Fikir Gebeta

The problems aimed to be solved with Fikir Gebeta are:- 

1. Lack of access to learning materials for children, teachers and parents - learning resources which are produced under small scale by individuals like us as well as by large scale projects run by international organizations lack the means to make it accessible to the public

2. Lack of platform to create networking among different stakeholders working in the development of children which results in redundancy of small scale efforts made by different bodies, lack of possibility to network, team up, share information creating awareness, training & funding opportunities…3. Learning resources produced at small scale face problems in marketing, sales & distribution

Fikir Gebeta is an online learning platform. The name Fikir means Love and Gebeta means sharing and eating together in Amharic i.e. the national language of Ethiopia. The online learning platform serves in two ways. One is as a supplementary educational multimedia resource center tool for Ethiopian children between the range of kindergarten up to grade 5 i.e. for the target age group of children from age 4 up to age 10. The learning materials consist of e-books, printable activity sheets, videos and simple games.

The second use is it provides different training resources for parents and teachers. And it also creates the possibility to network, share different resources and  create collaboration.

The resources are initially prepared by our team. However in the long run, the platform is designed to serve as an open source whereby contents can be produced and shared by different registered users. This solution aims to reach areas parents, teachers and children in Ethiopia where there is internet access. As of January 2020, Data reportal reports that 21.1 million people use the internet in Ethiopia,1 representing 18.5 percent of the total population. 

Fikir Gebeta is currently built and resources are uploaded on WIX through  the address https://fikirmediakids.wixsite.com/temari

Once some initial resources are already uploaded on the website, it is going to get web address www.fikirgebeta.org

Users are able to create profile and share their resources and expertise, find and network with others to team up and work in collaboration.

Our solution serves millions of Ethiopian children, parents and teachers who are living in urban areas, have access to internet and technology but do not get access to learning resources which are well designed and culturally appropriate in their mother tongue language. 

Our team consists of three members. The team leader is Tsedey Metasebia, a media engineer and MA in Educational technology. She has twelve years of experience working in Haramaya University under the faculty of Education, MYS School of Jazz Music and Media, Kids First Academy and Lion Heart International Academy. 

Our second team member is Hana Liknew. She is a graduate in film and media. She has worked in the production of different film productions nationally and internationally for five years. Our third team member is Solomon Barasa. Solomon graduated in architecture. He works as a graphics designer for Fikir Gebeta. Our team also collaborates and works in content production with teachers and students at Lion Heart Academy and MYS School of Jazz Music and Media, In collaboration with these, we have produced hundreds of videos which are not yet fully published online, but can partially be viewed at www.mysundayschool.org

We are applying to solve to get support in the financial and market barriers we are facing to keep on working, publish and reach out to the public.

Our solution uses the digital platform to solve a problem that is being faced by millions of parents and teachers in our community.

Impact goals:-

1. Finish putting resources in the different categories

2. Publishing

3. Marketing and letting people join

4. Creating the possibility of accessibility of resources and networking

We are measuring our progress towards the impact goal in building the platform and next it needs to be published and make as many parents and teachers as possible to know about it and create a profile.

Our theory of change is by building this online platform parents and teachers can easily get access to different resources. From the point of view of learning resource producers, authors or other stakeholders they get a centralized platform where by they can sell, or make their products accessible. They can also find expertise and services, team up and work together. 

The core technology that powers our solution is audio-visual production software, Adobe Creative Cloud AND website designing platform, WIX. When the Fikir Gebeta is published and made accessible for the public it will also use social media platforms such as YouTube, Telegram and Instagram.

After publishing Fikir Gebeta we plan to translate contents in other local languages and making learning materials accessible using technology that doesn't require internet access.

Freemium and Subscription Model - Contents are published digitally through website and social media for FREE. Users shall be categorized into three categories:- (1) Users who want to access free resources i.e. free users (2) Individuals who are service or product providers related to children (Like trainers, caregivers, authors….)   i.e. These users pay a one-time membership fee of 200ETB (~5€) to create a profile that gives information about their service or product. (3) Organizations that work in children related fields (Like schools, NGO, recreation centers…) i.e. these users pay a one-time membership fee of 2000ETB (~50€).

• Advertisement – Besides the one time membership fee, individuals and/or organizations can demand to run their advertisement based on payment.
• Organizing children related trainings, events and service based on demand
• Sponsorship and/or project grants
• Paying corporate clients for the following services and products

1. Advertisement
2. Teaching audio-visual aids
3. Online learning platform
4. Teachers, parents…. Training

Selling Products and services related to training, educational resources or platforms design

For example In 2021/2022 we have been working on a project to digitize children's book with Ethiopian Mekane Yesus children and youth department. The work is still ongiong, some of the contents has been published at www.mysundayschool.org

We get funding and the organization pays for the production services we provide. The resources produced are shared with public, for free so this enables to add some more good quality resources to add in Fikir Gebeta.

Currently, we are also working to get partnership project with an international school in Ethiopia to produce and make resources available on the platform.