The Malawi Government led Building Education Foundation through Innovation and Technology (BEFIT) program is improving learner’ numeracy and literacy skills in public schools. However, several schools have struggles to adequately execute the BEFIT program due to technological challenges.
Francis Chisunzi, BEFIT Coordinator and Primary school teacher at Mpotola Primary School in Zomba Urban, Likangala Zone, shared that, during BEFIT tablet sessions, learners have encountered various issues while interacting with the tablets.
"These issues include the BEFIT tablets not charging, certain tablets failing to show information, headset cord breakage, and tablets failing to turn on. These technological issues often create considerable delays during BEFIT courses, limiting the time students may spend utilising the tablets," Chisunzi stated.
Due to the busy schedule of the technical team, Chisunzi realized that he needed to take action to fix some of these difficulties on his own. He recalled, “There was a time when we were advised to wait for the technical team from Imagine Worldwide to resolve the tablet issues. This process often took a long time.”
With limited knowledge of tablet hardware, Misonzi saw an opportunity to enhance his skills and contribute to resolving these problems. “I decided to take this step because most of the challenges we face with BEFIT tablets are hardware-related, while support typically focuses on software issues,” he said.
In pursuit of this ambition, Chisunzi contacted TEVETA (Technical, Entrepreneurial, Vocational Education and Training Authority) to enquire about possible training opportunities. He was particularly interested in a phone repair course. He was referred to Sanwecka Tech Companions, a TEVETA partner institution.
He explained, “I was inspired to attend Sanwecka because I saw how other graduates from the institution were benefiting from similar skills.”
Chisunzi completed the six-month phone repair course, which equipped him with essential skills to solve tablet-related hardware issues. “The course taught me how to troubleshoot and resolve issues with tablets, including broken tablets, charging problems, volume issues, and sound jack malfunctions,” he said.
He started his journey by repairing small headphones and headsets. The school administration noticed his skills. As a consequence, they advised him to help other BEFIT schools such as Chikamveka Primary School and St. Joseph Primary School, with similar technical issues. "I have fixed 206 BEFIT headsets, 14 tablet charging bases, 46 tablet sound ports, 2 volume keypads, and 24 tablets that needed to be troubleshooted for touch screens and LCD difficulties. In addition, I fixed charging base issues and replaced numerous broken sound jacks.
Chisunzi added "Now, I intend to master the operation of the charging hub for BEFIT tablets. This involves diagnosing charging hub issues, knowing the layout of all the components, and learning how to fix them. There have been various faults with the charging hubs in the BEFIT program, and I want to expand my expertise and gain more knowledge by specializing in the repair of this equipment."
Chisunzi's willingness to learn and apply new skills has made him an essential resource not just for Mpotola Primary School, but also for other BEFIT program schools in the Mulanje and Thyolo districts. He can now fix comparable technological challenges across other schools, increasing the program's effect.
The Building Education Foundations Through Innovation and Technology (BEFIT) is a government of Malawi-owned and led program aimed at enhancing foundational literacy and numeracy skills among learners in standard 1 to 4 across all public primary schools in Malawi through supplemental, individualized, self-paced instruction delivered via specialized apps on android tablets.
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