Sunbooks : Merging Technology and Education

LITERACY IN THE WORLD 

According to the World Literacy Foundation, one out of 5 people in the world cannot read or write. 

Here are some other statistics shared by this foundation :

 

The United-Nations reveals similar statistics:

• 200 million children around the world are not in school 

• 17 percent of children and youth are not attending primary or secondary school 

• More than half of children that have not enrolled in school live in sub-Saharan Africa 

• More than 85 percent of children living in this region are not learning minimum skills in mathematics and literacy 

In 2015, the United-Nations launched the Sustainable Development Goals. Among the 17 goals, is Goal 4 which is committed to ensuring "equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all". This goal has ten targets. One of these targets includes universal literacy and numeracy.                                                                                                                                                                 More information about this goal can be found here: GOAL 4

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN LITERACY RATES AND LIBRARIES 

 

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According to this infographic, the countries with access to the most libraries (per 100,000 residents) are in Europe. Literacy rates in Europe are some of the highest in the world. When scanning over the interactive map linked below, the lowest literacy rates can be found in Greece and Portugal (95% literacy rates) where as most European countries have literacy rates of 100 percent. 

Literacy rates in Africa are very different. Although there is quite a range, literacy rates in several African countries fall below 50 percent. The literacy rate in Niger is 19 percent. Coincidentally, the least amount of libraries (per 100,000 residents) are in Africa. 

LITERACY RATES AROUND THE WORLD : INTERACTIVE MAP 

With the number of libraries in a country being directly connected to its literacy rates, it seems that investing in libraries in developing countries may be one way to help bridge the gap between developing and developed countries. 

LIBRARY PROJECTS IN AFRICA 

In South Africa, two young activists Nokuthula Daweti and Sanele Ntshingana were frustrated that students in their country were not being exposed to books but more specifically literature about their own culture. They found that students were learning very Eurocentric content. Although, the South African education minister announced that African content and history would be taught in school, Daweti and Ntshingana did not see this change actually happening in schools. As a result, they created the "Afrocentric Walking Library". As Daweti explains in his interview with Global Citizen, he says: "The idea was to walk around different townships around Makhanda (South Africa). We wanted to give children access to books... Not just any books, but books written by African writers, books with content that shows them as beautiful." 

I love the idea of a walking library but I wonder how truly practical this is. It is wonderful that these young men are keen to promote a love of books to different townships in their country. Without two young activists willing to walk from village to village, how can communities gain access to books - especially books that children in Africa can relate to? If walking libraries are the answer, how can a larger and more diverse collection of books be brought to different communities? 

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This was a very interesting video. The videographer, Andy Lee Graham, asks the question, "What do you get when you put a library in Africa?" His answer, "an empty one" made me think about how difficult it can be to build, fill and maintain a library in developing countries. He gives a brief tour of a library in Togo, West Africa. The library sits empty and is not used by the community. 

SUNBOOKS

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Sunbooks is an initiative of the World Literacy Organization, a global non-profit company. Sunbooks mission is to enhance the literacy skills in off the grid classrooms around the world by using sustainable solar powered technology. It also hopes to eradicate literacy by 2040. Sunbooks works with the community to create content tailored to the needs of students on pre-loaded tablets. Each tablet contains e-books, audiobooks, videos and games. 

Using Sunbooks may be an excellent alternative to a walking library with physical books. Sunbooks can be loaded with hundred of books tailored to the reader they are intended for. As previously mentioned, these tablets are solar powered and do not need to be connected to the internet. 

The goals of Sunbooks are to:

SUNBOOKS IN UGANDA: 

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According to Sunbooks, many regions of North Uganda have limited electricity and an unreliable access to the internet. Many schools are not equipped with furniture or books. Sunbooks now has projects in 3 different locations in Uganda where they service ten schools in the areas. In the video above, one teacher in Uganda explains that Sunbooks has improved her students reading and writing skills. She finds that her students are more motivated in learning because of the activities available on the Sunbooks. 

QUESTIONS 

• What happens when a tablet no longer works?
• What happens if there are technical difficulties? 
• Who and how can teachers/community members call to fix problems with tablets? 
• Is this a long lasting solution? What is the lifespan of one of these tablets? 
• Is there the opportunity to experience reading physical books?  

Using tablets is an interesting solution to provide children (and adults) in developing countries with access to various books. If we are going to bridge the literacy rate gap in the world, access to books and information is key. Books now look different than they use to! If one tablet can be accessed by a larger population than a physical library, can contain a variety of age and culturally appropriate books, than it seems like an initiative worth investing in.