Adding to basket
Problem
In Tanzania, students finishing primary school are unprepared in communication and technical skills. Over 50% of children leave primary school barely able to read or write in Swahili, let alone English; even less so have experience using a computer. The average teacher-student ratio in most Tanzanian schools is 46:1—in rural areas like Northern Tanzania where ACTT is headquartered, this number reaches 60:1.
Solution
In 2004, Robert Mafie (photo 5) founded Affordable Computers and Technology for Tanzania (ACTT) with the mission of bridging the education gap within schools and marginalized youth of Tanzania using innovative yet affordable solutions. They are able to acquire technology at such a low price point because of their approach of refurbishing used computers and equipment (10% of the cost of buying new)
Since its founding ACTT has set up computer labs in in over 200 schools and provided basic ICT training to over 30,000 students and teachers. See video here.
Impact & Loan Use
To meet growing demand, ACTT intends to purchase 600 desktop PCs, 150 laptops, and 50 solar-powered projectors, with the goal of reaching 20,000 students in 50 primary schools across Tanzania next year. In turn, this inventory will allow them to increase monthly revenues by 33%, enabling ACTT to pay back the loan to Kiva in a timely fashion.
