Stories

So you want to become a coder. People ask us all the time: "How do I learn to code?" "How can I improve?"

Here's Tyler's definitive answer (the updated 2022 version).

With our hub-and-spoke model, we ensure effective use by design. Nothing has been stolen or skimmed to-date. We ensure that donations are used regularly in the classroom, maintained and replaced as soon as possible.

In 2019, Nelly and I worked hosted 1,200 kids from Mogotio in our open lab experiment. In two months, we built systems to safely and efficiently transform thousands of kids into digital natives.

Students who are intrinsically motivated are excited to be in class, they're hungry to learn more, and they think about class when they're out of school. Creating intrinsic motivation is like lighting a fire that burns long after class is over.

Specialist educators are passionate role models who are obsessed with one specific skill. Specialists introduce the basics of a specific skill, from music production using a DAW to business lessons using spreadsheets.

Learning to code without a computer is like learning to read without a book. Digital skills unlock global opportunity.

The door to web 3 is closed to many people around the world, but TechLit Africa's computer classes are making web 3 possible for students across Kenya.

The numbers we came up with are $80 USD per year per student for private school, and $46 USD per year per student for public school.

Read on to learn how we came to those numbers, and why it's difficult to estimate.

Our 2021 Recap is a collection of 19 stories from our progress in 2021. You can experience our growth from zero to 10 computer labs while we relive the best moments of the year.

When Covid restrictions were lifted this year, we got to work. This year, we built 10 computer labs! Looking back on our trip, everything happened really fast, but it didn’t seem that way when we were on the ground. We can set up 100 more schools next year.

Self-efficacy means believing in your ability to succeed in any situation. In a learning environment, self-efficacy shapes how teachers and learners set objectives and go about achieving them.

Last Saturday, I landed in Nairobi, Kenya with 44 laptops. Tyler and I plan on flying back and forth from Kenya to the States a few times every year.

TechLit builds computer labs in rural Africa and supplies computers to rural African schools and libraries. This one of many posts sharing what we learned while running an open computer lab in 2019.

It was her first day at the lab. Like most of our users, she had never used a computer. We introduced her to touch typing, she was leaving five minutes in.

I grew up in abject poverty. I wanted to move my family out of that shack. We had it bad, but we were average compared to other families in my community. I wanted to help them out too.

My name is Nelly Cheboi. I am the co-founder of TechLit Africa, techlitafrica.org. TechLit Africa fosters a more technologically literate Africa by building computer labs in schools. We aim to consistently monitor key indicators of digital literacy and collect feedback from our students and their communities.