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What scales better in tackling poverty — technology or community?

Posted on by Mike Freni

I still get this question more often than you’d expect:

The honest answer is simple. “Neither”.

Technology scales efficiency.
Community scales trust.

And without trust, nothing gets adopted.

We’ve seen it repeatedly —
brilliant tech solutions failing quietly,
while simple community models keep working.

The real leverage is not choosing sides.

It’s combining both.

Technology should enable.
Community should anchor.

That’s where scale becomes real.

Clarity comes from stepping back — understanding the challenge before defining the solution.

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Children in the poorest countries have lost nearly four months of schooling

Posted on by Mike Freni

New report looks at national education responses to COVID-19 including lost learning; remote learning support for students, parents and teachers; school reopening plans; health protocols; and financing

NEW YORK/PARIS/Washington D.C. 29 October 2020 – Schoolchildren in low-and lower-middle-income countries have already lost nearly four months of schooling since the start of the pandemic, compared to six weeks of loss in high-income countries, according to a new report published today by UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank. 

“We don’t need to look far to see the devastation the pandemic has caused to children’s learning across the world. In low- and lower-middle income countries, this devastation is magnified as limited access to remote learning, increased risks of budget cuts and delayed plans in reopening have thwarted any chance of normalcy for schoolchildren,” said Robert Jenkins UNICEF Chief of Education. “Prioritising reopening schools and providing much-needed catch-up classes are critical.”

The report compiles findings from surveys on national education responses to COVID-19 carried out in nearly 150 countries between June and October. Schoolchildren in low-and lower-middle income countries were the least likely to access remote learning, the least likely to be monitored on their learning loss, the most likely to have delays to their schools reopening and the most likely to attend schools with inadequate resources to ensure safe operations, the report finds.

  • While more than two-thirds of countries have fully or partially reopened their schools, 1 in 4 have missed their planned reopening date or not yet set a date for reopening, most of which are low- and lower-middle-income countries.
  • Only 1 in 5 low-income countries reported that remote learnings days count as official school days, recognising the low-impact of remote learning measures, compared to three-quarters of countries globally.
  • Of 79 countries which responded to questions related to financing, nearly 40 per cent of low-and lower-middle-income countries have either already experienced or anticipate decreases to their country’s education budget for the current or next fiscal year.
  • While most countries reported that student learning is being monitored by teachers, a quarter of low- and lower-middle-income countries are not tracking children’s learning.
  • Half of respondents in low-income countries reported not having adequate funds for safety measures such as handwashing facilities, social distancing measures and protective equipment for students and teachers, compared to 5 per cent of high-income countries.
  • Around 2 in 3 of low-income countries were introducing measures to support access or inclusion for those at risk of exclusion.
  • More than 90 per cent of high- and upper-middle-income respondents required teachers to continue teaching during school closures, compared to less than 40 per cent of low-income country respondents.

“The pandemic will notch up the funding gap for education in low and middle-income countries. By making the right investment choices now, rather than waiting, this gap could be significantly reduced,” said Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education. “At the Global Education Meeting convened by UNESCO with Ghana, Norway and the UK on 22 October, some 15 heads of state and government, close to 70 education ministers and development partners committed to protect education funding and act to safely reopen schools, support all teachers as frontline workers and narrow the digital divide. This holds us all to account.”

Other findings include:

  • Almost all countries included remote learning in their education response, in the form of online platforms, TV and radio programmes and take-home packages.
  • 9 in 10 countries facilitated access to online learning, most frequently through mobile phones or offering internet access at subsidized or no cost, but the coverage of this access was extremely varied.
  • 6 in 10 countries provided materials to help guide parents in home-based learning, while 4 in 10 countries provided psychosocial counselling to children and caregivers during school closures.  These efforts were more common among high-income countries and in environments where resources were already available.

“Despite widespread efforts, there are large differences in countries’ capacity to provide children and youth with effective learning. And there are probably even wider differences within countries in the educational stimulation children and youth have experienced.  We were worried about learning poverty before the pandemic and also about the inequality in learning opportunities. Now the learning baseline is lower, but the increase in inequality of opportunities could be catastrophic. The task of reigniting the learning process is extremely urgent,” said Jaime Saavedra, World Bank Global Director for Education.

Posted in sub-Saharan Africa

We All Need Access to Power to get Connected “Kumba”

Posted on by Mike Freni

While the global market for renewables is immense and largely untapped, with billions of potential consumers who are unconnected and unbanked, Kumbaya’s scope reaches beyond the energy market. Ultimately the Company is designed to move into and provide a decentralized global platform for all types of social good: communication, healthcare, education, emergency response, disaster relief, water purification, refrigeration, and more.

Energy

Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today. Be it for jobs, security, climate change, food production or increasing incomes, access to energy for all is essential. Working towards this goal is especially important as it interlinks with other Sustainable Development Goals. Focusing on universal access to energy, increased energy efficiency and the increased use of renewable energy through new economic and job opportunities is crucial to creating more sustainable and inclusive communities and resilience to environmental issues like climate change.

Slightly less than 1 billion people are functioning without electricity and 50% of them are found in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. Over the past 10 years, several startups have entered the market with small home solar systems, where customers pay a down payment, followed by monthly installments until they own their home solar kits. The home solar kits include: a panel, a battery, a phone charger, one or more LED lights and often an optional radio and/or television. What people really need is the Power, Connectivity and access to Knowledge,  thats why we designed the Kumba a Solar-Powered, Communications and IoT Hub, Electrification powers connectivity.  Connectivity powers knowledge.  Knowledge powers social and economic progress.

Connectivity

If energy is the first rung to climb on the development ladder, connectivity is not far behind. Beyond being valuable in and of itself, connectivity enables an enormous range of additional capabilities—progress in every one of the industries listed below either directly depends on or hugely benefits from the proliferation of mobile phones. Forget land lines; millions of Africans who have never had home phones have jumped directly to using cell phones.

Education

Access to new technologies can only get you so far—mobile money, smartphones, and internet won’t be much use without basic reading, writing, and math skills, not to mention the critical thinking and problem-solving abilities that are fundamental to innovation. Beyond these basics, to keep their economies progressing, African nations should also be preparing students for careers outside agricultural or labor-based fields.

A shortage of qualified teachers in many African countries—combined with the fact that these same countries have the fastest-growing school-age population in the world—makes providing high-quality education a monumental task.

Healthcare

African communities without established healthcare systems face far more challenges than communities in the US or Europe—but they also have unique opportunities to build even more effective and equitable health systems from the outset.

As in almost every other industry mentioned, the superstar of African progress in healthcare is none other than the connected devices. Across the continent, telemedicine services and supply chains for malaria drugs and other medications are substantially reducing treatment stock-outs. Through telemedicine, a digital platform can provide for pregnant women, mothers, and nurses to get health advice and information, as well as register pregnancies in the country’s public health system. Other threats can be detected and remotely monitored like Diabetes, Malaria, HIV and other diseases.

Agriculture

Farming is the primary source of food and income for Africans and provides up to 60 percent of all jobs on the continent.

Food production in sub-Saharan Africa needs to increase by 60 percent over the next 15 years to feed a growing population. Africa’s food and beverage markets are buoyant and expected to top $1 trillion in value by 2030.

The continent is bursting with potential: At 200 million hectares, sub-Saharan Africa is home to nearly half of the world’s uncultivated land that can be brought into production. Africa uses only 2 percent of its renewable water resources compared to 5 percent globally. Together with abundant resources, including a resourceful, enterprising youth population, strategic investments in agriculture can unleash virtuous growth cycles. How can Africa, then, capitalize on these opportunities?

First, African farmers need new technology—higher-yielding, more resilient food crops that deliver bountiful harvests. New techniques are beginning to boost yields in rice and cocoa, among other crops. Second, African farmers need more electricity, more irrigation, and better infrastructure that links them to lucrative regional food markets. Third, we need sound policies that do not discriminate against the farm sector.  Women produce the bulk of food in Africa, and yet they are largely locked out of land ownership, access to credit, and productive farm inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, and farming tools. Further, they are often bypassed by extension services, limiting their productivity.

Can Kumbaya Clear the Biggest Hurdles?

Technology is helping bring information, services, and capabilities to Africa at a rate faster than was previously thought possible. But as the continent’s population grows and, with it, the need for resources and services explodes, will the Kumbaya model prove to be scalable?

The work to end extreme poverty is far from over, and many challenges remain. It is becoming even more difficult to reach those living in extreme poverty, who often reside in fragile contexts and remote areas. Access to good schools, healthcare, electricity, safe water and other critical services remain elusive for many people, often determined by socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, and geography. Moreover, for those who have been able to move out of poverty, progress is often temporary: economic shocks, food insecurity and climate change threaten to rob them of their hard-won gains and force them back into poverty. It will be critical to find ways to tackle these issues as we make progress toward 2030.

Africa’s continued development, despite the challenges the continent faces, shows us that by meeting people’s basic needs with renewable energy and connectivity, innovation will grow to empower millions more people along the way.  There is no doubt that we at Kumbaya feel proud having developed zeroXess, our technically advanced yet sustainable and affordable power and connectivity hub to meet the basic needs of those living in extreme poverty. Kumbaya has created specific programs that consider the low disposable income of those living in extreme poverty that can help the poorest in every country to break the poverty cycle. We understand that energy and connectivity are critical to improving lives, and our mission is to bring these valuable resources to the people who need them most.

Posted in sub-Saharan Africa

International Day Of The Girl

Posted on by Mike Freni

Today we celebrate International #DayOfTheGirl, We at Kumbaya believe girls should have a safe, healthy and educated life what is a fundamental right for adolescent girls, providing the foundations for an empowered life. These rights allow girls to have control of their own futures and can help prepare for whatever roles they chose to go onto, whether that be as a matriarchal figure, a doctor, nurse, teacher, engineer, or political leader. The objectives being set both in the #sdg will enable girls to realize their full potential and overcome the challenges and stigmas they face.

Posted in sub-Saharan AfricaTagged , ,

Making Sure All Children in The World Can Go to School And Get A Good Education

Posted on by Mike Freni

According to UNICEF, the early childhood years from birth through age 8 are the formative in terms of intelligence, personality and social behavior.

Pre-K is important because it provides a critical foundation for kindergarten. Pre-K provides children the chance to develop and grow while learning the skills needed to be successful for the rest of their lives.

The Malawian, Nigerian, Ghana and other African government recognizes this connection and encourages communities to set up local pre-schools. With no or limited financial resources, most of these pre-schools are unsuitable and unsafe for children.

For many children who still do not have access to education, it is notable because of persisting inequality and marginalization. In developing and developed countries alike, children do not have access to basic education because of inequalities that originate in sex, health and cultural identity (ethnic origin, language, religion). These children find themselves on the margins of the education system and do not benefit from learning that is vital to their intellectual and social development.

We @Kumbaya have developed the framework for a sustainable remote digital learning system (it is called zeroXess), to stimulate in an easy and fun manner to engage children from pre-K and up to receive the basics in reading, writing, arithmetic physical, social, cognitive, creative and emotional skills – particularly creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking and collaboration.

More than 72 million children of primary education age are not in school and 759 million adults are illiterate and do not have the awareness necessary to improve both their living conditions and those of their children.

I call on my colleagues with the experiences and access to these digital early learning educational content to contact me for chance encounter, new alliances, inspirational collaborations, new content development, sponsoring and partnerships or advisory board. let’s make an impactful leap for a new generation children of the world. We have offices in California and The Netherlands.

Posted in sub-Saharan AfricaTagged , ,
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