Johannesburg – the newly launched app is the brainchild of Afrika Tikkun Bambanani, a non-profit organisation that specialises in the upliftment and education of young children in South Africa.
The launch took place at the newly completed Sabrina Love Farm, a site built in memory of Sabrina Lubner, cherished daughter of Tony and Suzy Lubner and is dedicated to providing state-of-the-art education, therapy, and support to disabled children.
The Lubner family, known for their unwavering dedication to making a lasting difference in the lives of disadvantaged South Africa’s children, continues to honour the legacy of Bertie Lubner, the visionary founder of Afrika Tikkun. His passion for education and equal opportunity lives on through initiatives like the all-new Bamba Learn app, which was introduced to 22 principals from local Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres.
Each principal received a tablet equipped with the app, marking a new chapter in early childhood education for the Bitou community.
Designed in the form of a game, the much-needed app is an innovative digital adaptation of the internationally certified Bambanani Curriculum which. It has already received awards for exemplifying innovation in the technologies that support and enable every child the benefit of ECD.
“It aims to provide all children, regardless of their background, with access to high-quality education, embodying the Jewish values of Tikkun Olam – repairing the world – and education as a path to justice and equality,” reads a statement from the company.
Theresa Michael and Tessa Forman, founders of the Bambanani programme, highlighted the app’s success and the broader impact of the curriculum during the launch.
Since its inception, the programme has expanded across all nine provinces of South Africa, benefiting 260 schools and positively influencing the lives of over 20,000 children. The initiative has also empowered 1,500 teachers, furthering its reach and effectiveness.
Bamba Learn has been recognised not only for its educational innovation but also for its potential to effect global change, having been selected as one of the first 12 tech startups for the Mastercard Foundation Edtech Fellowship to scale across Africa. This international recognition underscores the app’s ability to transform early childhood education on a continent-wide scale.
Children engaged with the programme have demonstrated remarkable improvements of 40-50% across key learning outcomes, reflecting the app’s efficacy in providing equal educational opportunities.
The launch of Bamba Learn app event marked the beginning of a new era for early childhood education in the Bitou community.
*Be empowered, be inspired: This story is part of the ‘Empower SA‘ awe-inspiring story series dedicated to individuals and organisations doing something extra for our beautiful country of South Africa.
