THE CHALLENGE. Research shows that the first 1000 days are the most critical for child’s development, and yet globally, more than 10 million children ages 0-6 live in low-income areas that don’t have access to quality early childhood education (ECE). 60% of these children are in Sub-Saharan Africa. One of the main challenges to overcome in providing ECE to children in low-income areas is the lack of skillful teacher training. On average, only about 2 to 6 percent of educational budgets in African countries are alloted to technical and vocational teacher skills development. For example, until recently only 12 percent of educators in South Africa received formal training. This lack of teacher training is more prevalent in rural and impoverished areas, and results in children from these areas attaining poorer results in standardised tests compared to their urban or more affluent peers. Overall, inadequate teacher training leads to greater inequality between urban and rural areas and prevents fair opportunities for Africans.

THE PROCESS. Masiyiwa’s volunteer work at a young age in rural and underprivileged areas was when she first had the realization that opportunities for Africans were not equally available. Her education in banking and social entrepreneurship, combined with her work at her parents’ venture, Higherlife Foundation, helped set her on a path to empower Africa’s youth. She came across the statistics about Africa’s educational sectors during her time as a recipient of the Hult Prize Challenge, a startup accelerator for young social entrepreneurs. Masiyiwa decided to follow in her parents’ footsteps, who had experience as social entrepreneurs in the education sector themselves, and knew that she was in a position to create a viable solution that would address the lack of teacher training across the continent. With a small team, she co-founded Simba Education, a company that leverages mobile technology to give teachers easy access to the tools they need to provide sufficient education for their students. Simba’s platform includes school management systems, student report tools, teaching instructions, lesson plans, and other educational supports. Utilizing a mobile platform makes Simba accessible, convenient, and easy to use. Simba even uses innovative technologies to reach low-connectivity areas.

Source: simbaeducation.com

THE RESULT. During its initial launch in Zimbabwe in 2017, Simba reached over 600 children in just three days. The company continues to reach hundreds of children and provides numerous teachers with the tools they require to provide sufficient education for their students. Masiyiwa has continued her work as a social entrepreneur through Higherlife Foundation, as well, where she serves as a strategic advisor on talent and long-term investment. Among its many accomplishments, Higherlife Foundation has created scholarships for orphaned and vulnerable children between the ages of 5 and 18 years. In the past two decades, Higherlife Foundation has opened 30 learning hubs, secured a $6.4 million investment to sponsor 40 international scholarships, and has provided food, shelter and medical supplies to thousands. As for Simba, the company has committed to implementing six pilot sites, with four in Zimbabwe and two in South Africa. The team at Simba has also signed an agreement with three NGOs, who will adopt the Simba platform after it has been fully iterated.