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🇹🇿 Tanzania /Technology

One Girl Plus brings girls' life-skills education into the digital space

From The Citizen · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Msichana Initiative launched the One Girl Plus Digital Platform in Dar es Salaam to give girls continued access to life-skills education.
  • The programme has reached more than 10,000 girls aged 10 to 25 over four years, focusing on self-awareness, confidence and goal-setting.
  • The platform includes Kiswahili content, interactive games and an AI chatbot, while the organisation warns that smartphone, internet and data costs could exclude poorer and rural girls.

For girls who live far from schools, support programmes and reliable internet, geography and household income can shape how much they learn and which opportunities they can reach. Msichana Initiative is trying to narrow that gap with the One Girl Plus Digital Platform, launched in Dar es Salaam on September 5.

We listened to girls. They taught us that their desire to learn does not end when our session ends.

· Consolata ChikotiThe Msichana Initiative executive director explained why the programme moved into digital learning.

The platform extends a programme that has reached more than 10,000 girls aged 10 to 25 during the past four years. Through games, storytelling, discussions and encounters with female role models, the programme teaches self-awareness, confidence and goal-setting.

The digital version follows the programme's three pillars, known as K3: Kujitambua, Kujiamini and Kujiwekea Malengo. Girls can use interactive games and life-skills material in Kiswahili, as well as age-appropriate information. An AI-powered chatbot is designed to give them a friendly place to ask questions and find information supporting their learning and personal development.

Through One Girl Plus Digital Platform, we want to build a bridge that enables them to continue learning, asking questions and building confidence wherever they are. Technology gives us an opportunity to take this experience to many more girls.

· Consolata ChikotiShe described the platform's purpose and its potential reach.

“We listened to girls. They taught us that their desire to learn does not end when our session ends,” executive director Consolata Chikoti said. “Through One Girl Plus Digital Platform, we want to build a bridge that enables them to continue learning, asking questions and building confidence wherever they are.”

One Girl Plus gives us a great opportunity to use technology to ensure that life skills do not remain in a one-day training or meeting, but can follow a girl into her everyday life.

· Consolata ChikotiChikoti said the digital platform would extend, rather than replace, face-to-face support.

Chikoti said technology would not replace the safe relationships formed through face-to-face programmes. It would extend them, while reducing transport and other costs involved in reaching girls in remote communities. But she acknowledged that digital access remains uneven. Not every girl has a smartphone, computer or reliable internet, or can afford data. The platform is therefore also considering offline access, while the organisation says privacy, digital safety, cyberbullying and gender-based violence online must remain central as more girls enter digital spaces.

Technology breaks those boundaries and reduces those costs. It means this education reaches the girl directly.

· Consolata ChikotiShe discussed the potential benefits for girls in remote communities.
About this summary

Originally published by The Citizen in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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