Ubongo, a continental edutainment powerhouse, on September 30, conducted a digital literacy campaign at the Karama Integrated Development (IDP) Model Village, located in Nyarugenge District, with the aim to celebrate knowledge, promote digital literacy, and make learning fun.
The event which brought together children and parents from the village and its surrounding areas, started with Umuganda (community work), before discussions on how to use digital technologies to help children, aged 3 to 12, find learning fun—through animated episodes that are relatable to everyday scenarios.
Ubongo demonstrated how to access the online learning materials and assisted in loading edutainment cartoons to participants’ digital devices.
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Jean de Dieu Iraguha, a father and resident of Karama Model Village commended Ubongo’s initiative for being a stimulating activity in children’s educational journey and thinking capacity.
"However, as much as their programmes are well designed, they should add some more innovation. They should also have a regular representative who comes often to teach kids and organise extra coaching classes to help them learn better. The village has plenty of places for people to stay and play.”
Iraguha further suggested they should expand similar activities across the country to benefit young children widely.
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Jackline Muyoboke, the IDP Management Officer of Karama in Nyarugenge District, shared her sentiments, saying that the initiative has had a great impact as it opens up children’s minds and teaches them different skills.
"I am convinced that the images they have displayed are very useful and will help them acquire knowledge of different elements which is relatable in daily life.”
According to Isaie Micomyiza, Ubongo&039;s Country Manager in Rwanda, the initiative was driven by a purpose.
"We did not want it to be just a mere campaign but rather, a campaign combined with tangible activities. We wanted to motivate residents at this village to be able to incorporate such activities as part of Umuganda,” he said.
Micomyiza added: "Ubongo is gearing up to introduce similar programmes in some parts of Africa which are underserved. This is part of our objective,” he said.
Across the continent, he said, there are some areas where digital infrastructure is not available and people are unable to access their content. "Since a large number have smartphones, we are trying to adapt our content to audio format so that more people can access our content through Interactive Voice Response (IVR).”
Ubongo’s impact
According to 2022 findings, Ubongo is positively impacting children’s lives in the countries it operates, with a strong effect on their academic performance.
Reports indicate that 76 per cent improved in social skills, 87 per cent improved in their academic performance, and 81 per cent improved in their academic engagement.
Additionally, 97 per cent of guardians reported improvements in their children’s quality of life because of Ubongo.
Set within the framework of National Literacy Month, the initiative is part of the Soma Rwanda Network and is lighting up the educational landscape.
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About Ubongo
Ubongo is Africa&039;s leading producer of children's edutainment. As a non-profit social enterprise, they create fun, localised and multi-platform educational content that helps kids learn, and leverage their learning to change their lives. They reach millions of families across Africa through accessible technologies like TV, radio and mobile phones.
Ubongo started airing its programme on the national television, RTV, in 2017 and has set up different events in different countries like Nigeria, Tanzania, and Kenya, among others.
It is driven by the mission to provide engaging and educational content for African children through its edutainment series, including: ‘Akili and Me’ dedicated to kids aged three to six. This one deals with pre-literacy, numeracy, arts, and social-emotional learning.
‘Ubongo Kids’ is dedicated to children aged 7 to 12. It deals with technology, science, engineering, mathematics and other skills. And ‘Nuzo & Namia’, which helps kids to develop listening, reading and comprehension skills.
All these series are broadcast on TV and radio channels throughout Africa, including RTV, Pacis TV, and BTN TV in Rwanda.
On top of that, some episodes are also available on YouTube and other digital platforms. They have also introduced ‘Ubot’, a robotic personal helper and other products like eBooks, audiobooks, and other mobile applications to make sure that they are accessible to all.
About Karama IDP Model Village
The village hosts 240 households relocated from high-risk zones. It comprises living apartments, a secondary school with modern science and ICT laboratories, a modern Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC), six greenhouses, a poultry farm with over 9,000 chicks, a health post, sports facilities and a modern market.