KOICA Expands Support for 'Non-Face-to-Face Digital Learning' Projects in Developing Countries

Free Support for Global Children and Youth Math and Literacy Education App 'KitKit School'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] KOICA announced on the 16th that it will expand support for contactless digital learning projects for students in developing countries whose right to education has been infringed due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

On the 16th, KOICA launched a global contactless education service that distributes the English and Swahili versions of the educational application Kitkit School for free to developing countries worldwide, in collaboration with startup Enuma, which is participating in KOICA's CTS project.

According to UNESCO (as of the 9th), 1.06 billion children in 110 countries worldwide are affected by school closures. The Kenyan Ministry of Education announced on the 7th that it plans to extend school closures nationwide until the end of this year, and the Philippines also withdrew its original plan to reopen schools in August, postponing all school attendance indefinitely. In this situation, the utilization of Kitkit School is expected to increase further.

Kitkit School is a digital education solution that helps children in developing countries with basic learning. Enuma won joint first place with the Kitkit School app in the 2019 Global Learning XPRIZE, a children's education competition sponsored by Tesla's Elon Musk. Additionally, this app was selected as one of the winning projects at the UN STI (Science, Technology and Innovation) Forum held by the United Nations in July this year, gaining attention as an innovative solution for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Proven effective for children's self-directed learning on the international stage, the Kitkit School app is being used in cooperation with international development NGOs worldwide for alternative education for Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh and school dropouts in Tanzania. Kitkit School can be used simply by installing the tablet app, making it accessible in developing countries with low internet penetration.

International organizations, international development NGOs, schools, and other educational institutions working in the education field of developing countries can apply to download the app on the Kitkit School website (http://kitkitschool.com/). This free distribution version is available until the end of 2021, and videos and manuals guiding app installation and usage are also provided for teachers and education practitioners.

Song Woong-yeop, Director of KOICA's Global Partnership Division, said, "In developing countries with low internet penetration, there is growing concern about learning loss and widening educational gaps due to school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," adding, "KOICA will continue to support in various ways to prevent educational gaps for children in developing countries through innovative technologies like Kitkit School."

Lee Soo-in, CEO of Enuma, said, "Since school closures due to COVID-19, we have received inquiries about using Kitkit School from educational institutions in various regions such as Tanzania, Nepal, and Colombia," and added, "Through this free distribution, we want to help expand learning opportunities for children in areas with poor educational environments."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.