encourage members of the public, children included, to own a computer as a rewarding long term goal. This has to start with accessibility to affordable quality equipment and it is exactly what CFZS offers. In addition, entrepreneurial skills by way of problem based learning is what Boni hopes her customers will gain from working with CFZS. These skills can then be used by youths to build their very own businesses, earn sustainable incomes, and feel proud of their products and creations.
Around 80% of CFZS’ work is supplying computers to schools, teachers and students. Many people come into CFZS’s tiny shop to purchase discounted computers, laptops, scanners and printers. Boni maintains that the majority of customers hear about the reasonably priced, high quality equipment and technical lessons via word of mouth, emphasising the power of community conversation. The rest of CFZS’ work is focused on installing new e-labs for schools, of which they complete about two each year. The process can be lengthy and takes months of budgeting and planning. CFZS select schools in need of a new computer lab based on whether they meet the criteria of CFZS’ current mandate. This mandate considers many factors such as the region of the school and whether there is a deficit of IT within that region that needs addressing more urgently than others.
There is a further challenge with ensuring that IT classrooms are used in the most effective way, as many teachers aren’t trained well enough to teach IT. To help improve the delivery of digital education CFZS has partnered with another local NGO to provide IT teacher training. Unreliable power is a constant disruption to pupils' learning where sometimes the electricity is only working for half the day. The majority of the country is powered by hydro-power and consequently is affected by poor rainfall.
Positively, the number of computers in African schools is rising, helped by a UN campaign to improve digital literacy worldwide. The idea is to encourage members of the public, children included, to own a computer as a rewarding long term goal. This has to start with accessibility to affordable quality equipment and it is exactly what CFZS offers. In addition, entrepreneurial skills by way of problem based learning is what Boni hopes her customers will gain from working with CFZS. These skills can then be used by youths to build their very own businesses, earn sustainable incomes, and feel proud of their products and creations.
The pandemic has highlighted the importance of e-learning, in particular outside of the school environment. Boni estimates that around 60-70% of children haven’t had any educational involvement since schools shut in March. Those that could afford it have had private tutors coming into the home, although this has since been curbed by authorities to control the spread of the virus. E-learning, primarily via mobile telephones, has been carried out by some of the more well-funded schools, though this doesn’t count for the majority of students.
Inevitably, the consequences of the lack of education are far-reaching and complex. Boni suggests that the psychological impact of missing school will be the most hard-hitting for students and their families. This is because students may have to repeat a year. However, many Zambian families may not be able to afford an extra years tuition fees, especially if there is more than one child hoping to complete a decent education. Being at home more has meant that parents have had more mouths to feed, which has meant more of a parents’ hard-earned income is being spent. Boni hints that the agro-economic impact of the pandemic has resulted in a greater fear than the virus itself; people will die of hunger due to lack of income.
However, it seems the general population and those in power are responding to this new realisation that e-learning is a viable and important part of education. At CFZS, they are distributing more laptops than ever, and Boni puts that down to parents taking a more active interest in e-learning as an option for their children. In addition, the Zambian government themselves opened their first ever e-learning lab during this pandemic, and now have an official target of achieving 51% rural electricity access by 2030 (it currently stands at around 5%). It’s great to see that ITSA’s and CFZS’s work has helped to promote this change in attitude towards e-learning. Nonetheless, Boni remains concerned about the ‘nightmare’ that repeating school years could cause for so many families. ITSA’s work will play an important role in helping CFZS and the Zambian community regain their confidence.
Inevitably, the consequences of the lack of education are far-reaching and complex. Boni suggests that the psychological impact of missing school will be the most hard-hitting for students and their families. This is because students may have to repeat a year. However, many Zambian families may not be able to afford an extra years tuition fees, especially if there is more than one child hoping to complete a decent education. Being at home more has meant that parents have had more mouths to feed, which has meant more of a parents’ hard-earned income is being spent. Boni hints that the agro-economic impact of the pandemic has resulted in a greater fear than the virus itself; people will die of hunger due to lack of income.
However, it seems the general population and those in power are responding to this new realisation that e-learning is a viable and important part of education. At CFZS, they are distributing more laptops than ever, and Boni puts that down to parents taking a more active interest in e-learning as an option for their children. In addition, the Zambian government themselves opened their first ever e-learning lab during this pandemic, and now have an official target of achieving 51% rural electricity access by 2030 (it currently stands at around 5%). It’s great to see that ITSA’s and CFZS’s work has helped to promote this change in attitude towards e-learning. Nonetheless, Boni remains concerned about the ‘nightmare’ that repeating school years could cause for so many families. ITSA’s work will play an important role in helping CFZS and the Zambian community regain their confidence.
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