Imagine Worldwide

Exciting to see the Ministry of Education - Malawi share the impressive results coming out of its program!

EdTech isn't just about the tech; it's what becomes possible when all children, regardless of their background or ability, have the opportunity to learn to read, write, and do mathematics.

Read our latest article to find out how four girls with diverse learning needs are becoming literate and numerate through the Pikin Tab program in Sierra Leone: https://ow.ly/1B1850Z4bkl

Onebillion Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education SL SEND - SIERRA LEONE

Local government support for foundational learning in Malawi is inspiring. Thank you Ministry of Education - Malawi for your leadership with BEFIT!

Wonderful to see the BEFIT program on the international stage!

“𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗜 𝗛𝗮𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺”

𝘉𝘺 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢 (𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳, 𝘊𝘙𝘌𝘊𝘊𝘖𝘔)

Usually, when visitors enter a classroom, there is a little bit of drama. Learners suddenly sit up straight, some become unusually quiet, while others stare at you as though you have arrived with sweets hidden in your bag. But my visit to Malabada Primary School in Blantyre City was completely different.

Nobody noticed me.

And honestly, I took it personally for about three seconds.

The moment the Building Education Foundations through Innovation and Technology (BeFIT) period started, as scheduled on the school timetable, the classroom transformed into a well-coordinated learning space. Learners quickly lined up, tablets were distributed, headphones carefully connected, and the teacher guided them through the usual preparation process with impressive calmness and order.

Then silence.

Not the kind of silence that comes from fear or confusion, but the deep, focused silence of learners completely absorbed in what they were doing. The children were so engaged in the tablet-enabled lessons that my presence as a monitoring visitor became almost irrelevant. For a Program Manager, that was probably the best compliment I could receive.

As part of BeFIT Cohort III monitoring sessions, I visited the school to observe how learners are benefiting from tablet-enabled learning aimed at improving literacy and numeracy. What I witnessed was encouraging, inspiring, and, at times, quietly amusing.

Some learners handled the tablets with such confidence that you would think they had been born holding them. Others moved through lessons with excitement and concentration, carefully listening through headphones while following instructions on the screen. The classroom atmosphere reflected active learning, curiosity, and growing confidence among the learners.

What stood out most during the visit was how the BeFIT program is steadily becoming institutionalised within the school system. This is no longer an “extra activity” squeezed into free time. The BeFIT session is now part of the official school timetable, with teachers and school leadership fully supporting its implementation.

That level of ownership is important.

The school leadership has embraced the program by ensuring consistency in lesson delivery, accountability in handling learning materials, and support for teachers facilitating the sessions. The systems being put in place are helping ensure that the benefits of the program continue beyond the Implementing Support Partner (ISP) phase.

At the same time, community engagement continues to play a critical role. Parents and community members are increasingly appreciating the value of tablet-enabled learning as they observe improvements in learners’ reading, writing, and numeracy skills. Their support and involvement are helping create an enabling environment for children to learn effectively.

CRECCOM continues to support the implementation of the BeFIT program by strengthening collaboration among schools, communities, and education stakeholders. Through monitoring, engagement, and continuous support, the program is helping create sustainable foundations for improved learning outcomes.

As I continued observing the session, I realised something important: the true success of innovation in education is when technology stops feeling like a special event and simply becomes part of normal learning. At Malabada Primary School, that transition is already happening.

And perhaps my favorite part of the entire visit was this: throughout the session, the learners remained fully focused on learning; not on the visitor standing in the corner trying very hard not to feel ignored.

For me, that was evidence that the program is working exactly as it should.

BeFIT is a government of Malawi owned and led program aimed at enhancing foundational literacy and numeracy skills among learners in standard 1 to 4 across all public primary schools in Malawi through supplemental, individualized, self-paced instruction delivered via specialized apps on android tablets.

https://www.creccommw.org/post/nobody-even-noticed-i-had-entered-the-classroom

Imagine Worldwide
Global Partnership for Education
Ministry of Education - Malawi

This is amazing! Thank you for all you do for the children in Dzaleka and nearby communities.

We're thrilled to welcome VSO Sierra Leone and Plan Int'l Sierra Leone as our newest implementation partners! Together, we're expanding access to foundational learning for children across the country.

Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education SL

Great progress in Sierra Leone. Teachers are the cornerstone of learning and by embracing these tools to reinforce teacher instruction, learners will grasp reading and math skills faster.