Airtel Africa extends e-learning support to students with UNICEF

Bharti Airtel’s Africa arm has teamed up with UNICEF to provide children with access to remote learning and cash assistance for their families via mobile cash transfers.

“Under this partnership, UNICEF and Airtel Africa will use mobile technology to benefit an estimated 133 million school age children currently affected by school closures in 13 countries across sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

Airtel Africa will zero-rate select websites hosting educational content, which will provide children with remote access to digital content at no cost.

“Some effective ways to cushion families from the effects of this crisis is through providing free Internet access to selected educational websites to help children keep up with their learning during the school closures and direct cash transfer programmes to reduce physical presence requirements for cash in hand exchanges,” said Raghunath Mandava, Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer.

The cash assistance will also help ensure families have additional resources to cope with the ongoing health and economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF said.

UNICEF and Airtel Africa’s partnership aims to benefit children and families in 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.