Tag: ICT

Field Stories

Ethiopia’s tech economy on the rise

Despite setbacks, Ethiopia’s tech economy has been making strides, luring entrepreneurs from throughout Africa and gaining international recognition.  This is due to a mix of increased government support for ICT development and the establishment of start-up incubators and hubs that are creating an ideal landscape for the tech industry to grow. By Steven Blum Now home to 1,000 members, incubator iceaddis is the first […]

Field Stories

ICT empowers communities in fight against Ebola

The current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa is the worst on record, with the World Health Organization reporting 5,420 deaths – Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia have been the hardest hit nations. As international efforts are stepped up to combat the disease, attention has turned to the ways in which mobile technology can assist in Ebola awareness, diagnosis and prevention. 

Trends

3D printing drives innovation in Africa

Aortic valves, fighter jets, coral reefs… pizza? Just four of the headline-grabbing products dished out by 3D printers over the last two years. Alongside this dramatic experimentation with a not-so-very-new technology comes the usual round of wild speculation: a 3D printer for every home, the end of manufacturing as we know it; 3D-printed firearms, the end of civilisation as we know it. 3D printers […]

Field Stories

New learning opportunities for marginalised girls in Kenya

Although gaps in education affect both boys and girls in Kenya, a recent UNESCO report reveals that girls are the most affected. By the end of the decade only 23% of girls from poor households in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa completed primary education and, if these trends continue, boys from wealthy families will achieve universal primary completion in 2021, while disadvantaged girls will […]

Opinions

ICT enters Egypt higher education debate

A recent opinion piece in the eLearning Africa Report 2014 took aim at Egyptian higher education, claiming that the system has been ‘unable to reform itself’ to meet certain student expectations. However, this article painted just one picture; another, one which shows attempts to create a solid higher education structure, together with effective policies and programmes – especially in regard to ICT – is […]

Field Stories

Meet the winners: eLearning Africa photo competition 2014

The 2014 winners of the annual eLearning Africa “Through Your Lens” photography competition caught our attention with powerful images that portrayed how communication tools and information technologies can foster integration, inclusion and diversity. Kwesi Brako followed up with this year’s winners to learn more about their experiences travelling throughout Africa and what inspires their photography.     

Field Stories

From the African Continent

Africa never stops changing. Since the Namibia edition of eLearning Africa in May, we’ve been keeping our eyes peeled for fresh developments on the Continent. And what a few months it’s been: Africa seems more buoyant than ever, with new eLearning projects blossoming everywhere. International interest in Africa is also growing – the Obamas visited Senegal, Tanzania and South Africa at the end of […]

Conference sneak preview

The unsung local heroes who are really changing Africa

A revolution is occurring throughout African societies. While governments implement high-level, high-visibility ICT strategies, experts have recently identified far more radical, hidden changes occurring across the Continent. New technologies, when adopted, are adapted to local needs: a sort of under-the-radar innovation which is now pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Trends

ICT against Inequality

International Girls in ICT Day this year saw new projects set up worldwide to create an environment that encourages girls and young women, at present disadvantaged by a gender-based digital divide of worldwide prevalence, to consider careers in the field of ICT. But why is there a gender imbalance in the technology sector at all, and what’s being done to fix it? The eLearning […]