In Zambian schools the effective use of ICT is very high on the agenda. To encourage educators to start experimenting with the use of ICT, VVOB Zambia designed a “Grassroots” project as part of the multi-year programme (2008-2013) of the Ministry of Education and VVOB.
The purpose of this Grassroots project is ’to motivate teachers in a new, creative way to use the potential of ICT in education’. Lecturers or teachers could submit a project proposal to use ICT in a new and creative manner in the classroom. The proposals were ranging from the use of simple, social, end-user control tools like wikis, podcasting or video logging to the implementation of practical new tools and methods of information connection.
In 2010 the jury selected in each of the two rounds 25 Grassroots projects. These were divided into groups according to their action potential. VVOB experts guided and coached each group. Upon successful implementation of the project the participants received a financial reward to contribute to the use of ICT in education at college-level. Participants documented their learning experience in a book called “Tales of the Grasshoppers: Small Steps and Giant Leaps of Grassroots Projects on the use of ICT in the Classroom”.
My Talking Walls Kit
An example of a Grassroots project is the project of Davis Sichinsambwe, an expressive arts lecturer at Mansa College of Education. His project is called ‘My Talking Walls Kit’. 16 Students brought their old teaching aids and created new ones with the computer using free graphic software. They also designed a big bag to collect the new teaching aids. During the remainder of their study each student will add more teaching and learning aids. After graduating, the students will walk home, and to their first job with a bag full of teaching and learning aids. Mr. Sichinsambwe bought a new lamination machine with the reward he received from the Grassroots Zambia Project.
