GetBundi to equip youths with STEM skills

In a bid to economic growth and development in Africa, a new educational technology platform has been launched to equip African youths with quality, accessible and affordable Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning and STI digital skills.

The platform, GetBundi, a product of Wings of Justice Limited, was unveiled in Lagos to refocus Africa’s education towards STEM and digital skills as a way to lift millions out of poverty.

CEO/founder of GetBundi, Osita Oparaugo said the idea of the platform came from an understanding that only countries with STEM-enabled citizenry can achieve meaningful development as STEM learning encourages creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills needed in the 21st century world.

“Singapore used science and technology in turning from a developing country to developed country. China went from having a no-flush problem to being a global leader in science. These countries have flourishing economies as a result of the critical role scientific and technological advancements have played.

“What China and Singapore have achieved in less than 50 years, Africa can also attain using STEM Education and STI Skills acquisition, especially when one considers the abundance of human capital and the resilient nature of Africans, especially the youths,” he said.

GetBundi, Oparaugo said, currently hosts over 1,008 hours of audio-visual content covering six years of secondary school work using the West African curriculum and covers subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, ICT, Data Processing, English Language, etc. There is also revision for competitive examinations, such as WAEC examinations, for up to three years with monthly live question and answer sessions.

He emphasised that GetBundi is not intended as a replacement for the traditional method of teaching or physical secondary school but as a supplement that can be used as a teachers’ aid, to support continuous learning in-school students and as a study guide for out-of-school students/homeschoolers.

GetBundi is also working to include three years of JAMB, IELTS, and TOEFL revision classes, as well as Science, Technology and Innovation skills in its next product deployment, he said. The STI skills would include video editing, digital marketing, graphic design and coding courses, and users who successfully complete a course and its accompanying assignments would earn a diploma.

“Acquiring digital skills is a must for anyone in the 21st century, especially in Africa. STEM-focused remote jobs are in high-demand and are well-paying, and with so many people willing to make the switch but not knowing where to start, GetBundi is the one-stop shop for you,” he said.

The GetBundi founder projected that the platform would support and upskill 10 million Africans in the next 10 years through STEM and STI digital skills acquisition via a strategy tagged ‘The GetBundi Vision 2032’.

He urged the African Union and regional economic organisations on the continent, such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to key into the GetBundi vision.

Juliet Ijeh, programme coordinator of GetBundi, said the motivation for the project is to get STEM learning across as many youths as possible irrespective of their location, especially with the high level of insecurity across Africa which has made learning in schools more difficult.

“This product will make innovative learning attractive to young minds such that even after secondary school, some of them can decide to be entrepreneurs, or go into creative and productive activities,” Ijeh said.