Q-files children’s encyclopedia and African Storybook stories added to the iMlango learning platform

We are extremely pleased to announce that Q-files, the online encyclopedia designed for children, and African Storybook stories, a collection of stories specially created for African children, have been added to the iMlango learning platform. The online encyclopedia and collection of stories are available to all 195 iMlango schools and is accessible via the school PC equipment.

The addition of Q-files brings further engaging and dynamic learning content to the learning platform, as well as enabling students to source information in an exploratory way. The online encyclopedia is home to many intriguing and important subjects such as: history, science, geography, culture and technology. The content is constantly updated by education professionals and includes pictures and videos that enhance the delivery of the content for students. The pages in Q-files have been written by specialist children's writers, working alongside an experienced editorial team, and every page has been submitted to the detailed scrutiny of the team, ensuring high standards of accuracy and reliability.

Access to engaging learning content is imperative to improving learning outcomes and in particular, literacy. African Storybook stories provides students with access to literature when books are not available. The stories can be accessed in either English or Swahili, promoting multilingual development and are presented with beautiful illustrations. The African Storybook Project is an initiative of Saide, a registered Non-Profit Organisation based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their vision is for all African children to have enough stories in a language familiar to them to practise reading, and to learn to love reading.

The addition of Q-files and African Storybook stories has been extremely well received by the schools and their students.

Until next time,
The iMlango team

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.””

— Robert Louis Stevenson

The following is a post from Svetlana Tarassova – Whizz Education.

Dear iMlango followers!

iMlango teams have been busy planting!

As you can see the project is in its full roll out phase. After the successful completion of ‘Training of the Trainer’ courses, our Trainers, who are full time practicing iMlango teachers in participating schools, are now busy transferring to other teachers their knowledge, experience, enthusiasm and most importantly passion to make the difference. “I want to become the best iMlango champion in Kenya” – is the phrase we so happily receive as feedback. The sceptic inside you may exclaim: “Oh, those are just empty words. I’ve heard them so many times but never seen anything happen”. Well, you are in for the surprise of a lifetime. The iMlango programme, supported by DFID, is where a professionally thought through process, based on vast experience and knowledge of running successful implementations comes into play.

Remember “judgment by the seeds you plant”? iMlango trainers and teachers are empowered with technology, knowledge and tools to make a difference. The ability to facilitate individualised learning for each of their pupils through scheduling, monitoring and acting upon live accurate data allows progress. True professionalism from each of our teachers, who are vigorously supported by their head teachers, will find ways to overcome challenges. During the training the ethos was formed that if you meet an obstacle you go left, right, over and under it. They are on their way to succeed in never closing that door to the House of Knowledge, in ensuring that technology enables learning and that each child is given an opportunity to learn according to his/her individual ability and need.

Before we can harvest, we still need to grow. We need to foster with love, care and determination. iMlango teams are on the ground, they are in the classrooms, in the labs as well as in the offices around the world supporting this programme, each step of the way. There is a lot of work ahead of us, but together we will make a difference in the classrooms and provide a better education for Kenyan children.

The iMlango Report

The following is a post from, Changez Ndzai, Vetting Officer at Camara Kenya.

iMlango is still making huge strides here in Kenya. The month of April is usually a month where most schools here in Kenya break for holidays but this hasn't stopped the project from moving forward. The Camara Kenya team, has been on the move to make sure every aspect of the project, especially technical proportions, are running smoothly and according to plan. In Kilifi county, about five schools have already been signed off. This means these schools are now meeting all iMlango requirements.

Progress is still being made in other counties like Kajiado, Makueni and Uasin Gishu, and our technical team has been busy in the field doing much of the installation works. This means by the beginning of the second term, everything will be in place for the students to begin training. Camara and Whizz in the past two weeks have been organising and conducting ‘Training of Trainers’ workshops, both here in Mombasa and Nairobi respectively. About seventy one (TOTs) have been undergoing training, and are expected to be able to pass on this knowledge and train other teachers back in their respective schools after the April holiday.

I got to spend some time with some of the teachers who were attending the one week training workshop here in our Mombasa Hub, and I managed to ask them what were they were expecting to get out of the training. There is a great excitement and happiness among the participants to be part of this programme as well as it being an opportunity to develop their IT skills. iMlango will shine a technological light on most of the schools that are situated in remote areas, where they would not usually be accustomed to such resources. It is a special gift to these schools, as one of the teacher’s explained to me, they never knew when this type of technology would reach them in the remote areas out of town as computers and other related technologies are more commonly found in towns.

Also, the training has given them another developing platform, opening their eyes to new technological experiences. Not only will this help them teach the school curriculum at a new interactive level but they also will be apply these skills in their day to day activities as society is also changing in accordance with technology. So this means iMlango will have a huge impact, not only for the students but also for the teachers and their communities.

Until next time,
The iMlango team