The onset of COVID-19 in 2020 served as a wake up call for the country to utilize digital resources for learning; however, not everyone was aware of the learning opportunities presented by such resources. On a visit to Kamzimbi, located in Traditional Authority Kabudula in Lilongwe rural, on August 11, 2023, InspireLearn discovered the digital literacy gap that exists in the country.  The community members indicated that most of them were not aware of possible means that could have been used for the students to continue learning amidst school closures. 

In a quest to bridge the digital literacy gap in the community, InspireLearn demonstrated e-learning concepts to the community. In attendance were students from Kamzimbi CDSS, teachers from the school, parents, and community leaders. The event started with a presentation on e-learning by Ms. Lisa Bhagwanji. She gave an explanation of what e-learning is, the devices used, how it operates, and the benefits it has for education. In her explanation, Bhagwanji said e-learning is a teaching method that uses electronic devices such as phones and laptops. The benefits are that learning can be done regardless of the location for both teachers and students.

The audience was delighted to learn about e-learning and was later divided into 5 groups with a representative from InspireLearn in each of those groups to have a physical demonstration of the concept. Each group joined a class using Google Meet, and a teacher from Kamzimbi CDSS addressed the audience.

In his explanation, the Managing Director of InspireLearn, Mr. Sam Masikini, explained that the demonstration was done to give them a practical experience of e-learning and to demonstrate that teachers and students can conduct classes while in different locations. Masikini also briefed the audience on how this was made possible using the internet, which led to focus group discussions to delve deep into the topic and find out if e-learning would work at Kamzimbi. 

Findings indicated that e-learning would not work in the area due to the need for internet connectivity and the use of advanced technologies to access e-learning. The community expressed how most households do not possess smartphones or laptops that they could use for e-learning and that the network in the area is unstable. However, InspireLearn explained to them how the InspireLearn platform comes into play as  a learning platform that can be accessed offline and on basic phones. As such, if any school disruptions or closures reoccur, this platform will give everyone a chance to continue learning regardless of their internet connectivity or digital resources, thereby mitigating the problems that the community raised.