Kolibri Transforms Classrooms-Offline but Fully Connected

 This Impact Update comes from Edward Banda and Jacob Khodowe, two of our colleagues on the Academics team in Zambia. 

In January 2024, Impact Network launched a pilot program introducing Kolibri in eight community schools in rural Zambia. Kolibri is an open-source, offline e-learning platform designed to bring high-quality digital education to learners and teachers, especially in low-resource settings. It provides a wide array of curriculum-aligned content—including educational videos, interactive exercises, and digital textbooks—all accessible without an internet connection.

But Kolibri is more than just a platform. It is an EdTech toolkit built for diverse educational contexts. It emphasizes innovative pedagogy, improved learning outcomes, increased access to materials, and the removal of infrastructure barriers. Its goal is to ensure equitable access to quality education, even in the most remote areas.

In 2025, the program expanded to 40 government schools across four districts: Katete, Sinda, Petauke, and Lusangazi.

The introduction of Kolibri has addressed technological gaps and transformed the learning experience. Education has become more competency-based, with students gaining valuable hands-on experience. The platform’s interactive, media-rich content has boosted student engagement and supported teachers in planning and delivering lessons more effectively.

One of Kolibri’s greatest strengths is its ability to function offline—making it especially useful in rural school settings where internet connectivity is limited or nonexistent.

Before implementation, all participating government teachers received comprehensive training to ensure they could confidently use the platform. The training covered key areas such as logging in, navigating the system, identifying curriculum-aligned materials, connecting tablets to projectors, and using schemes of work to prepare lessons.

Government teachers being trained on how to use Kolibri.

Teachers and school leaders have expressed strong appreciation for the initiative, recognizing its potential to significantly improve both teaching and learning. Since Kolibri was introduced, classrooms have seen higher levels of student focus and participation. The enthusiasm from teachers shows a clear readiness to adopt digital tools—especially when those tools are designed to meet the realities and needs of rural education.

At its heart, Kolibri is about more than technology—it’s about unlocking potential. It’s about giving every student, no matter where they live, the opportunity to explore, question, and grow. By placing powerful learning tools into the hands of learners and educators, Kolibri is helping students in rural Zambia dream bigger, reach higher, and build the skills they need to shape their futures. This is what education should be: inclusive, empowering, and full of possibility.