Preparing the youth for a digital future: atingi and BLUETOWN to offer data-free online courses in Ghana

Access to education is not a given, and in-person education even less so. One solution which has gained importance in the past years is e-learning, as it allows people to build their competencies and knowledge in a flexible way, regardless of their geographical location.

E-learning supports the process of life-long learning and can reach target groups who are underserved and with limited access to formal education. By shifting capacity development to digital it’s possible to reach a higher volume of learners and allow them to consume learning content on their own pace and time.

E-learning and digital learning are therefore a crucial tool for capacity building in development cooperation. But one aspect keeps being a challenge – and that is the access to the learning content. To be able to benefit from online courses, you need to have access to a device and a working internet connection.

atingi, the digital learning platform of the BMZ, is offering different options to access online courses in a more accessible way. This includes an Android app which supports offline learning.

Additionally, we recently embarked on a partnership with BLUETOWN, a provider of low-cost, sustainable wi-fi solutions in rural areas, to enhance access to education even further. In early March, selected atingi courses were launched on the BLUETOWN Local Cloud in the town Cape Coast in Ghana, making learning offers readily available to learners without the limitations of mobile data and internet connectivity.

The pilot launch took place in different student housing facilities where a total of 69 students were introduced to the new offering and were activated on the local cloud. The students now have access to courses on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Misinformation and Cybersecurity as well as on Entrepreneurship and Business Finance via the BLUETOWN Local Cloud without any data cost.

There will be an assessment of this pilot activity after a trial period. Depending on the success and outcomes, both partners agreed to further the discussion and collaboration for scaling these activities in other communities via the BLUETOWN Local Clouds.