In April we were glad to be part of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) conference held virtually from 25th April focusing on Social Responsibility within Changing Contexts. eKitabu participated in two sessions addressing gaps in inclusive education for children who are deaf or hard of hearing in sub-Saharan Africa. The first of these presentations focused on the work we are doing in the Language Before Literacy team with colleagues at Royal Dutch Kentalis, Deaf Child Worldwide, and Juarez & Associates with whom we have been working for the past three years toward inclusion of learners who are deaf or hard of hearing in language acquisition and literacy. In the second session, we presented with the All Children Reading (USAID, World Vision and the Australian Government) team focusing on EdTech tools, resources, and assessments to support reading and language skills for children with disabilities in and out of school. Josh Josa of USAID led the discussion with eKitabu, Benetech, and School-to-School International. We were glad to join the presentations, and we were grateful to be part of the thoughtful and thorough preparation that went into them.Now it’s time again for the annual Digital Essay Competition (DEC) in Kenya. The DEC 2021 question is: What are the hardest and best experiences you have had during the COVID-19 pandemic? eKitabu invites all upper primary and secondary school students in Kenya to submit their essays online at essay.eKitabu.com for the following categories: Kiswahili, English, Art, Kenyan Sign Language, Braille, French, and German. Here are the key dates for DEC 2021:
- DEC 2021 Official Launch: Thursday 3rd June 2021
- Submission Deadline: Wednesday 11th August 2021
- Prizegiving: September during Nairobi International Book Fair with Kenya Publishers Association
This year we are also working with Rwanda’s Kigali Public Library (KPL) to launch, learn from and grow an annual writing competition. We are excited about this program, enthused by the vision and energy of KPL, led by their dynamic leader Sylvain Mudahinyuka. The prizegiving for “Season One,” is this week on 28th May. As we say in Kinyarwanda: Twagiye digital!Warmest regards,Will[su_button url="https://mailchi.mp/ekitabu/ekitabu-tunaenda-digital-newsletter-may-2021" target="blank" background="#e80904" color="#ffffff" size="5" radius="0"]Read the entire newsletter here[/su_button]