By Faith Anene, Kakamega
About Sh15 million will be spent to equip schools across the country Kenya with cutting edge digital e-learning centers.
These centers will be furnished with between 20 – 100 digital devices preloaded with carefully curated educational materials and software, designed to complement the country’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
“The e-learning centers come with a wide array of educational materials, covering subjects such as health, nutrition, agriculture, and climate change. These materials are not only for students but also for local communities, who are encouraged to use the centers to learn about best practices to improve their livelihoods,” ~ Mr Punia
They digital gadgets are also preloaded with CBC curriculum that currently covers content up to Grade 8.
“We are working on providing content for Grade 9 as well, and we’re committed to spending Sh15 million this year to ensure the program continues,” said Mr Harpal Punia, the Chairperson the Thika Alumni Trust
Punia said “This strategic initiative aims to enhance the teaching experience, empowering educators to deliver lessons more effectively by integrating digital tools and interactive content,”
“The e-learning centers come with a wide array of educational materials, covering subjects such as health, nutrition, agriculture, and climate change. These materials are not only for students but also for local communities, who are encouraged to use the centers to learn about best practices to improve their livelihoods,” said Mr Punia
To date, over 60,000 learners from both primary and secondary schools have already benefited from this transformative program in at least 15 counties in Kenya.
The Thika Alumni Trust, is a registered charity based in the United Kingdom.
Speaking at the launch of a digital e-learning center at Muraka Comprehensive School in Shinyalu constituency, Kakamega County, Mr Punia shared how their efforts have expanded beyond their original goal.
“Initially, our plan was to assist just one school, my former school in Thika and then return to the UK. But the overwhelming need in Kenya encouraged us to extend our support to schools across the country,” said Mr Punia
Muraka Comprehensive School, which serves 576 students from ECDE to Grade 9, is one of the many schools that have benefited from the project.
Rose Jahenda, the Head teacher of Muraka Comprehensive School, whose school a total of 576 learners, ranging from ECDE to Grade 9 said that CBC curriculum is all about data, IT, hands-on experience, and exploring limitless possibilities in the IT space, adding, “The newly introduced e-learning center will play a crucial role in addressing this gap, as it will enable the school to train the remaining teachers to become IT compliant,”
Maxwell Kayesi, HSC, a Muraka alumnus and volunteer with The Thika Alumni Trust, shared the value of the digital learning center saying, “Our digital library includes STEM practicals, which are especially valuable given that we have inadequate resources to have a physical laboratory that is well equipped,”
Mr Kayesi, a presidential award winning educator said the learners can now perform virtual experiments and learn practical concepts without requiring actual resources.
At ACHS Iyenga Comprehensive School, another e-learning center was launched. The acting head teacher, Ahinga Charles Kayesi, said “We are confident that the e-learning center will help our learners integrate ICT into their day to day activities and will equip teachers with the necessary IT skills. The community will also benefit by gaining access to valuable educational content,”
Parents like Pastor Cleophas Mutabali, whose son is in Grade 8 at Iyenga Comprehensive School, expressed their appreciation for the digital initiative by The Thika Alumni Trust.
“IT is essential in today’s world, and the new gadgets will help our children understand and engage with technology. It’s a gift for both the school and the entire community,” he said
Julius Achesa, a Grade 7 class representative at Iyenga, said that the e-learning center is already making a difference. “This project is going to improve the learning skills of not just the children but even those of us who are not IT compliant,” he said. “We won’t have to send our students to computer colleges after school because they’ll have learned everything right here.”
The transformation from analogue to digital is also evident among parents like Alexima Machesa, whose children are in Grades 2 and 5 at Iyenga Comprehensive who said the country’s educational landscape is gradually becoming more connected and technology driven, providing students, teachers, and communities with the resources they need to thrive in the 21st century.
Mukhonje Primary School benefited from the project last year, along with several other schools across the country. These include Gatunyu Comprehensive School, the Mohammed Ejaz e-learning center at Broadways High School in Thika’s Kiandutu slums, and the Raspberry Pi desktops e-learning center at Olkeri Secondary School in Kajiado North.
Additionally, the program has reached Karuri High School, Senior Chief Koinange Girls High School in Kiambu, as well as Mutunguru Comprehensive and Kigumo Bandera High School, among others.
