"I'm very conscious of the fact that you can't do it alone. It's teamwork. When you do it alone you run the risk that when you are no longer there nobody else will do it." ― Wangari Maathai.
|
|
Our RELI Africa external website is LIVE!!! |
|
Remember to sign up via reliafrica.org and showcase the work you are doing as a member of the RELI network.
|
|
Innovation Week Tanzania 2021
Teaching at the Right Level Workshop:
An Innovative Teaching Pedagogy to Improve Children’s Literacy and Numeracy
About Innovation Week
Innovation Week is a platform that hosts a week-long series of collaborative events and exhibitions in Tanzania, curated by the Human Development Innovation Fund (HDIF), Commission of Science and Technology (COSTECH), in partnership with other innovation stakeholders, and with hitherto the support from the UKAid. This year, HDIF and COSTECH are joined by another strategic partner, UNDP, to bring eventful and impactful week, and make the Innovation Week Tanzania as sustainable as it can be.
|
|
May 17 - 22 marked Tanzania's 2021 innovation week. Government officials, civil servants, educational stakeholders, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and the private sector joined hands virtually and face to face to speak out about Innovation for a Resilient and Inclusive Digital Economy”. In Zanzibar, the long Innovation Week was hosted by CUBE Zanzibar (in collaboration with HDIF and support from UK AID and COSTECH) situated at the Kiponda, part of Zanzibar Stone Town. CUBE -Zanzibar provides incubation services that help to bring ideas to life and get businesses to excel. Milele Zanzibar Foundation (MZF) and The State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) participated in the innovation week through exhibiting, learning, and contributing to education technology and learning improvement in our schools. The RELI members (MZF and SUZA) facilitated training for youth from different Zanzibar-based universities and colleges on design thinking, pitching, ideation, uniqueness of education, and the blue economy. Currently, the 8th phase government of Zanzibar under Hon. President Dr. Hussein Mwinyi peddled for economic growth with a focus on the blue economy. On the other hand, RELI Tanzania members exhibited technological facilities that include KIOKITs, Robotics, and Drone to stimulate learners, access, and enjoy fun learning and teaching through digital and distance contents.
|
|
The Teacher Development and Support group (TDS) sought to share the Teaching at The Right Level (TaRL) pedagogy with the wider ecosystem in innovation and education during the Innovation Week. Through a competitive application process, the concept to show TaRL was accepted for a 2-hour workshop.
The workshop was hosted by TDS lead, Faraja Kotta Nyalandu. It included a keynote speech delivered by Zaida Mgalla, Executive Director of Uwezo who shared the history and mission of RELI Tanzania, TaRL as a pedagogy, the learning outcomes based on Uwezo’s experience, and the drive for adoption citing RELI members SAWA and OCODE. The keynote speech was followed by a makeshift class comprised of students from Kumbukumbu Primary School who took part in an exercise to showcase TaRL in practice, facilitated by Dr. Shadidu Ndossa, Safia Mkubwa Abdalla, Benjamini Masebo, and Said Yunus. The audience had a chance to enjoy Aya Stories. TaRL children’s digital stories that support literacy coordinated by Berthasia Richard of Shule Direct. Umayra Said of SUZA supported the live streaming of the event. Kudos to Dr. Maryam Jaffar Ismail from SUZA, the then TDS thematic leader, now the country leader of RELI Tanzania for working tirelessly with all TDS members to adopt and develop the whole package of TaRL resources that fit the context of Tanzania. Thanks to Zaida Mgalla for bringing the idea to RELI Tanzania and for introducing TaRL Africa. The RELI Africa network provided the opportunity to harvest learning through collaboration and synergies with other RELI members.
All TaRL resources including the Literacy, Numeracy, Parents Guide toolkits, and Aya Stories will be available online. Please register here
|
|
A GRASP OF LEARNING SYNERGIES
Since joining the RELI Tanzania Network, Child Support Tanzania (CST) has harvested new learning through collaboration and synergies with other RELI members. Collaboration with Ubongo Kids has taken CST's dream of ensuring learning for all children becomes a reality. Ubongo Kids is an animated educational TV series produced in Tanzania which helps kids find fun in learning. The Ubongo Kids education TV series can be dubbed as “Edutainment made in Africa for Africa.” Through the use of edutainment content created by Ubongo Kids, CST has been able to embed learning for all children through digital platforms. The use of technology for children with disabilities helps to break the barriers for people with disabilities and provide them with access to the most relevant educational programs. Professionally designed programs allow students with special needs to get an education and receive any required information needed. CST confirms that when learning engages children in areas and subjects of interest, it becomes fun and children actively participate. "If we really want to help our children to become good learners, encouraging them to explore topics and subjects that fascinate them is a must." Through its inclusive Early Childhood Assessment and Learning Development Center (ECALD), Child Support Tanzania (CST) strives to ensure that every child accesses education equally and in inclusive settings regardless of their disabilities.
|
|
From May 31 to June 4, RELI Tanzania partners will be joining other education stakeholders to mark the Global Action Week for Education (GAWE) in Tanzania. The event will take place in Rorya district, Mara region. The theme for the 2021 Global Action Week for Education (GAWE) is "Education Financing". Actions and activities undertaken during the week will be focused on securing an increase in the public financing of education to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. RELI Tanzania delegates will use this platform to showcase thematic group learning products that can help to improve learning outcomes for all children in Tanzania. Follow the conversation on Twitter via @RELITanzania and @RELIAfrica
|
|
May 21, marked the official launch of Schools 2030 in Uganda. Officially opened by Ms. Meralyn Mungereza, the Aga Khan Foundation Country Manager, “This is the beginning of a wonderful 10-year journey and I am excited to have all of you here with us as we embark on the first step”. Janat Namatovu, the Schools 2030 Country Coordinator supplemented on this saying, “the teacher has the potential to make or break a pupil, to make them shine or to deteriorate their love for school and learning in general. This program acknowledges it.” This was followed by a lifeskills panel discussion chaired by Mauro Giacomazzi, the RELI Uganda Country co-lead and Program Coordinator of the Assessment of Lifeskills and Values in East Africa (ALIVE) RELI project. Mauro and Ms. Fatuma Wamala of Girls Education Movement underscored the relevance of life skills among young people especially those at the workplace. Assessment as a core element of the teaching-learning process and Human Centred Design Thinking was equally deliberated upon. Mr. Ismael Mulindwa, Director Basic and Secondary Education, and Dr. Cleophus Mugenyi, Commissioner, Basic Education (Patron of Schools 2030), were among the key persons that officially launched Schools 2030. Uwezo Uganda, Fundi Bots, and Luigi Giussani Institute of Higher Education (LGIHE) were some of the RELI organizations that graced the event. Schools 2030 is a ten-year (2020-2030) participatory action research and learning improvement program based in 1,000 government schools across 10 countries (Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Portugal, Tajikistan Tanzania, Uganda). It is anchored upon principles of Human Centred Design and seeks to boost locally rooted, teacher-led education solutions to improve holistic learning outcomes for the most marginalized learners in the World. |
|
On May 24 - 26, the Technical Committee of the Assessment of lifeskills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) RELI project charged with developing test items for measuring the four competencies of problem-solving, collaboration, self-awareness, and respect convened to generate task ideas.
The test item developers focused on the concept domain that is centered upon determining elements of a given skill and factors that influence it such as rural-urban settings, literacy levels, modern versus traditional home settings, tribal ethnical factors, gender roles, etc. It was agreed that Uganda would work on problem-solving, Kenya on collaboration, and Tanzania on self-awareness and respect. Kandi Alum of the Foundation of Inclusive Community Help (FICH) expressed her excitement about taking part in this workshop: “Individually, I cannot make it, whereas as a team, life is made easier. I love the teamwork and the diversity that pops up during the discussions." This entire process is facilitated by Prof. Esther Care of the University of Melbourne alongside the RELI country leads in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
|
|
On Friday, May 24, the lifeskills cluster held their monthly meeting with the purpose of preparing for the RELI Uganda semi-annual convening that will take place on June 3 - 4. Members discussed and agreed on issues to showcase categorized under achievements, challenges, and opportunities. |
|
Learner Centred Teaching thematic group: A session of the teacher training program on strategies of teacher coaching and support took place on May 20. Facilitated by Dignitas, and administered to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), the session was well attended by staff from the curriculum development department.
|
|
RELI Kenya through Dupoto E Maa organization in partnership with the Keep Kenya Learning project has completed material development of murals for community learning in Kajiado county. These materials were successfully developed with the help of community members who provided unskilled labour. A tool was also developed to help the organizations monitor how the communities are interacting with the murals. |
|
The RELI Hub leadership team met on May 18 to continue planning for the upcoming country convening set for June 2021. The country leads reviewed and finalized the convening plan and shared a proposal with WPF for input and approval. A supporting budget was also developed. |
|
Join the conversation on Twitter by following @ReliAfrica and using the hashtags #RELIAfrica #RELILearning to keep the conversation going. A social media toolkit is available here.
Are you a member of the RELI online platform? Click here for more details.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
