The Aga Khan Economic Planning Board for Tanzania launched their initiative with Coursera, a free online learning platform for Jamati members with courses from the world’s top universities.
Coursera was launched in 2012 by two Stanford professors, with a mission to provide universal access to learning, anywhere, anytime. One of the key mandates of the Aga Khan Economic Planning Board is to facilitate upskilling for the jamat, both academic and vocational. The lifelong learning program, which we also called LLLP, was initiated by the National Council and the Aga Khan Economic Planning Board in 2004. Almost 200 murids have benefited from this program and our assessments show that there has been an enhancement of the quality of life of the murids who have benefited from this initiative.
The program avails the jamat an opportunity for both formal and informal learning, in order to nurture the continuous development and improvement of the knowledge and skills needed for employment and improved standard of living. Some of the outcomes for the people we know who have taken the courses include getting a promotion, a pay increase, finding a better job, starting a new business, or improving their skills in their current job. Computer labs have also been set up at Darkhana Jamatkhana in Dar es Salaam every day for Jamati members to use, with access to laptops, wireless internet and tutors to facilitate an enabling learning environment.
EPB is trying to change the face of education in our Jamat in Tanzania and we invite you to be a part of it. Contact [email protected] for more information.