By Samuel Ouma
Safaricom and Worldreader have partnered to help Kenyan families read more.
Through the partnership, the entities launched a program to make good children’s books available on phones via an app called BookSmart.
BookSmart is a Kenyan family app that provides access to over 3,000 high-quality books and activities for children aged 3 to 12 in multiple languages, including English and Swahili.
“When children read with adults it stays with them for life and increases their potential for future success. This partnership represents the power of putting reading in the hands of all families so they can prepare their children for their greatest potential,” said Olivia Kimani, Worldreader’s Director of Partnerships and Services in Kenya.
As a result of the collaboration, over 2,000 Safaricom subscribers will be able to use the BookSmart app without incurring data usage charges for the next three months.
This means their data will not count against their data plan or mobile data consumption.
“This initiative, which harnesses the power of technology to make quality children’s books accessible to Kenyan families, aligns with our purpose of transforming lives and our commitment to promoting digital inclusion. It also underscores the importance of collaboration in driving positive social impact,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom.
BookSmart allows children to learn from stories they care about, with books on sports, friendship, adventure, science, heroes, and Akili Kids’ favourite stories available at the touch of a finger.
It includes books from local, regional, and international publishers and media companies such as Longhorn Publishers PLC, East African Educational Publishers Ltd., Kenya Literature Bureau, Booktalk Africa, Ubongo International, and Storymoja.
