Diji is an innovative digital learning platform providing short, skills-based courses in African languages. The platform’s primary objective is to empower post-school, unemployed, or under-employed African youth by offering learning opportunities in their native languages. Delivered via mobile browser or chat applications, Diji makes learning accessible and practical.
The Challenge
Before Diji, there was a significant gap in accessible, skills-based learning resources in African languages. The platform sought to address this issue and empower African youth with new skills to increase their employability or to start their businesses.
The Solution
Diji was developed with the user’s needs in mind. Research and feedback were gathered from over 8,500 people, with an overwhelming 94.5% expressing a desire to learn in their mother tongue and on their phones. The instructional design of the courses was carefully tailored to be accessible on both a browser and chat applications, and the content was made data-conscious to accommodate users with limited data access. The platform was piloted with Zulu and expanded to include Xhosa, Swahili, and Yoruba.
A significant partnership was formed with Turn.io, providing access to their messaging platform for six months. This enabled Diji to build, test, and implement their learning chat application.
Results
The impact of Diji has been significant. The platform has already seen considerable engagement, welcoming over 1,100 learners a month in an early trial.
Future Direction
Diji aims to continue its mission of providing mobile access to relevant educational resources, improving literacy and skills, promoting African languages for learning, and contributing to job creation and the economy. To achieve these goals, Diji seeks strategic content and funding partners for future growth.
Website: diji.africa