A project that aims encouraging children to learn through animated learning materials has been shortlisted among the top ten finalists in an ongoing French competition of innovative educational African projects. Rwandan Confident Niyizibyose, the co-founder and Managing Director of ‘Augmented Future Ltd’, used augmented reality technologies to create an application by which a student can scan a book and learn by watching the content in form of cartoons. The project targets students from primary one to six, and so far, it has English and Mathematics learning materials. ‘Augmented Future’ together with the nine other finalists are competing for €15,000 (around Rwf17 million) grant in an international competition organized by France Médias Monde (FMM). FMM is a French company that supervises and coordinates the activities of the major public media organizations broadcasting or publishing internationally. They include; Radio France Internationale (RFI), France 24, and Monte Carlo Doualiya (MCD). ‘Challenge App Afrique’ competition started in October 2021, and the winner is set to be announced in March 2022 while the 10 finalists will benefit from personalized and rigorous support for four months in an incubator in their respective countries. According to a statement of this competition, it aims to stimulate innovation by promoting the development of know-how and expertise of developers of all levels (beginners as well as experts in IT development) particularly for mobile in Africa, by bringing out digital services in the context of childrens education. The 23-year-old Niyizibyose said that being shortlisted is a sign that there are people who understand the importance of what they are doing and their vision. If he wins, he said, the grant will allow him to boost up his content so that it may reach all primary students across the country, and beyond. The software application was released on the market in February 2021, he said, and “since then we have registered about 1000 downloads meaning that at least in a month around 300 people use our App.” According to him, it can be downloaded on smart gadgets that use Android operating system, and the book materials are accessed from Imagine we Rwanda, a local publishing house. Niyizibyose said that Technology has eased the way of life, in different sectors such as health, education, among others. However, startup ecosystems in Rwanda face the challenge of financing and skilled labour. “Having a technology-based product ready for the market requires at least two years, it is hard to find someone who can trust and invest in you during the process for you to pay the necessary expenses,” he said. He also observed that there is still a gap in skilled digital labour but with the strides the country has made in terms of technology, he believes things will change in the next few years.
