Atingi, e-learning Platform Taking Hold in Rwanda

Covid-19 pandemic has changed the mode of learning as countries instituted measures aimed at limiting the spread of the deadly virus.

Rwanda, known for being at the forefront of the digitalization drive, has now embraced a new e-learning platform known as ‘atingi’ that is quickly expanding its footprint on the African continent.

‘Atingi’ means “to achieve something“, in Esperanto, an international language developed in the late 1980s.

This innovative e-learning platform’s typical users are young people struggling with specific career challenges in the face of insufficient education opportunities since public, private and civil society offers are unsatisfactory in many places.

Since its start in 2019, atingi platform has reached about 2 million people in Africa and enabled more than 300,000 to access courses in the variety of disciplines such as entrepreneurship, technology and digital transformation, management and leadership, health, professional orientation.

Atingi e-learning platform led by project leader Jan-Gerrit Groeneveld was piloted in Rwanda in 2020 seconded by the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (MINICT).

According to project leader, atingi has contributed to the Digital Ambassadors Programme of the Government of Rwanda aimed at improving digital literacy of citizens across the country.

“Early user acceptance of the learning platform has exceeded initial expectations, which strengthens our belief that investing in digital education infrastructure on the African continent is the right way for us to contribute to unlocking the enormous local economic potential,” says Jan-Gerrit Groeneveld atingi project leader in Rwanda.

Details from project leader indicate that, atingi is an innovative tool that will enable young people in Rwanda and Africa to polish their employability skills free of charge.

The platform is available to the community at zero cost, both online and offline with the atingi app, this was done in a bid to make the platform more accessible and inclusive.

Atingi project representatives Olena Rusnak and Johannes Pohlmann explain that atingi has a constantly growing catalogue of over 300 courses aimed at improving employability of youth through modern digital learning opportunities.

This project is expected to realise its full potential due to its more than 200 symbiotic, varied partnerships with organizations from business, science, civil society and governments.

Meanwhile, this platform originally of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) was developed by a team of education and digital experts and works closely with the Smart Africa Initiative and partners from politics, business, civil society and science.