A smart statement from my distant mentor, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), whom I have never met.
“They like to say the future of Africa is in the youth. I disagree. The now of Africa is in the youth, in particular if you are a female. Our expectation is that we have to transform Sierra Leone. We as the youth, we are the problem-solvers, we are the entrepreneurs, there’s nobody who’s coming to save us. It’s us. So, let’s look within and get it done.”
This is completely true, but how will we achieve it if we don’t have the necessary rules in place and young people with creative ideas don’t have access to funding or a listening ear?
No matter how large the idea is, it’s worthless if you don’t have the necessary connections in Sierra Leone. eg: DreamDay University
A web-based online learning management system. As the first and only free online learning management systems (distance learning) in Sierra Leone, we will work with universities, colleges, and academia on course creation and delivery.
DreamDay University is not a fully functioning university, but the idea is to complement the Government’s “free quality education” theme as well as to help promote the educational services using the
internet as a better and easier solution that will allow students to take free online courses, anywhere and at any time. As the most effective option for students that gives them more flexibility and access to courses and course materials at any time and place of their choosing. It will increase the student retention rate by 60% compared to 25% in the traditional method of learning.
DreamDay University will target:
- Students that are preparing to enter university or college;
- Students who cannot afford college fees but still want to take classes on their dream course;
- Continue students that want to understand their courses better by taking courses from other lecturers in other universities;
- Workers who want to improve their knowledge but are too busy to attend daily classes;
- Host training courses for companies and organizations for staff to access
i.e., HR companies creating courses on HR-related and entrepreneurship etc. or Associations or Societies e.g., the National Youth Service (NYS) can create training courses for youth nationwide or the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) can create courses for all journalists throughout the country.
We will be able to reach these students regardless of geographical location, financial status, religion, tribe, and political limitations.
SALONE REPOSITORY
It’s a repository, library, and archive all rolled into one. It’s an institutional repository that can also serve as an archive for gathering, maintaining, and disseminating digital copies of institutions’ intellectual output, especially research institutions.
Institutions all across the world have begun to transform their paper papers into electronic formats like HTML or PDF, which individuals may browse online and print if necessary.
Prof. Joe A.D Ali, for example, has spent decades working to reform Sierra Leone’s educational system through his writing; presently, a few of his books and papers may be found in libraries and bookstores, but how long will those libraries and bookstores maintain the tangible copies?
With Salone Repository, students can:
- Students can use the repository to publish their theses/dissertations
- Writers can host their books, articles, journals, poems, and other works
- Educational news will be published and documented
- Scholarship publications can be made
- Users have 24/7 unlimited access to the library
CONCLUSION
This idea is meant to complement the government’s “FREE and Quality Education” initiative by promoting educational services via the internet as a better and more convenient option, allowing students to attend free online courses from anywhere and at any time.
For Sierra Leone, as a developing country, the internet offers a wide range of opportunities.
This will aid in the promotion of education from an online perspective for higher educational institutions, tertiary and other academic institutions, and stakeholders, and it will be a step forward in bridging the gaps between the traditional educational system and internet-based educational services.
DreamDay University does not only allow students to take courses online but will also allow them to research and publish their dissertations, books, articles, magazines, journals, and more through DreamDay University’s online research center (Salone Repository).
We cherish and appreciate any sponsorship, partnership, or assistance that will help us achieve our visions and goals of providing 100% free online access to everyone.
To Dr. Sengeh and anyone ready this, I believe that the feature of Africa can only be the youth if we have the necessary resources to develop our ideas. We are seeking to expand our reach and goals of access to the greater students and viewership if we have the necessary support needed.
Published by:
Kharifa Abdulai Kumara
Founder & Director
DreamDay Technology Limited