About M-Lugha
M-lugha is an offline/online multilingual and interactive mother tongue based Apps that help learners both young and adults in rural areas of Kenya and Africa acquire basic literacy and numeracy with the help of their respective indigenous languages. The Language of instruction in Kenya is English/Swahili, Most Rural and pastoral communities only understand their local mother tongue, it becomes challenging for the kids to cope up with the syllabus. The Apps are Approved by Kenya Institute of curriculum Development. The App currently serves 19 Kenyan Communities. M-lugha is a very strong pillar in the implementation and realization towards achieving of SDG4.
M-Lugha Awards & Milestones
GESAwards Winner, Best 100 Startups Istanbul 2019, 11 Best Startups Africa Tech Summit 2020, Best Education Innovations Africa Union 2020, 1st Runner up Africa Telecommunication Union Innovation challenge 2020, 200 Pitches Africa Innovation Week, Best 60 Innovations Covid 19 ICT Task force, Whitebox Entrepreneurship Program, Metis Fellow, Global Edtech Awards winner 2021
As a pastoralist community,we comfortably speak and understand our first language (L1) before we go to school. Imagine walking into a class for the first time,the language of instruction is Either English or Swahili and above all the teacher is a non local who don’t understand your L1? Imagine dressing up for school one morning but you are told “no school for you today,we are moving to look for pasture” Imagine,having a passion to learn but there is no school around or the nearest school is 20km away? – The language policy by the curriculum developers in Kenya states that kids in rural areas should be taught using their respective mother tongues.M-Lugha Mobile apps translated the Early childhood development Education syllabus(all subjects) to indigenous languages. With Solar powered kids Tablet and M-Lugha Apps,rural kids can access ECD digital content anywhere and anytime while learning with their mother tongue!
M-Lugha solves the following problems:
- Lack of enough teachers due to the remoteness and insecurity in the Northern Kenya where non local teachers fled the region
- Language incompetence because language of instruction is not our L1.
- Non-Local Teachers and local pupils language barrier.
- Digital literacy for rural kids
- Lack of enough schools
- School dropout due to constant movement form one place to another in-search for pasture for the livestock.
Statistics shows that a class 2 pupil in urban centers can comfortably express themselves than a class 6 pupil in the rural areas.School drop out rate in the rural areas is 8% and enrollment rate is 11% due to persistent drought,famine and inter community conflicts.
M-lugha App
M-lugha app is a multilingual, interactive app that helps learners in rural areas acquire basic literacy and numeracy with the help of their indigenous languages. The Apps are approved by Kenya institute of curriculum development and supports 19 Kenyan languages and more than 10,000 learners across Africa.
Adult Literacy
Our Adult literacy campaign aims at teaching basic literacy to adult learners in Kenya. The learners are using our well designed localized literacy book which are various local languages.
Literacy Books
Our literacy books are used by learners in hard-to-reach schools where connectivity is a challenge. The books are also in local languages.
Elwork
At Elwork, we not only empower students with the skills needed to thrive in the digital workforce but also provide services and solutions to meet our clients’ needs. Our expert-designed online modules cover essential tools and strategies to help you succeed in remote jobs, freelancing, or launching your own online business. Along with training future professionals, we offer top-tier solutions in interpretation, truck dispatch, graphic design, web design, digital marketing and virtual assistance to support business needs. Start learning today and take control of your future!
The amazing project is funded by ILO
Tech Enabled Agriculture
Through a partnership between 4BM and M-Lugha, supported by the UK-Kenya Tech Hub , this project established a school garden as a center for agricultural innovation and learning in Yathrib School, Garissa, one of the ASAL (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands) regions in North Eastern Kenya. In a community primarily made up of pastoralists, the project introduced both climate smart tech methods unfamiliar to the region and mobile technology, expanding agricultural education and promoting sustainable practices.
In addition to benefiting the students, the project actively engaged the broader community, positioning the school as a hub for agricultural learning. By incorporating key partners such as the Garissa Million Trees initiative, the County Government of Garissa, the Ministry of Education, and the Tumaini Fund, the initiative fostered collaboration and ensured a long-term impact in advancing environmental stewardship and agricultural resilience in the region.
Digital Literacy Training
Digital literacy is a critical life skill that helps young people be safe and empowered in the digital world. It’s important for a variety of reasons, including:
Career readiness
Digital skills are essential for meeting the requirements of a digital economy and maintaining a competitive edge.
Educational and social success
Digital literacy is important for success in education, social interactions, entertainment, and professional life.
Online safety
Digital literacy teaches young people how to protect their privacy and personal information, and how to avoid cyber threats.
Digital literacy includes knowledge, skills, and attitudes that apply to a variety of digital activities, such as play, socializing, searching, and learning. What constitutes digital literacy can vary depending on a child’s age and local culture.
Youth Mentorship
Creative coding and robotics
In this era is 4th industrial revolution, North eastern learners are not left behind in this technological revolution.
We have several programs aims at introducing creative coding and robotics to young learners in the region.
E-limu Mashinani
Northern Kenya is faced by one of the extreme education crisis in Kenya. The region experienced mass exodus of non local teachers due to insecurity and leaving most schools without enough teachers and most of them closed completely. Other challenges include poor performance, school dropout, lack of enough learning materials, climate migration and conflicts.
E-limu Mashinani is an offline digital learning program where learners access high quality digital content without the need for internet. Learners can access well curated form 1to form 4 digital content hence bridging the teachers shortage and quality if learning.
App Screenshots
We worked hard to make a product that will stand out from the crowd. Take a look at some of our App Screenshots
Abdinoor Alimahdi-The Innovator
Abdinoor Alimahdi is an Education Technologist and Telecoms Engineer. He holds MSc ICT in Education and instructional design. Before he started his Educational technology career, Abdinoor was working in the telecom Industry as A licensed Optical network Engineer. He switched to Edtech after seeing the technology gap and poor education standards in the Northern Region of Kenya, where a Grade 7 pupil can’t read or write well. “The rest of the world is in the industry 4.0(The forth industrial revolution) but my people are struggling with langauge barrier” he says. Abdinoor Alimahdi Skills;
- Techpreneurship
- Education Technologist
- Telecoms Engineer