2021 Recap

We have come a long way since starting TechLit Africa in 2019. Experiments in Kenya became plans for 2021: 10 computer labs in primary schools.

Nelly flew to Kenya this year with 44 used laptops in her bags! It was way cheaper than shipping them over sea. Now we can ship used Mac and PC laptops to schools in Kenya for $50!

Nelly hosted computer classes for neighborhood kids in April after she flew to Mogotio. The kids learned new tech skills like photo-editing, design and even coding.

Nelly learned how to use a computer as an adult, which is much harder than learning as a child. She taught the neighborhood kids all the skills she wish she had when she was a kid.

Tyler flew to Kenya in May. After a demo class at Mogotio Primary, a local school, he repurposed computers for the first classroom.

Our first official computer classes were at Mogotio Primary School. Nelly was a student at Mogotio Primary, and returned with a comptuer lab.

We hired 20 full-time educators in 2021. Our Brand Ambassador, Dogo Flower, referred dozens of youth to become TechLit educators.

Our theory of change didn't change in 2021. We believe a rural Kenyan could go from earning $4 per day to $8 per hour through remote work.

In June this year we started computer classes in our third and fourth labs. We worked with a private school who provided tables and electrical equipment.

Nelly started a Mogotio Running Club that opened the world to kids in Mogotio. They learned that they didn't need to be rich or have their own car to explore the world around them.

This year Nelly built a four-story building called Zawadi Yetu in Mogotio. The second floor of Zawadi Yetu is TechLit's new headquarters in Kenya.

Starting with our fourth computer lab, our program became more streamlined. Saint Mary's Primary School in Mogotio has been an ideal partner.

In July we began teaching classes in our first tribal language, Kale (kah-lay). Kelelwa Primary was the first school that was so remote.

We put our teaching philosophy to the test in 2021. Having taught thousands of kids at this point, we are prepared to measure the outputs of our program.

Our largest donation ever was in August from Ibotta! We found a new way to ship the laptops from Ibotta that was much cheaper than what we did in the past.

Nelly Sugu and JG did an awesome fundraiser for TechLit! The 4x4x48 Challenge is to run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours. Not only did they finish, they collected donations to finish the headquarters.

Code Your Dreams teaches kids to use coding to transform their community. Brianne Caplan, the founder of Code Your Dreams visited us in Kenya this year.

Nelly is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree now! In January this year, we were recognized by Forbes for our impact in Kenya.

We met our 2021 goal by the end of July. We reached thousands of kids in Kenya, and our team grew to 20 full-time educators. Now we're preparing for 2022.