atingi: Unlocking learning across the globe

Digital technologies, adapted for local conditions and requirements, can contribute substantially to quality education for everyone. As we explore digital solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we share the perspective of Jan-Gerrit Groeneveld, head of project at “atingi,” an e-learning solution focusing on those with limited or no access to conventional educational resources.

Tell us about your digital solution to accelerate progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At atingi, we set ourselves the goal to provide inclusive, accessible, relevant and safe digital learning for the Global South. Therefore, atingi is free of charge and accessible online and offline, designed for scalability, and fueled by a growing portfolio of certified courses.

To satisfy local economic and cultural needs, our courses are created in collaboration with global and regional partners. And because most of them are published with open licenses, we actively encourage others to re-use and further adapt them, in full support of the Principles for Digital Development.

Lastly, to support the advancement of gender equality, we provide resources that help our partners with the creation of gender transformative educational material.

Which organization or group is behind this digital solution?

atingi is the digital learning platform of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH), the main German development agency.

How can your digital solution help put the SDGs back on track?

As a digital solution, atingi is inherently designed to be massively scalable, all the while providing efficiency benefits. These design principles allow us to implement an innovative, open partnership strategy, resulting in even greater expansion of atingi’s reach.

We now work with over 360 partners to provide a growing portfolio of 1,500 courses in 21 languages. To date, 800,000 registered learners have benefited from our offering, completing 850,000 learning modules on our platform, which is fully compliant with the European Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

Which SDGs does your project aim to address, and why?

atingi contributes to the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals by providing e-learning materials across various disciplines. Specifically, we address Goal 4: Quality education.

We believe that education is the key for driving the positive transformations that our world needs. A skilled and educated workforce speeds up economic progress, serving as the foundation for sustainable growth and lasting prosperity.

At the same time, atingi also strongly contributes to Goal 5: Gender equality. atingi actively promotes a feminist development policy by ensuring educational access for all, with a specific focus on females and rural populations in our communication efforts. Additionally, we empower individuals and cultivate knowledge through gender-transformative courses.

What are the greatest challenges or risks you have faced in rolling out your digital solution for the SDGs?

Internet access is limited in large parts of the world, in particular in rural areas. To reduce the resulting digital divide, we provide technologies that make the atingi course portfolio accessible offline through a mobile app or low-cost micro-computers, our ‘atingi in a box’, which creates a local access hotspot for pre-loaded course materials. Additionally, we offer services to implement text messages (SMS) and interactive voice-response (IVR) solutions.

A second challenge: Given low digital literacy in many parts of the world, it is crucial to convey our content in a highly accessible and understandable manner. One element to address this is to continuously improve the user journey, from registration to course completion, and to provide resources to guide users on effective online learning, backed up by personalised support.

What are the advantages of joining forces with ITU, UNDP and other partners to advance digital solutions for the SDGs?

We seek global and local partners with networks in the Global South, to expand the reach of both atingi and our partners, and to help us grow our library of high quality, openly licensed learning materials.

Affiliations with highly recognized organizations like the ITU and UNDP significantly enhance the credibility and the value of certificates acquired on atingi. This is essential for the acceptance of the platform and is equally vital for the success of our learners on the job market.

We thank ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin for her support as well as for the collaborative opportunities between our organizations. We also thank our numerous partners for the trust they have placed in us in our collaborations.

atingi is featured as a ground-breaking digital solution for SDG4 (quality education) in the SDG Digital Acceleration Agenda, prepared by ITU and UNDP with knowledge partner Boston Consulting Group and support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). It was presented by Noémie Bürkl, Head of Unit for Digital Technologies at BMZ, during the SDG Digital event at UN Headquarters on 17 September.

Photo credits: atingi

(Updated 18/09/2023)