The Problem
In Kenya, more than 6 million of the 9 million students now in primary school will fail to advance to high school. In rural areas, this percentage is even higher, especially for girls. Class sizes are more than 60 students per teacher and personal attention is absent. Millions of kids are powerless without basic skills to find viable jobs, thereby preventing them from lifting themselves out of poverty.
The Approach
Eneza attacks student failure by offering high quality educational materials to students via text messages. Students can access quizzes across multiple subjects, and also receive guidance on finding correct answers. All student results are tracked, providing a means for schools to rally around student achievement on a centralized platform.
The company also created local educational networks, enabling students, teachers, parents, and school leaders to connect.
The Progress + Traction
With over 35,000 students actively using the system each month, Eneza is growing revenue rapidly and approaching breakeven financial performance. A key partnership was developed with Safaricom which allowed for significantly reduced end-user cost, as well as more widespread distribution. An impact study found that after using Eneza’s software for just 30 minutes, the average student’s score increased by 5% on the KCPE (Kenya Comprehensive Primary Exam), the key determining factor for high school admittance and quality of college education.