Efunda

Problem Statement:
Lack of access to affordable and quality educational resources, resulting in low annual national examination pass rates, disproportionately affecting underserved public schools and learners in Zimbabwe.

Scale of the problem:

- 86% of public schools in Zimbabwe are underserved (ZIMSTAT, 2020)
- 70% of learners in public schools fail to pass national examinations (ZIMSEC, 2020)
- 60% of rural households have no access to electricity, hindering digital learning (ZERA, 2020)
- Globally, 258 million children, youth, and adults are out of school (UNESCO, 2020)

Factors contributing to the problem relating to our solution:

- High costs of textbooks and educational resources
- Limited access to quality educational materials
- Inadequate infrastructure for digital learning
- Inequitable distribution of resources and opportunities

Our solution is E-funda, a revolutionary educational technology super app designed to transform learning in Zimbabwe. E-funda is an inclusive, interactive and immersive platform that provides personalized learning experiences for all learners, particularly those affected by poverty or displacement.

Here's how it works:

1. AI Chatbot: Learners engage with an AI-powered chatbot that offers personalized inquiry-based learning, adapting to individual learning styles and needs.

2. Toll-Free Voice Platform: Audio explanations and learning materials are accessible via a toll-free voice platform, ensuring equal access for learners with disabilities or limited digital literacy.

3. Digital Lab: Hands-on STEM experiments and simulations are conducted in a virtual lab, promoting experiential learning and developing problem-solving skills.

E-funda leverages cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), and cloud-based infrastructure to create a scalable and accessible learning environment. 

-Primary School Students (Grade 3 to 7): E-funda provides interactive and personalized learning 
experiences tailored to the educational needs of young learners.
Secondary School Students (Form 1 to Form 6): For older students, E-funda offers advanced learning 
resources and tools that align with their curriculum and support their academic growth.
-Teachers: E-funda serves as a valuable tool for teachers, enabling them to track student progress, 
provide personalized tutoring, and enhance their teaching methods.
-Parents: Parents can use E-funda to stay informed about their child’s academic progress and actively 
participate in their learning journey.

Cosmas Mandikonza

I have learned in a rural school for 6 years of my education so I am 100% sure of the the problems and barriers to effective education.
-I bring to the table 6 years of experience as a computer scientist. I am an intermediate Python 
developer and an expert in the Visual Basic programming language. My skills have been recognized with a Microsoft Azure Skills certification. One of my notable achievements is the development of a retail management system for Big Byte Retail Enterprises.I am a Savvy fellow a program through which I have been guided by a comprehensive entrepreneurial curriculum on how best to create an enterprise. 
Gift Chikowo. 
-I am an intermediate Python developer with a strong foundation in mathematics. My expertise lies in full-stack development, and I have worked on several projects developing web applications for schools. My combined skills in programming and mathematics enable me to create robust and 
efficient solutions.

Market Research: Our first major milestone was the identification of a large underserved segment 
within the education sector. This was realized during our field visits to Nyatate Secondary(rural public 
school) and other schools. We conducted comprehensive research, both survey-based and in-person 
across 5 schools in different provinces , to understand the educational challenges from the ground up 
without imposing any preconceived solutions.
Proof of Concept (PoC): Based on the insights gathered, we developed a Proof of Concept. This PoC 
was shared with learners and teachers, and we actively sought their feedback. The response was 
overwhelmingly positive with 100% of the participants expressing confidence in our solution as an  ideal fit for their needs.
Prototype Development: Leveraging the feedback and insights from the PoC stage, we proceeded to 
develop a prototype of E-funda. This prototype serves as a tangible representation of our solution allowing us to test its functionality and make necessary refinements.

Our startup, E-funda, is born from a personal mission to combat the educational challenges we endured in public schools. We've seen how lack of quality education leads to low pass rates and, 
consequently, high illiteracy rates. Our solution is designed to address these issues by providing 
accessible, quality education through technology. We believe that our intimate understanding of 
these problems, combined with our innovative approach, makes us an ideal candidate for this MIT Solvers global challenge program. We're not just building an app; we're striving to empower learners and  transform the educational landscape in Zimbabwe.

1.Cross-Platform Compatibility: E-funda is designed to be compatible with any device, making it 

accessible to a wide range of users. Whether a learner is using a smartphone, tablet, or computer, 
they can access E-funda’s resources and tools.
2.Offline Features: Understanding the connectivity challenges in some areas as well as high cost of 
internet, E-funda offers offline features. This ensures that learning is not interrupted from using the 
product by absence of an internet connection.
3.Parent-Teacher Integration: E-funda goes beyond the learner by integrating parents and teachers 
into the learning process. It provides feedback on learners, enabling parents and teachers to track 
progress and provide necessary support.
4.Personalized Learning: Unlike traditional books that just flat out lay information E-funda leverages 
AI to offer personalized, inquiry-based learning and tutoring. This caters to the individual needs of 
each learner, enhancing their learning experience.
5.Digital Lab for STEM: While Dzidzo Paden and FoondaMate focus on distributing academic 
resources and providing exam help, E-funda includes a digital lab for hands-on STEM experiments, 
fostering practical.

Our theory of change is as follows:

Activities:

- Develop and deploy E-funda's cross-platform, offline-compatible platform
- Integrate AI-powered personalized learning and digital lab for STEM experiments
- Engage parents and teachers through feedback and progress tracking features

Immediate Outputs:

- Increased access to quality educational resources for underserved learners
- Improved learner engagement and understanding through personalized and interactive learning
- Enhanced parental and teacher involvement in the learning process

Longer-term Outcomes:

- Improved academic performance and national examination pass rates
- Increased STEM literacy and problem-solving skills
- Empowered learners with social-emotional competencies and critical thinking abilities

Evidence supporting our theory of change includes research on the effectiveness of personalized learning, experiential education, and parental involvement in learner success. By addressing the challenges of costly textbooks, limited educational resources, and inadequate infrastructure, E-funda catalyzes positive impacts in the education landscape, promoting inclusive and quality learning for all.

Impact Goals:

1. Improve learning outcomes: Enhance academic performance and national examination pass rates for underserved learners in Zimbabwe.

2. Increase access to quality education: Reach 80% of underserved public schools and learners, providing inclusive and personalized learning experiences.

3. Empower learners and communities: Foster social-emotional competencies, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, preparing learners for success in their communities and the complex world.

Progress Indicators:

1. Learner engagement and retention rates
2. Improvement in academic performance and national examination pass rates
3. Number of underserved schools and learners reached
4. Parent and teacher satisfaction ratings
5. Learner feedback and testimonials
6. Usage metrics (e.g., app downloads, user sessions, content engagement)
7. Partner and stakeholder feedback
8. Community and social impact assessments

By tracking these indicators, we measure our progress toward transformational impact, ensuring E-funda's effectiveness in improving learning outcomes, increasing access to quality education, and empowering learners and communities.

Our solution, E-funda, leverages cutting-edge technologies to revolutionize education in Zimbabwe. The core technologies powering E-funda are:

1. Microsoft Azure: A cloud-based platform providing scalability, reliability, and security for our solution. Azure enables us to manage and process large amounts of data, ensuring seamless access to educational resources.

2 people working as co founders.

1 full year .

We are currently working as two individuals motivated to solve a problem but look forward to increasing the team capacity including other individuals on the basis of diversity.