MEST Africa and Mastercard Foundation celebrate EdTech innovations at Demo Day in Accra

In collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, MEST Africa organised an inspiring Demo Day event on Thursday, November 2024, at the Marriott Hotel in Accra, Ghana. The event marked the achievements of the Mastercard EdTech Fellowship program, a transformative initiative launched in 2019 to revolutionise education across Africa by supporting EdTech startups.

Rodwell Mangisi, Acting Director of the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning, reiterated the Foundation’s focus on education as a pathway out of poverty.

“Since 2008, we have invested most of our resources into education because we believe that training young people can transform lives and help the African continent prosper,” he said.

He also highlighted the Foundation’s dedication to inclusivity, particularly for persons with disabilities, and called for government support to enhance infrastructure and bridge the gap for marginalised learners.

Over the past four years, the EdTech Fellowship has empowered twelve innovative companies from seven African countries, impacting more than 800,000 learners.

Speaking at the event, Olufemi Adewumi, Program Director at MEST Africa, noted the initiative's far-reaching influence, stating, “Every learner has a network, and through this, the number of impacted individuals could easily rise to 4 million.” Estimating that it could even be higher than the projected number, Angela Duho, Program Manager at MEST Africa, described the event as a celebration of “innovation, collaboration, and a shared vision to transform education across Africa through technology.”

She highlighted the program's commitment to empowering learners and unlocking the potential of educators and students.

The Demo Day showcased the groundbreaking solutions developed by the fellowship's first cohort, addressing critical challenges in education. Suraj Shah, Acting Head of Strategic Partnerships and Leadership at the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning expressed his admiration for the progress.

He stated that the program had exceeded expectations, noting, "In these eight months, we’ve been overwhelmed by the achievements of the 12 EdTech initiatives here in Ghana. This demonstrates that we are not short of innovative ideas to bridge educational gaps."

He urged governments to lend support, emphasising that more could be accomplished with greater collaboration.

The event featured dynamic showcases, with fellows demonstrating their transformative solutions and sharing insights into their journeys. One literacy tutor praised EdTech for how it is motivating students to read by gamifying the process through points and rewards.

Meanwhile, a student praised some learning apps for simplifying complex subjects like science, making learning both engaging and accessible.