The current situation
The current challenges faced by students in the DRC are quite deplorable. They are caused by various factors that lead to a major handicap in the education of young people and their integration into the community of the future. The list I am making here is not exhaustive, but it is descriptive enough to give us a clear picture of what the teachers and students in the country are going through. It is worth highlighting that certain measures aimed at improving educational conditions have been introduced and are being monitored, such as free education in the primary sector, access to education for all; boys, girls, rich or poor, schools being built, teachers’ conditions being modified, the installation of modern equipment, etc. Teachers. Key element! The quality of the pupils lies in the know-how and the standard of the teaching staff. Parents place their trust in teachers for the entire education of their children. That said, a mechanism should be created to manage the upgrading, quality, and monitoring of teachers… Teaching aids such as textbooks, laboratory equipment, and computers for IT are unfortunately in short supply in most schools and teachers have to use their creativity to find appropriate tools for their lessons. Breaks in the school curriculum such as the one caused by the COVID 19 pandemic have shown that it is time to incorporate into the system more appropriate teaching tools to deal with unexpected crises. This innovation would allow students to continue their lessons even during interruptions due to events. That is why I am adding my team and my knowledge to these strategies. The development of a digital teaching program will bring digitization into schools and then help the finalists to prepare for the final tests: the state exams. More than that, this IT tool provides unlimited options for enhancing all factors involved in the development of this sector. These include real-time feedback on the level of students per class, per school, per region, and finally at a national level and the quality of the curriculum.
The solution approach
«Exetat-pratique.org» is going to be a digital teaching aid for schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It aims to facilitate access to exercises to better prepare for the final exams. These exercises are designed and coordinated by the educational authorities of each department. It contains questions, their resolutions and verified answers. Our pilot schools are «école Mwapusukeni» in Lubumbashi and «école Madini». One goal is to spread the accessibility to schools in the formal sector which is supported by the government.
The program is new to the students in their final year. It encourages them to work independently and to evaluate themselves after each test. It will be accessible on PCs, tablets and smartphones. The app for Android and Apple is currently under construction.
Most of the students have a device that is able to run the platform exetat-pratique.org. Nevertheless it is planned to run specific access points for those who don’t, for example computer rooms in certain schools.
In the first step we are aiming for CHF 15’000, but with CHF 24’000 we can achieve even more. To make the project financially self-carrying after the launch, one login will cost an equivalent of CHF 2.- for one year (a reduced price is given to families with a low income).
Who stands behind the project?
I am Annie Mwila Tambwe. I did my primary and secondary education in the Democratic Republic of Congo and I obtained my state diploma (equivalent to the baccalaureate) in Congo before pursuing higher education as a social youth worker.
have been living in Switzerland for 19 years. The Swiss youth that I am in contact with every day, like my children and their circle of friends, encourages me to plead for a fair world for the most underprivileged by involving myself in the association Zusammen für Afrika. I therefore feel like a Swiss advocate for countries where young people still have difficulties in reaching certain levels of education.
I hope that Switzerland, through me - after all that it has given me - will also offer others this opportunity. I am motivated by this mission to see more people, especially girls and women, get the education that the world expects today.
I am a married woman and I have had the opportunity to study and work. My concern is not only for the finalists but for all young people of all ages and especially girls and women because I have seen how many girls/women have missed this chance.
I would like to materialize this by providing facilities, platforms, and everything that is available, so that women - not only can they achieve studies through state examinations but go for higher studies. With all these proven qualities, women will be contributors to development. Not just for what they do now, they will do even more once they are properly trained.
