Mobile Technology Empowers & Educates Children
Non-governmental organizations or non-profits that are involved in education should take note of this interesting and beneficial project that I read about. It involves mobile technologies.
A series of initiatives to improve learning through mobile technologies were presented during the Mobile Learning Week 2017, a recently concluded five-day forum held at the Paris headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), according to the UN News Center.
Mobile Learning Week, which wrapped up last week, assembled hands-on education specialists, private sector and policy makers, and focused on the theme Education in Emergencies and Crises.
It showed that the wide range of mobile and online technologies, which are frowned upon by traditional educators and some parents, can benefit children – especially refugee and displaced kids.
The program of Mobile Learning Week was designed to present diverse initiatives and facilitate discussion and collaboration between stakeholders across different sectors of society. Participants were loaded with plans and solutions toward successfully integrating mobile technologies to aid education in crises.
While smartphone apps and interactive workshops demonstrated how mobile solutions could meet some of the challenges faced by displaced people, two tents set up by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at the event facility gave participants an idea of the living and learning conditions faced by refugees, including the lack of Internet connection.
Interactive workshops, from a solar-powered digital audio player for teacher education in South Sudan, to smartphone games for Syrian refugee children, demonstrated how mobile solutions are able to meet the unique challenges of displaced people.
“While refugee learners face numerous obstacles, they also carry the potential to transform educational practices,” the Congolese university student and youth community activist Roland Kalamo said at the conference. Roland lives and studies at Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, and was one of the presenters at the event.
He is also the founder of Movement of Youth for Peace and Change, an organization that teaches young people at Kakuma about human rights, peacebuilding and conflict resolution through arts like cinema and music, language, journalism and sports. Through his organization, he seeks to empower the youth to be part of the solutions to their own problems.
Imagine that such a mobile device, the ubiquitous small apparatus used by kids around the world, can enlighten and improve children’s lives. When children are educated, they will improve the lives of their peers and their children and grandchildren.
Although lack or unstable Internet connection can be one of the multiple obstacles to refugee learners, mobile learning – which enables, through mobile technology, learning anytime and anywhere – can be an opportunity for them to invest in their own lives and future.
“When a refugee is using mobile learning, they enjoy the same rights as a normal citizen and no matter the circumstances,” said Roland, adding that: “If they’re alive and have access to the Internet, nothing will stop them from learning.”
According to a report from UNHCR – which co-organized the event together with UNESCO and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – only 50% of refugee children have access to primary education, while the global average is more than 90%.
As these children grow older, there is an even larger gap: only 22% of refugee adolescents attend secondary school compared to a global average of 84%. At the higher education level, just 1% of refugees attend university, compared to a global average of 34%.
The opportunities for NGOs, even those that aren’t directly involved in education, as well as small businesses that have a window for humanitarian work, are numerous.
First of all, you can contact educational institutions in developing countries or displaced centers. To do so you can contact appropriate UN agencies, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNHCR or the Red Cross. Then prepare a list of websites and apps that can help children learn about themselves and the world in which they live. You can also collect used or discarded mobile devices and then donate them to needy schools and children overseas. You can also ask OEMs, telephone companies, and other technology firms to donate the devices to your cause. Finally, you can research Wi-Fi and technology providers and ask them to install networks and sustainable energy stations for educational purposes.
By doing so, you will fulfill SDG #4 – Quality Education.
Don’t Forget to Promote
When you’re ready to launch your assistance campaign, don’t forget to promote your organization. Get in touch with local media, elected officials, educational institutions, other NGOs and small businesses, and stakeholders. Share your initiative and ask them to join. Promote yourselves on Twitter and Facebook, including as many photos as possible especially of the kids using your tech contributions.
All media love human interest stories.
If you have examples of how you’ve used social media to boost your outreach, let me know about it and I’ll help you spread the word about your success.
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