Edtech East Africa

Month: November 2024

  • Enhancing Online Safety for Children: Lessons from Jesse Soleil’s Experience

    Enhancing Online Safety for Children: Lessons from Jesse Soleil’s Experience

    By Mariana Kemei

    “My wife and I were sitting on the couch when our daughter burst into tears. Our immediate question was, ‘What’s wrong?’ After some probing, we discovered that some of her classmates, who were supposed to be her friends, were making inappropriate advances toward her on social media. When I asked to see what they had written, I was shocked by the profane language aimed at my 13-year-old daughter,” said Jesse Soleil.

    This heart-wrenching moment was a turning point for Jesse, sparking his mission to protect children online. According to UNICEF, while the Internet offers opportunities for children to stay connected with friends and explore their interests, it is not always a safe space. As children grow up as digital natives, it becomes essential for parents, educators, and society to assess how prepared they are to navigate the dangers that come with this connectivity.

    The web offers vast educational resources, entertainment, and social interaction, but with it also come significant risks—cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, and potential encounters with predators who disguise themselves as peers.

    Jesse’s experience inspired him to create Akili TV, a platform that combines entertainment with valuable lessons on online safety. He recognized the need to communicate with young people in a language they would understand and embrace, using engaging content to teach them how to protect themselves in the digital world.

    Open Communication: The Key to Online Safety

    One of the most effective ways to safeguard children online is by fostering open communication. Parents should cultivate an environment where children feel safe discussing their online experiences without fear of judgment or punishment. When children encounter something inappropriate or troubling, they should feel comfortable sharing it with a trusted adult.

    This open dialogue also allows parents to better understand who their children are interacting with online. Rather than imposing harsh judgments, parents should focus on listening and guiding, ensuring their children feel supported.

    Setting Boundaries and Guidelines

    In addition to communication, setting clear boundaries regarding technology use is essential. Parents should establish rules around screen time, supervise their children’s browsing, and select apps or websites that are appropriate for their children. By guiding children toward verified, child-friendly platforms, parents can reduce the likelihood of exposure to harmful content.

    Educating children about the importance of privacy is equally crucial. They need to understand why they shouldn’t share personal information—such as their full name, address, or school—with strangers online. Social media accounts should be set to private, and children should only accept friend requests from people they know in real life.

    Speaking to delegates during this year’s EdTech Summit, Jesse shared a clip from Flash Squad, a teen series that explores the challenges young people face online. In one episode, a high school student clicks on a suspicious link, leading to his accounts being hacked and harmful messages sent to his contacts. Through relatable stories like these, Jesse conveys the importance of online safety in a way that resonates with young viewers.

    Modeling Responsible Behavior

    Children learn more from what they see than what they are told. While parents often instruct their children on responsible online behavior, they must also lead by example. If parents post inappropriate content or disregard privacy, their children are likely to follow suit. By modeling responsible behavior, parents set the standard for their children’s digital conduct.

    Using Technology to Monitor and Guide

    Parents should also stay actively involved in their children’s online activities by using apps that allow them to monitor browsing history and social media interactions. However, it’s important to strike a balance between monitoring and allowing children to develop independence. As children mature, parents should gradually shift the responsibility of safe internet use onto their shoulders, teaching them how to manage their online presence responsibly.

    Collaborative Efforts for a Safer Internet

    While parents play a crucial role, they cannot tackle online safety alone. Technology companies must prioritize child-friendly platforms, like YouTube Kids, and implement more robust parental controls. If more platforms followed this model, it would offer parents greater control over the content their children are exposed to.

    Schools also play an important role in educating children about online safety. By incorporating lessons on digital literacy and responsible online behavior, schools can equip children with the tools they need to navigate the internet safely.

    Governments, too, have a part to play by enacting policies that protect children’s privacy and regulate age-appropriate content. Effective legislation can ensure that technology companies adhere to strict standards regarding data protection and online content for minors.

    Jesse’s unfortunate experience with his daughter’s online bullying ultimately became a catalyst for change. Through Akili TV and programs like Flash Squad, he has helped countless children learn how to stay safe online. His story reminds us that while the internet offers incredible benefits, it also requires vigilance, communication, and collaboration to protect our children.

    Online safety is a shared responsibility. By working together—parents, educators, technology companies, and policymakers—we can create a safer digital world for the next generation.

  • Community stories: Bridge Academies Foundation’s Journey to Achieving Education for All

    Community stories: Bridge Academies Foundation’s Journey to Achieving Education for All

    This EdTech challenge is part of our ongoing effort to crowdsource and showcase stories from the EdTech East Africa community. If you’d like your work to be featured, please email the editor at juliet@edtech-eastafrica.com

    Since opening its first school in Mukuru Kwa Njenga in 2009, Bridge International Academies has made incredible strides in addressing one of the world’s most pressing challenges—education for all. With a mission to tackle the fact that one in two children worldwide is not learning, Bridge has worked tirelessly to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has access to quality education. This vision has come to life in urban informal settlements and rural areas, where children face significant educational barriers.

    From the beginning, Bridge International Academies set out to provide an affordable, high-quality alternative to traditional public education. Today, the organization operates community schools across 30 out of 47 counties in Kenya, offering life-changing educational opportunities to children who would otherwise struggle to access learning. These schools are designed to provide education that equips learners with practical skills and real-world knowledge, empowering them for future success.

    Bridge’s approach to education is rooted in a powerful mission: to provide every child with a strong foundation that opens doors to a better future. To deliver high-quality education that is data-driven and evidence-based, the organization works closely with teachers, parents, and local communities.

    In pursuit of this mission, Bridge has re-engineered every aspect of the education system—from teacher training and lesson delivery to school construction, financial administration, and beyond. This commitment ensures that Bridge’s community schools are as effective, transparent, and accountable as possible. The results speak for themselves: independent exam results consistently demonstrate that Bridge schools provide a proven pathway to success.

    A key element of Bridge’s solution to the global education crisis is its data-driven, technology-enabled approach. Bridge has transformed lesson delivery and student progress tracking through digital learning systems. Teachers use tablets loaded with standardized, scripted lessons that guide each step of the learning process, ensuring that every student receives consistent, high-quality education, no matter which school they attend.

    Real-time data and analytics are integral to Bridge’s operations. By inputting student assessment results into the system, teachers and administrators can track student performance, identify learning gaps, and make informed decisions to improve outcomes. The technology also allows for content to be updated and tailored to meet the specific needs of each student, ensuring lessons remain relevant and effective.

    Teacher empowerment is at the heart of Bridge’s model. The organization invests heavily in continuous professional development, providing teachers with daily, expertly designed lesson plans and regular instructional coaching. This support ensures that teachers are equipped with the pedagogical skills and classroom management techniques they need to succeed, allowing them to focus on what they do best—teaching and inspiring their students.


    Bridge’s data-driven decision-making further ensures that the organization is always improving. Daily data collection on student attendance, assessment results, and teacher performance helps to track progress, identify challenges, and implement targeted interventions where needed. Whether addressing underperforming students or schools, this data allows Bridge to make real-time adjustments to enhance learning outcomes.

    The scalability of Bridge’s model is another key achievement. Designed to work in diverse settings—from densely populated urban centers to remote rural areas—Bridge’s approach ensures that quality education is accessible in both high- and low-density environments. The use of technology enables Bridge to expand its reach without compromising on the quality of education provided.

    Looking ahead, Bridge remains committed to being a global leader in education research and innovation. The organization aims to contribute to the global knowledge of what works in low-resource education settings and continues to improve educational outcomes for children in the world’s most underserved communities. Bridge is focused on ensuring that even more children from underserved areas gain access to the same high-quality education offered in its schools—education that prepares them for success in a rapidly changing world.

    Bridge’s journey is far from complete, but every step forward brings the organization closer to realizing its vision of education for all. As it continues to innovate and grow, Bridge is more committed than ever to its mission of transforming education and empowering the next generation.

    Grace Mbugua, the Director of Communications for Bridge Kenya & Uganda, submitted this story.