Experiencing injury or illness can be particularly challenging for children, often leaving them feeling isolated. Meet Edwin Ng’ambi, a 7-year-old boy from Mibanga Primary School in Chitipa district.
Edwin lost one of his limbs in an accident during his early years. His father, Mr. Ng’ambi, shared that Edwin struggled with feelings of nervousness when he started school, leading him to frequently miss classes.
However, everything changed in January 2024 when Mibanga Primary School launched tablet-based lessons under Building Education Foundations Through Innovation and Technology (BEFIT). Edwin quickly developed a passion for using the tablets and engaging with educational content in the tablet, which significantly boosted his confidence and helped him forge friendships.
Edwin’s teacher, Miss Mtambo, stated that she was surprised to see Edwin coming to school often, opening up and playing with his friend.
“I was surprised to see Edwin playing with his friends; he no longer misses classes. He used to be alone, but now he’s part of the group,” she narrated.
His friend, Mike Msukwa, added that Edwin was a shy boy who did not like playing with his friends. “It was hard to talk to Edwin before, but now we chat and play together. We always look forward to tablet lessons,” said Mike.
The BEFIT program is playing a crucial role in helping leaners like Edward overcome challenges and build meaningful connections with their peers. Through the exciting educational content, the program has helped in transforming leaners’ social experience and promoting inclusion within school the communities.
BEFIT is a self-paced, adaptive learning program that is being implemented by the Ministry of Education through the Directorate of Open Distance and E-learning (DoDEL) and Directorate of Basic Education (DBE) to enhance literacy and numeracy skills among learners in foundational classes through the use of tablets. The program aims to reach all 6,000 primary schools in Malawi.
