Empowering Girls in Kilifi County, Kenya to Embrace Technology and Lead the Future

Today being the International Day of the Girl Child, we feature this article by one of our writers. It was one of the case studies at the Kenya EdTech Summit 2023, featuring a programme by IREX .

By Mariana Kemei

Gender disparity in education remains a significant challenge in Kilifi County. Despite progress made in recent years, there is still a noticeable gap between boys and girls in terms of access to quality education. Cultural norms, economic disparities, and inadequate infrastructure contribute to this imbalance. Girls often face early marriages and societal expectations that prioritize household chores over schooling, limiting their educational opportunities. Furthermore, many families struggle to afford school fees and related expenses, which disproportionately affects girls.

Kilifi County, located along the beautiful coastline of Kenya, is on a transformative journey to empower girls to embrace technology. About three months ago, 800 girls from Kilifi County were beneficiaries of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) acceleration program that seeks to grow the number of women in STEM-related fields across the region. The programme dubbed She Affirms, was sponsored by Unga wa Dola and sought to enlist the support of women, teachers, parents, and the broader community as change advocates to ensure that girls are not drawn away from STEM-related courses while in school.

According to Citizen Digital News, a report by The United Nations reports that women continue to be underrepresented in the fields of STEM education and careers making up only 28 percent of engineering graduates, 22 percent of Artificial Intelligence workers, and less than one-third of employees in the tech sector worldwide. In the news feature, Lucy Nasidai, Head of Digital at Unga wa Dola, said that the private sector is in a unique position to accelerate the change.

In a world increasingly driven by technological advancements, it is crucial to bridge the gender gap and ensure that girls have equal opportunities to engage with and excel in the field of technology. In the recently concluded Kenya Edtech Summit 2023, Lucy Maina from IREX shared how they are bridging the gap through their Girls Learning Through Technology (GLTT) program, which uses a technology-based approach to support girls’ education and development of ICT skills in low-tech schools through evidence-based practices and research. In Kilifi.

To help the delegates get a real picture of what was happening, members were divided into groups with each group asked to answer these questions:

1. ? ? How would you manage a large classroom size of approximately 100 pupils when you have about 15 laptops/ tablets?

2. ? ? How would you ensure that girls get an opportunity to use the devices in such a scenario?

These were the responses from the groups as they addressed the third EdTech Collective Action Goal at the Summit which was about developing technology in Education that is inclusive, accessible, and responds to the learners’ different needs.

1. ? ? Collaborative Projects: Encourage group projects that require students to work together, allocate laptop time fairly, ensure that girls have access to laptops for their projects, and emphasize the importance of diverse skills in a team, showing that tech is not limited to coding alone.

2. ? ? Tech Rotation: Implement a laptop rotation system where students take turns using the available laptops. This ensures equitable access and teaches time management and sharing skills.

3. ? ? Peer Teaching: Encourage students who are proficient in tech to volunteer as peer tutors, helping their classmates learn and troubleshoot tech-related problems.

4. ? ? Tech Clubs: Establish after-school tech clubs where girls can have additional access to laptops and learn in a less formal, more supportive environment.

5. ? ? Tech Field Trips: Whenever possible, organize field trips to local tech companies, innovation centers, or museums with interactive tech exhibits. This can spark interest in tech even without direct access to laptops.

6. ? ? Role Modeling: Invite women in tech to speak to your class. These mentors share their experiences, challenges, and successes to motivate and empower the next generation of female tech leaders. Hearing from successful women in the industry can inspire girls and show them potential career paths.

7. ? ? Mentorship Programs: Pair girls with tech mentors who can guide them through tech-related projects, answer questions, and offer career advice.

8. ? ? Encourage Girls as Leaders: Assign girls to lead the small groups. This goes a long way in building their confidence.

9. ? ? Use Gender Responsive Pedagogy in learning: Avoid stereotype examples that tend to portray women as fit for house chores alone.

10.? Teach the boys to be advocates of girl empowerment in undertaking STEM-related courses and careers.

The digital divide has long been a barrier to inclusivity in education. The Summit emphasized the urgency of closing this gap and ensuring that every student has access to reliable internet and appropriate devices. Discussions revolved around government initiatives, public-private partnerships, and community-driven efforts to provide equitable access to technology and internet connectivity.?

Girls in Kilifi County, like in many other parts of the world, often face societal and cultural barriers that discourage their participation in technology-related fields. It, therefore, came as a notable factor that teachers alone cannot implement the much-needed change.

Parents and the entire local community play a vital role in empowering girls to pursue STEM-related courses.?

Collaborations between local schools, government bodies, non-profit organizations, and tech companies play a significant role in enhancing girls' access to quality tech education.

Like in many other developing regions, implementing EdTech among the girls in Kilifi has come with its own set of challenges. Below are a number of the common ones.

Limited Infrastructure: Kilifi, like many rural areas in Kenya, lacks infrastructure like reliable electricity and internet connectivity. EdTech solutions often require access to the internet and electricity, which can be unreliable or non-existent in these areas.

?Access to Devices: Most public schools especially in rural Kenya do not have access to the necessary devices such as computers, tablets, or smartphones. Even if some devices are available, they may need to be shared among multiple students or households, limiting individual access. This has been the case in Kilifi as shared by Lucy who said that some of the devices were already spoiled by the time they moved in to start the program.

?Teacher Training: A large number of teachers in rural Kenya are not familiar with EdTech tools or how to integrate them into their teaching practices. Training teachers to use these tools effectively is essential but can be time-consuming. To bridge this gap, IREX is training teachers using their Girls Learning Through Technology (GLTT) curriculum.

Poor collaboration between stakeholders also has a significant negative impact on the effectiveness and implementation of educational technology (EdTech) solutions in schools in Kilifi. According to one of the delegates, stakeholders in this case involved teachers, administrators, students, IT staff, parents, religious leaders, and the community at large. If one of them did not buy into the vision, there was a risk of not attaining the goals and objectives for implementing the EdTech program.

?Cultural Norms and Values: In Kilifi, traditional gender roles dictate that girls and women are expected to prioritize household chores and caregiving over educational pursuits or technology-related interests. This has discouraged many girls from pursuing STEM subjects and using EdTech tools.

Which Way Forward?

Fostering Educational Technology among girls in Kilifi, or any other region, requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses the specific challenges and barriers that girls may face in accessing and utilizing technology for education. To ensure its success, the following steps were agreed upon.

1. ? ? Regular Monitoring and Evaluation: Monitoring and evaluation are crucial components for fostering the effective integration of educational technology in the different schools in Kilifi. This ensures that EdTech initiatives are meeting their objectives, improving learning outcomes, and delivering value for both students and educators. Some of the ways to be adapted include defining clear objectives and goals, developing key performance indicators, and selecting and implementing appropriate EdTech tools.

2. ? ? Collaboration: Collaborate with tech companies, NGOs, and educational organizations to provide resources, sponsorships, and mentorship programs specifically for girls. These partnerships can help bridge the gender gap in technology and provide girls with exposure to different opportunities.

Parents, community leaders, and local organizations should also be brought together to promote EdTech for girls. Educate them about the importance of supporting girls' interest in technology and involving them in extracurricular tech-related activities.

With deeply rooted beliefs that have always worked against the empowerment of the girl child in Kilifi, Lucy shared that there was a need to address how people viewed women in leadership and those in STEM-related jobs. Before we see the transformation physically, we need to be transformed in how we think. She challenged us to reflect on what comes to our minds whenever we see a woman holding a leadership role; do we cheer her up or are we part of the community that thinks “that position should be held by a man”?

The efforts being made by IREX and other teams in Kilifi County to train and empower girls in technology are an investment in the future. By providing equal opportunities and breaking down barriers, they are fostering a generation of young women ready to take on the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age. Through education, mentorship, and a supportive ecosystem, they are shaping a brighter, more inclusive future where girls are active contributors to the rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Conclusion

The Kenya EdTech Summit 2023, served as a beacon of hope for the future of inclusive education. By emphasizing the role of technology in breaking down barriers, the Summit showcased the potential for a more equitable and accessible learning environment. The discussions and collaborations that emerged from the event will undoubtedly contribute to the ongoing effort to make education accessible to all, regardless of their background, abilities, or circumstances. Inclusivity in education is no longer a distant goal but an achievable reality through the power of technology and collective commitment.