On April 5th, 2024, a significant milestone was reached in Malawi’s educational sector as InspireLearn officially launched the first-ever inclusive e-learning platform at the Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe themed, ‘Back to Basics: The Potential of Keypad Phones in Revolutionising Education’. 

The event had about 100 attendees present and over 300 participants streaming online, featuring a diverse mix of stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Education, UNFPA, UNICEF, YouthConnekt, TNM, NCST, teachers, and students from Kamzimbi CDSS, tech enthusiasts, and the general public. Associate Professor Chomora Mikeka, Director of Science, Technology, and Innovation in the Ministry of Education, graced the occasion as the guest of honour. During the event, students from Kamzimbi, as firsthand users of the platform, gave testimonials about how the platform has benefited them. One of the students, Chikondi Safari, expressed how the platform has helped her engage in classes even at home and facilitated group discussions with her friends during exam periods.

In its commitment to revolutionise education in Malawi, InspireLearn adopts a collaborative approach, recognizing the crucial role of teachers in shaping the platform. The company held a workshop on November 3, 2023, with teachers from Kamzimbi Community Day Secondary School. The main purpose of the engagement was to refine the platform to suit the unique needs of students in rural areas.

Kamzimbi, situated in a rural area with challenges like limited internet connectivity and scarce educational resources, serves as a representative of the target audience for the InspireLearn platform. The organisation aims to bridge the educational gap by providing a learning platform accessible offline and on basic phones, ensuring equitable access to educational resources.

The workshop kicked off with an introduction to the InspireLearn platform, giving teachers a hands-on experience. Despite the challenges posed by the school’s location, teachers found the platform to be remarkably user-friendly.For instance, Mr. Abel Kavala, one of the teachers, shared feedback that underscored the platform’s user-friendly nature, highlighting how easily he navigated it without external guidance.

A large part of the workshop was dedicated to gathering insights from the teachers. Teachers actively participated, offering their perspectives based on their experiences and needs in order to enhance the platform’s effectiveness. Suggestions ranged from incorporating interactive features and diverse learning styles. InspireLearn sees these recommendations as important contributions to shaping a more impactful educational tool.

The organisation views this collaborative effort as a stepping stone in its mission to transform education. The insights gained from teachers from Kamzimbi will help refine the platform to better align with the realities of rural education in Malawi. The organization remains committed to an ongoing dialogue with educators in the country to ensure continuous improvement.

In the journey to revolutionise education, InspireLearn recognizes the importance of this collaborative approach with educators who serve as the frontline ambassadors of change. By engaging directly with teachers from Kamzimbi, the organization not only got important feedback but also showed its strong commitment to making a learning platform that is inclusive and impacts students in Malawi and beyond, irrespective of their background.

InspireLearn, a dedicated leader in the field of quality education, took great pride in its active participation at the UNFPA Harmful Practices Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. This transformative 3-day event brought together participants from 27 African countries, fostering knowledge sharing, networking, experience exchange, and the exploration of innovative and sustainable solutions. Attendees represented diverse groups, including UNFPA representatives, young innovators, FGM prevention experts, business mentors, philanthropic supporters, investors, and digital communication specialists hailing from various African regions.

At this innovation summit, InspireLearn’s representative, Lisa Bhagwanji, as a UNFPA Malawi delegate, actively took part in discussions on innovative and sustainable approaches to address harmful practices, which include gender-based violence. Globally, one in three women experiences either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence during their lifetime (WHO), and in Malawi, as of 2022, 22% of young women had experienced GBV. Gender-based violence (GBV) ranges from physical, sexual, emotional, and other family violence to female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, early childbearing, trafficking, and sexual violence as a weapon of war.

At InspireLearn, we recognize the transformative power of education. Our platform is designed to provide accessible and inclusive learning opportunities, equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills they need to take a stand against harmful practices and gender-based violence. During the summit, Bhagwanji seized the opportunity to introduce our platform to the participants and organizations that were present, spreading the message of “Tech Driven GBV Advocacy”.

The Harmful Practices Innovation Summit has inspired InspireLearn to continue uniting for change. We are more committed than ever to using education as a powerful tool to challenge and end harmful practices and GBV. By joining forces with passionate individuals and organizations like UNFPA, we are determined to create a world liberated from harmful practices and foster a brighter and more equitable future for all.

InspireLearn believes in the power of technology to drive gender-based violence advocacy  forward. Through innovative digital solutions, we aim to boost the voices of survivors, educate society about GBV and foster a safer and more inclusive environment for all.

By Naomie Kambeja

As part of the UNICEF COVID-19 Youth Challenge, a call for solutions to mitigate challenges caused by COVID-19 in Malawi, the InspireLearn platform emerged as the winning solution nationwide.

Even before the pandemic, Malawi’s educational system was in crisis, with only 35% of students completing primary education and transitioning to secondary school, and just 8% managing to finish secondary education. The reasons for these are deep-rooted, one being inadequate access to educational resources. With the added impact of COVID-19, the situation became worse, especially for children and young people in disadvantaged and remote communities. 

InspireLearn Limited understands that an e-learning approach reliant on internet connectivity alone is not viable in a nation where only a small population has access to the internet. In response, the InspireLearn platform was innovated as a solution with an offline mobile learning platform that can also  be accessed on basic phones. This was done to ensure that every student, regardless of their internet connectivity and type of device, has equal opportunity for continued learning amidst any school disruptions. 

This award reflects InspireLearn’s dedication to transforming education in Malawi by innovating solutions that promote equal access to education. Together, we can inspire the youth of Malawi and beyond to reach their full potential through education and technology.