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Tablet education drive for Kenyan refugee camp

By , ITWeb
Kenya , 08 Oct 2014

Tablet education drive for Kenyan refugee camp

Mobile-based education is planned to reach 18,000 young people, between the ages of 7 and 20, in the world's largest refugee camp: Dadaab in Eastern Kenya.

Situated near Kenya's border with Somalia, Dadaab is home to 423,396 registered refugees according to statistics from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). People living in the Dadaab camp have been displaced by famine and conflict in the region.

The UNHCR also says that 58% of the Dadaab camp's inhabitants are below the age of 18 years, and that of the 279,000 children living there, 41% are enrolled in primary schools while only 8.5% are in secondary education.

Subsequently, Kenya's biggest mobile network Safaricom, the Vodafone Foundation and Chinese telecoms maker Huawei have teamed up in a bid to improve this situation.

The Vodafone Foundation has donated 13 solar-powered schools, which are to be connected by Safaricom. Meanwhile, Huawei has donated 235 tablets to the programme.

"We are happy with this partnership which brings technology to our education system," said UNHCR Representative in Kenya Raouf Mazou.

"Education is central in the lives of refugees since it is the most important thing that they can carry home. We are committed to ensure the success of the project," Mazou added.

378 teachers in Dadaab are also expected to be trained to provide tablet-based education programmes.

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