Context
Access to electricity in Burundi is a major challenge, with only 35% of the population having access to electricity provided by the government. Only 15% of rural areas have access to electricity, and only 10% of schools are powered nationally.
Moreover, a large number of children in Burundi, including in Mwaro, come from extremely poor families. The rapid population growth being one of the main causes, extreme poverty often becomes a major obstacle preventing children from accessing education.
Aiming to address the lack of quality education in rural areas, the Shekinah Centre began operating in 2013 as an educational program with 40 students. In 2021, the Shekinah Centre became an approved non-profit organization under Burundian law and manages the Shekinah School, located in the Burundian countryside, in the Rusaka commune, within the province of Mwaro, currently hosting 350 children.
Given the difficulty for financially precarious households to send their children to school, the Shekinah Centre has developed a methodology tailored to poor rural areas. The Shekinah Centre provides education to rural children using a holistic and integrated approach centered on access to quality education, healthcare, clean water, and economic empowerment of families. This comprehensive approach allows for synergy across multiple sectors to build a foundation for sustainable social development. This approach is supported by significant collaboration with the community, with parents participating in their children’s educational process.
The Shekinah School, created and managed by the Shekinah Centre, faces a lack of electricity supply, which is a major hindrance to the realization of its activities and an obstacle to achieving its goal of providing quality education to vulnerable children in rural areas.
This project seeks to open up a world of learning and opportunities by equipping the school, teachers, and students with digital literacy tools and skills.
Goals
Innovate digital technology in teaching and learning at Shekinah School in Burundi.
Activities
The project will acquire laptops powered by solar panels and connected to high-speed internet, and will equip Shekinah School with the necessary digital technology infrastructure to integrate ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and internet-based learning into their educational program in the future.
The project will develop and launch a comprehensive digital library for Shekinah School students, providing a platform for future improved access to a wide range of online educational resources, fostering knowledge exchange and cultural discovery.
It will also include the recruitment of 2 ICT trainers for the professional development of teachers for effective use of ICT.
Activities will include:
- Equip the ICT laboratory at Shekinah School with laptops powered by solar panels, connected to high-speed internet;
- Innovate digital technology in teaching and learning at Shekinah School by training teachers on the use of ICT and the internet;
- Integrate online teaching and learning resources available for teachers and students in the Shekinah School curriculum;
- Offer students exposure to the world, the opportunity to connect with other students to exchange knowledge, cultures, discover, and innovate;
- Create a digital library for Shekinah School students.
Key Performance Indicators to be reached (KPIs)
- Establishment of an ICT laboratory and a digital library for Shekinah School students, powered by solar panels.
- Teachers gain practical knowledge of digital literacy and the skills necessary to integrate digital literacy into the school curriculum.
- Offering students exposure to the world and the opportunity to connect to exchange knowledge, cultures, discover, and innovate.
MYRIAD CANADA is working with Shekinah Centre on this project, a nonprofit that works to promote the development of rural communities and education through capacity building.
How to support this project?
By credit card: At the top right of this page, indicate the amount you wish to donate, and make the donation online by credit card. You will receive a receipt for tax purposes by e-mail just a few minutes after making the donation. It is simple and fast!
By cheque:
- Make your cheque out to Myriad Canada
- IMPORTANT NOTE: We receive a lot of cheques! You must please indicate ‘C320 – Burundi’ in the memo line of your cheque to ensure that it is allocated correctly.
- Mail your cheque to: Myriad Canada, 1 Place Ville Marie, Suite 1670, Montreal, QC, H3B 2B6
By Direct Deposit:
- For transfer instructions, please email or call: info@myriadcanada.org or 514-481-2000
All donations are eligible for a tax receipt in Canada.
The projects are managed with the greatest care and professionalism.