Bringing e-books to African schools

An aid agency has come up with a novel way to improve literacy in the developing world.

Electronic books have been introduced to school chidren in Ghana and Kenya to encourage them to read.

And thus far, they have been met with much success, even enticing children away from football during breaks.

Al Jazeera's Peter Greste reports from the Kenyan town of Kilgoris.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Africanews
• Al
• Jazeera
• Peter
• Greste
• Kindles
• e-books

[asuka33221109]

This makes me happy, although there's still a long way to go, this is good progress!

[Saktoth]

@blondecat666

That is the stupidest thing i've ever read. Those children are perfectly well fed. They need an education if they are going to be the people who, a generation from now, foster the kind of development, socially, politically and economically, that will ensure that nobody in africa goes hungry. Not everyone in africa is starving to death.

[carlsm95]

Those Kindles are crap. Get em the iPad! :)

But seriously though this is a great idea. It helps boost learning.

[studysync]

This is an excellent example of how technology is often key when it comes to improving education across the board.

[asuka33221109]

@Percyeave It makes me happy as a human being to see these sorts of improvements. Would you rather like me to shake my head in disgust that these countries are providing some of the necessities we experience in our developed countries? Materialism? Just because they finally have something that we have? Should I be unhappy that they have clothes, shelter and food? Even the most fundamental needs are materialistic after all. Let's all say no to charities! Will that, make YOU happy? :)

[Percyeave]

@asuka33221109 Thanks for highlighting the most fundamental problem with this and the "aid industry" in general: What does your happiness have to do with it? This is also materialism at the emotional level. Charity is feel good. Charity is at the heart of the contemporary neoliberal global economy. The "Big Society" discourse in the UK from the political elites is another example. Other commentators here have raised many valid issues such as @happyreaderszimbabwe

[happyreaderszimbabwe]

Not impressed when nearly all the schools in rural Africa are desperate for classrooms, water, electricity before you make these kind of technological leaps. Plus an item like this is so valuable in poverty stricken areas, that you are opening schools up to theft. Get the basics first, and get those right. The amount of money spent on these kind of things drives me crazy. Lucky school to get these, yes, but how much more good could the money do elsewhere where a school has nothing.

[AccessDenied55]

This is nice, I hope one day ALL african countries can be fully developed

[HDaviator]

@marklosextremus

WTF? When did I say I hated Europeans? Germany isn't the largest exporter, you are right, it is Brazil. They are the Second. They take the raw materials from third world countries. Again, watch the documentary. You are the one who needs to get educated.

[urlove12day]

thats great!

[heratus007]

@revpunk1977 they only need to be charged only once every 2 weeks ..one power charger per school is enough

[marklosextremus]

@HDaviator Germany isnt the largest exporter. Germany is the largest DISTRIBUTOR meaning its gets the ocffee and loads it into ships to be distributed. Which makes sense considering it is in central europe the largest consumers of coffee. Get over your blind hatred for europeans seriously and educate yourself.