Project LearnAM (Learn it)

In Africa, about 70% of the 1.2 billion people are digitally inactive and thus lack digital skills and access to valuable training that can help them break the chains of poverty

 LearnAM is a mobile app that delivers easy to access (audio and video) content the digitally inactive population in Africa. 

LearnAM will enable them acquire basic digital skills to  improve their literacy levels and also tangible skills that can help them get better paying jobs and or become entrepreneurs (service providers)

The app will be built on KaiOS and deployed on affordable Feature Phones ($15 -$25) so that the affordability and accessibility barriers that exits will be reduced significantly 

One of the key features of LearnAM will be to provide device loans to the vulnerable population ( Women, physically challenged and youth)

Currently, there are about 5 million jobs marketplace platform workers in Africa, whereas over 200 million workers are not connected to the internet. This huge gap is a key reason for high levels of unemployment and underemployment. The unconnected population are locked out of the opportunity to learn about and get trained in in-demand skills and jobs in a changing global digitalized economy. 

In India for example, over 550 million of the population are connected to the internet and over 50% of its GDP comes from services. It is clear that the more "connected" a population, the better the chances to get skilled/trained in other to participate in the new global economy. 

Extreme poverty levels in Africa is a key reason for this big gap, due to low literacy levels, government inefficiencies and public corruption

LearnAm, is a mobile marketplace that connects workers and aspiring entrepreneurs (service providers) with digital and vocational skills training while also exposing them to available job and employment opportunities. 

The platform partners with Telecommunications Network Service providers (Telcos) to reach a wider target, and also provide device loans to women  and people with disabilities 

The app is built on the KaiOs operating system which allows for the deployment on mobile applications to "feature phones" This allows us to eliminate the access and affordability barrier that currently exists. 

Through our partnerships with device manufactures and the Telcos, the devices are already pre-installed with the LearnAM app, and so they can begin learning journey almost immediately. 

We have also partnered with a local video content technology, HITCH who will integrate their tech with LearnAM, thus reduces the cost of building and deploying such technology  

LearnAM will help introduce the newly connected user to a new world of possibilities and economic inclusiveness. This person can start a business or learn a trade with very little resources and upfront cost. This reduces the burden of debt and lack of opportunities and creates a much more positive and inclusive environment. On average, an individual/trader in a rural community in Nigeria can see income levels quadruple simple because she can access new markets online but also customers can reach her as well. 

Conversely, a worker who gets access to a jobs marketplace and acquires trending (in-demand) skills is much more likely to get a better paying jobs and on track for upward mobility 

We are particularly targeting women because of the multiplier effect of them being economically vibrant to a household. Research has shown that economically free women help educate children at a much more higher pace, also they are less exposed to domestic violence and other abuses. Helping such people connect to the internet and being digital literate significantly improves their quality of life. LearnAM app will help impact the user economically, but also improve their self esteem and quality of life

LearnAM targets workers and new small business, especially service related get skilled and reskilled. We help remove barriers to entry such as accessibility and affordability because the product is designed to be low-cost and low infrastructure dependent 

LearnAM targets the following SGD goals:

SDG 4 - Access to education - users will be able to access quality education/training opportunities 
SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities - internet connectivity empowers people economically and this will help reduce inequalities

Our solution is different because not only are we providing content for basic skills competencies in at lest 3 local languages, we will provide vocational skills modules that align with in-demand fields like the Agriculture value chain and Solar installations and so on. 

LearnAM is innovative because it will be built on clear a simple interface that leverages already proven technologies from our video tech partner and Telcos. LearnAM will be the first of its kind in our target market that deploys vocational training content on affordable devices that require little prior knowledge to access

LearnAM app will be deployed on the KaiOS, a mobile operating system based on Linux. Unlike Andriod and iOS, KaiOS works on affordable devices (Feature phones).

On the back end, LearnAm app will be powered by the skills assessment and predictive tool being developed by SkillsFund, a sub product of ScholarX. The tool helps gather valuable information from users and turns them to insights that helps direct the content deployed on the platform. The predictive tool also uses real time jobs data to help guide the users of LearnAM to make informed decisions of training and skills they pursue. 

Project LearnAM will help introduce the newly connected user to a new world of possibilities and economic inclusiveness. This person can start a business or learn a trade with very little resources and upfront cost. This reduces the burden of debt and lack of opportunities and creates a much more positive and inclusive environment. One average an individual/trader in a rural community in Nigeria can see income levels quadruple simple because she can access new markets online but also customers can reach her as well