Airtel Rwanda and UNICEF Rwanda has announced a partnership to help accelerate the roll-out of digital learning through connecting schools to the internet and ensuring access to learning platforms in Rwanda.
At continental level, Airtel Africa and UNICEF signed a five-year pan-African partnership to help accelerate digital learning through connecting schools to the internet and ensuring free access to learning platforms across 13 countries. Under the agreement, Airtel Africa made a commitment to provide US$ 50 million support in-kind (Data, SMS) and US$7 million in cash over the span of the 5-year period.
As a result of this partnership, students in Rwanda are set to receive access to digital learning resources for both teachers and students free of charge.
In the coming weeks, a total of 20 schools will receive internet connectivity that will benefit up to 12,000 young learners and their teachers. In addition, Airtel has zero-rated 5 platforms that hold a wealth of content from the official Rwanda Education Board curriculum freely accessible to anyone who has an Airtel Rwanda SIM card.
“The sky is the limit when students and teachers can use digital connectivity to learn and teach wherever and whenever possible. We are honoured to partner with Airtel Rwanda as we embark on this endeavour to provide thousands of school children and their teachers access to the internet,” said Ms. Min Yuan, acting UNICEF Representative in Rwanda.
Speaking at the event, Airtel Rwanda Managing Director, Mr. Emmanuel Hamez said, “It gives Airtel Rwanda great pleasure to extend our world class internet to the young learners in Rwanda. I commend the Government of Rwanda, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of ICT & Innovation for providing a conducive environment that makes such initiates possible. I would also like to thank UNICEF for joining hands with us in this endeavour. The children of Rwanda who are the direct beneficiaries of this project are set to receive one more tool that will power their imagination.”
Airtel Africa and UNICEF are rolling out this project to benefit learners in Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.