Going digital in Bangladesh

6/2/2020

In the largest refugee camp in the world, Children on the Edge are pioneering digital learning to deliver meaningful education for our 7,500 students in the refugee camps. Beyond this, the children work together to create and share their own fun packed videos using a digital platform called ‘Moja Kids’.

To bring learning alive, tackle the language barrier and introduce knowledge and experience beyond the camps, in the last year we have introduced a brand new digital education programme.

In August 2019, the response to trial digital lessons from students in 16 classrooms was overwhelmingly positive. Child after child expressed joy and disbelief to be able to finally understand the lessons being presented.

Since these trials we have distributed 75 smartphones and battery powered projectors to schools in the camps. Staff have been creating or dubbing existing digital educational content into Rohingya, which currently lacks a universally accepted script.

This is then sent, via WhatsApp, to teachers’ smartphones, which slot into the battery-powered projectors in our classrooms.

1.5 hours of digital lessons are now delivered twice a day across all classrooms in the camps and communities. Not only this, but children are using the technology to have their voices heard and to interact outside the camps and slums.

So far they have recorded dozens of ‘green screen’ and outdoor news videos, which have been shared back and forth between camp and community schools.

These news updates have now replaced the printed newsletter and form the basis of an online platform named by the children as Moja kids. The aim is to make this a global platform for children to express themselves and interact with other children across the world so they can connect and learn about each other's lives.

There have now been five child-led video newsletters produced by a mix of community, camp and enclave schools. Children in all three areas are communicating with each other and to showcase their talents, achievements and learning.

“Seeing themselves on screen was literally jaw dropping and resulted in entire classrooms jumping up to clap and cheer. ”

John Littleton - Asia Regional Manager

Videos are published on Youtube and available on a new web platform, which will soon be inviting further contributions from other suitable projects in different countries.

The aim is that this platform will become a global online community for children to express their ideas and talents, connecting and communicating beyond the confines of their challenging surroundings.

Programme staff report that the initiative is enjoying an overwhelmingly positive response from children and teachers alike. Child interviews have already shown how digital learning and digital video production is inspiring children and giving them fresh confidence that they will be able to compete in the job market of a globalised world.

As these learning methods have enabled children to understand and genuinely learn for the first time, it is no surprise that both the Moja Kids platform and the digital lessons are giving them more confidence in what they can achieve in the future.