Egypt is one of the regional, and indeed continental, leaders in this department. Since the 1990s it has been at the forefront in regard to governmental action on ICT-based development, creating several institutions and drawing up multiple ICT plans. It has been identified as an ICT ‘pioneer’ by the UN, and has seen strong growth both in terms of take-up by Egyptian consumers, and […]
Field Stories
‘Don’t overthink, just do it!’: Top 10 tips from Africa’s tech entrepreneurs
Few now doubt the potential of Africa’s tech scene. Analysts and economists the world over frequently cite Africa as the ‘next big thing’, primed to pick up the reigns from where the economies of the ‘Asian Tigers’ left off. The continent has always had entrepreneurs, but never before has so much attention been focused toward their activities, the success of which is seen as […]
Bit by bit ICT schools alleviate youth unemployment
Youth unemployment in Africa is an issue that affects the continent as a whole. While some countries are indeed faring better than others by comparison, it’s still a widespread issue. KampaBits Digital Design School in Kampala, Uganda, is an organisation that is working to find solutions to this problem – solutions that can be emulated by other countries. They provide ICT training to the […]
Africa’s gamification geeks compete in hackathon for social good
Can Africa’s tech movers and shakers design digital tools and gamified eLearning for sustainable changes in social systems? We will see in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from May 17 – 20! As many successful apps and computer programs, even start-ups and hubs, have been borne out of the dynamic hackathon environment in the past, under the theme ‘Gamification for Social Good’, programmers, designers, problem solvers […]
New eLearning Africa programme to support women in ICT
The eLearning Africa Supporting Transformation Trust (EAST) has implemented a new programme for 2015: Women in ICT. There has been great interest in the programme, which aims to support women working in or studying ICT to meet, network and to acquire knowledge about the latest industry developments. Many women applying have shared similar challenges associated with being a woman in the male-dominated sector that […]
Transforming healthcare training in remote areas
Training frontline healthcare workers in developing countries can be fraught with challenges. Often operating in remote areas with little or no access to the Internet makes gaining access to the latest medical knowledge and healthcare training extremely difficult. However, innovative distance and blended learning programmes are now harnessing ICTs and digital media to overcome this problem, dramatically improving the training opportunities for health workers […]
Lesotho educators strive for digital equality
When it comes to keeping up with your neighbours, ICT development is often where many African nations lag behind. And as the digital gap widens, more economic opportunities are likely to slip through the gaps. Surrounded by South Africa, one of the continent’s most advanced digital landscapes, educator’s in Lesotho are taking it upon themselves to try to keep pace.
Can you help Africa tear down its walls?
Discussions about Africa’s challenges appear to be never-ending. But amongst the common perceptions of Africa, often the fact that charismatic leaders like Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Wangari Maathai drew their power from the environment they lived in, found support in their communities regionally and eventually received international recognition, is ignored.
Sharing solutions: How eLearning can tackle health worker shortages
The Ebola crisis in West Africa exposed the overwhelming need for trained healthcare professionals. But as many educational institutions are already stretched to their capacities, more and more eLearning modules are being developed to train much-needed nurses, midwives and other health workers outside the classroom.
Live and learn: classrooms explore Ethiopia’s utopia
His wife left him, his family disowned him and he was labelled mentally ill all for trying to create a new way of life, but Ethiopian farmer Zumra Nuru has since proven that his ideas for equality and justice were the key to reducing poverty and increasing development. Starting from scratch in 1972, Nuru has created a democratic, sustainable community, where women and men […]