This archive report was first published on 10 May 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt education systems around the world, a teacher in Kenya has taken it upon himself to provide online learning opportunities to students in a rural school. In an interview, the teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous, shared his experiences and the challenges he has faced in implementing e-learning in a community with limited access to technology.
According to the teacher, his motivation for starting the online learning program was not driven by financial gain, but rather a desire to serve the community and provide students with access to educational resources. He was introduced to a Nairobi-based teacher who guided him on how to set up a system for online learning, and he began by visiting the homes of top-performing students in his school to assess their access to smartphones and WhatsApp.
However, the teacher soon realized that even among the top-performing students, access to smartphones and reliable internet connectivity was a significant challenge. He visited the homes of several students, including the daughter of the assistant chief and the son of the MCA, but found that even these students faced difficulties in accessing and submitting their work online.
One student, Tecla, was the only one who had responded to the online learning program, but even she faced challenges with her phone, which had a small screen and slow internet connectivity. The teacher visited the homes of several other students, including the son of a former colleague, but found that many of them did not have access to reliable internet connectivity or smartphones.
Despite these challenges, the teacher remains committed to providing online learning opportunities to students in his community. He has formed a WhatsApp group, called the KCPE Dream Team, and is working with several other teachers and parents to provide support and resources to students who are struggling to access online learning.
As the teacher noted, 'We are covering all subjects except Mathematics, for obvious reasons. Mwisho wa Lami can keep sleeping.'
