UNICEF, Airtel Partnership Increases Digital Learning In Rwandan Schools

Airtel Rwanda and UNICEF have announced a new collaboration to help increase digital learning in rural schools by linking them to the internet.

Under this partnership, a total of 20 yet-to-be-disclosed remote schools will receive free internet connectivity, benefiting up to 12,000 young learners and their teachers.

Airtel has zero-rated five sites that provide a wealth of content from the official Rwanda Education Board curriculum to anyone with an Airtel Rwanda sim card for free.

Acting UNICEF Representative in Rwanda, Min Yuan commended the agreement with Airtel Rwanda, to provide thousands of school children and their instructors access to the internet.

She said the partnership will enable students and teachers use digital connectivity to learn and teach wherever and whenever possible.

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Airtel Rwanda Managing Director, Emmanuel Hamez, appreciated their partners for joining efforts in helping Rwandan children, especially from rural areas who are the direct beneficiaries of this project, ‘to receive one more tool that will power their imagination.’

At continental level, Airtel Africa and UNICEF inked a five-year pan-African partnership to help accelerate digital learning by connecting schools to the internet and ensuring free access to learning platforms across 13 countries.

The project is aimed to benefit learners in Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Under the agreement, Airtel Africa committed to pay a US$ 50 million in-kind (Data, SMS) and US$7 million in cash over the span of the 5-year period.