In October, Lelt Foundation opened its third alternative energy technology lab in Addis Ababa at our Suki Mariam Community Center! Schools in this region cannot offer reliable computer literacy programs because of frequent power outages and educational funding gaps. With up to 16 blackouts a week, consistent access to technology is nearly impossible. Additionally, the majority of our students don’t have electricity in their homes, so they’ve never had access to computer sciences before, despite computer literacy being arguably one of the most important skills to learn in the modern world.
At the launch of our new technology lab, our IT instructor has created a curriculum that mixes basic computer skills with advanced problem solving – including use of the MIT coding program SCRATCH. Through this innovative program, students will be able to master operations in computer systems, build digital advertising and graphic design skills, build websites, code, and develop office skills in a city with a growing technology industry. Lelt Foundation is extremely proud to run some of the only solar-powered technology labs in Eastern Africa.
In our region, more than a quarter of public elementary school children are illiterate. Lelt’s programs are designed to narrow the educational gap for the most under-served population in our community
Lelt serves students who live in acute poverty. Their educational opportunities are limited – the public school student-to-teacher ratio here is often as high as 100-to-one, a sure recipe for educational delays. In fact, 26% of public elementary school children in our region are illiterate*. Lelt’s programs are designed to narrow the educational gap for the most under-served population in our community.
* Woord en Daad, February 2021, Report on Exclusion Risk Assessment [Era] Study. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia