WEEK

Going the Extra Mile for Digital Education – Happy Customer Service Week from afiDE Ghana

by BlogEventNews

Going the Extra Mile for Digital Education – Happy Customer Service Week from afiDE Ghana

For us at afiDE Ghana, going the extra mile is not limited to what happens when a member school calls for support.

It is about building relationships, understanding the people we serve, anticipating their needs and, whenever possible, showing up for the moments that matter to them.

That is why this year’s Customer Service Week theme, “The Extra Mile,” resonates deeply with us.

We want to pause this week to say thank you to our member schools who have welcomed us with open arms and allowed us to be part of not only their digital transition journey, but their wider school communities.

 

What does “going the extra mile” mean in digital education?

Customer Service Week is an annual celebration of the people who dedicate themselves to serving customers and creating better experiences. This year, the theme reminds us that exceptional service is not simply about resolving problems. It is about exceeding expectations, anticipating needs and leaving people better off than when they reached out.

In digital education, this matters even more.

A learner who cannot log in, find a resource or understand how to use a digital tool may simply give up. A learner who receives a quick, patient and clear response is much more likely to keep going.

For us, going the extra mile can mean:

Responding with patience: Treating every question, however small, as an opportunity to help someone keep learning.

Making things simple: Designing our support and guidance so that even first-time digital learners can feel confident.

Listening and acting: Taking feedback seriously and turning it into meaningful improvements.

Measuring what matters: Looking beyond the number of issues resolved to consider the experience and progress of the people we serve.

 

Zita Nyarko of afiDE Ghana at Nileem Academy's 3rd Graduation and Prize-Giving Day.
Zita Nyarko of afiDE Ghana at Nileem Academy’s 3rd Graduation and Prize-Giving Day.

Showing up for our schools

For afiDE Ghana, going the extra mile also means showing up.

Recently, our team joined Precious Jesus School, one of our member schools, as they celebrated their 20th anniversary. We have also had the privilege of attending graduation ceremonies at Nileem International School and Kharistar International Academy, among other milestones.

These moments matter to learners, teachers and families.

Being present to celebrate with them may not be part of a service ticket or a contractual obligation, but it is part of the kind of relationship we want to build with our member schools.

Service does not end at the help desk. Sometimes, service means showing up.

 

Why this matters for digital learning in Ghana

Ghana is increasingly placing digital education at the centre of its development agenda, but there is still considerable work to be done.

Our digital education journey has to take into account the realities of our schools, teachers, learners and communities. Access to devices and platforms is important, but so are digital skills, teacher confidence, infrastructure, ongoing support and the human connection that helps people embrace technology.

Ghana is also positioning itself to play a stronger role in Africa’s digital education conversation. The country is set to host the 18th eLearning Africa Conference in 2026, following an agreement between Ghana’s Ministry of Education and eLearning Africa.

As the conversation around digital literacy, artificial intelligence and the future of education grows, we must remember something fundamental:

Technology may open the door, but people determine whether others feel confident enough to walk through it.

That is where service matters.

The warmth, care and hospitality that are deeply valued in Ghanaian culture can also shape how we approach digital education. A welcoming experience can make technology feel less intimidating. A patient response can build confidence. A school that feels heard is more likely to engage, provide feedback and remain part of the learning community.

 

Service is part of the learning experience

The future of African education is not only about expanding access to technology. It is also about creating learning experiences that foster creativity, adaptability, problem-solving and confidence.

And quality of experience is inseparable from quality of service.

When learners, teachers, schools and partners know they can count on timely help, clear communication and a respectful response, trust grows.

That trust is what can turn a one-time interaction into a lasting relationship and a collection of schools into a genuine learning community.

The afiDE Ghana team visited Kwajen International School (KIS) as part of School Visitation Week.
The afiDE Ghana team visited Kwajen International School (KIS) as part of School Visitation Week.

A thank-you to the afiDE network

This week, above all, is a time to say thank you.

To every member of the afiDE network, thank you for being part of this community.

Your trust, questions, feedback, participation and even the challenges you bring to us shape the digital learning experiences we are working to improve.

And to the people behind the scenes who answer questions, solve problems, follow up, troubleshoot, train, coordinate and continue showing up for learners and schools:

Your work is what helps make digital education human.

At afiDE Ghana, we will continue to learn, listen, improve and, whenever we can, go the extra mile.

 

Together, we go the extra mile for digital education.

Happy Customer Service Week from afiDE Ghana!

 

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School Has Resumed: Are You Building Your Students’ Future, or Quietly Breaking It?

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School Has Resumed: Are You Building Your Students’ Future, or Quietly Breaking It?

The school gates are open again. Classrooms are filling with excitement as students return with fresh hopes, new books and dreams for the academic year ahead. Teachers are back, ready to teach and inspire. School leaders are reviewing plans, setting targets and preparing their institutions for another year of growth.

But behind the excitement of a new term lies a harder, more uncomfortable question, one that most schools would rather avoid.

Are we preparing these students for the world they will graduate into? Or are we, without realising it, setting them up to fail in it?

It is not a dramatic question. It is a necessary one.

The Uncomfortable Truth

No school sets out to fail its students. No teacher walks into a classroom hoping to hold a child back. And yet, year after year, thousands of students leave school without the one set of skills that will determine, more than almost anything else, whether they can build a livelihood in the world ahead of them: digital skills.

This is not negligence in the way we usually think about it. Nobody is being careless on purpose. But there is a quieter kind of harm that happens when a system keeps doing what it has always done, in a world that has stopped waiting for it to catch up.

If a student graduates today unable to use a computer with confidence, unable to research online, unable to communicate or create digitally, that student is not neutral. They are behind. And the gap keeps widening every year technology moves forward without them.

So the question is not rhetorical. It is real: is your school building its students’ future, or quietly breaking it?

Good Intentions Are Not Enough

Here is where it gets uncomfortable for schools that believe they are already doing enough.

A school may have a computer lab. It may proudly tell parents it offers “ICT.” But if that lab sits locked most of the week because there is no trained teacher to use it, or because three of the ten computers work, or because nobody has a plan for what happens when the last one breaks down, that school is not preparing its students. It is performing preparation.

The equipment becomes a symbol rather than a tool. And a symbol does not teach a child how to build a spreadsheet, research a topic, or use a digital platform to reach a customer.

This is the trap: doing something that looks like progress while the actual outcome, a digitally capable graduate, never materialises. That gap between appearance and outcome is where futures quietly get broken. Not through malice. Through drift.

Teachers Are Either the Bridge or the Barrier

Students cannot become digitally confident if teachers are left behind. This is not a small detail. It is the whole equation.

Teachers are at the heart of every education system, and digital transformation must include them, not happen around them.

Ask honestly: are your teachers confident using digital tools, or are they quietly avoiding the computer lab because nobody ever showed them how? A school can install the newest equipment in the country, and it will still fail its students if the person standing in front of the class does not know how to use it.

This is where good intentions turn into broken promises. Providing computers without investing in teachers will not produce the desired results. It only shifts the burden onto teachers who were never given the tools to carry it, and onto students who inherit the gap.

Technology should never be seen as a replacement for teachers. It should be seen as a tool that empowers teachers to teach more effectively, to introduce new resources, to encourage research, to create more interactive lessons, and to offer learning experiences that go beyond the traditional classroom.

But that only happens with deliberate investment. A teacher who has never been trained cannot be expected to train students. So the real question every school must ask is this: are we building teachers who can carry students into the future, or are we leaving teachers to guess their way through it?

School Leaders Decide Whether This Becomes Real

The success or failure of digital education rests, more than anywhere else, on school leadership.

Digital transformation does not happen simply because computers are installed in a school. It happens when school leaders make digital education part of the institution’s vision, strategy and culture, not an afterthought handled quietly by an IT officer.

This is where leadership is tested. Not in the announcement of a new computer lab, but in the quiet, unglamorous decisions that follow it. School leaders must be asking themselves the questions that are easy to avoid:

  • What digital skills should our students actually have before they graduate?
  • Are we preparing our teachers to use technology, or simply hoping they figure it out?
  • Do we have a real plan for maintaining our digital infrastructure, or are we hoping it lasts?
  • How will we know if this is working, or if we are only telling ourselves it is?
  • Are we learning from other schools, or working in isolation and repeating the same mistakes?

These are not technical questions. They are leadership questions. And how a school leader answers them, honestly or not, will shape whether digital education becomes real or remains decorative.

This is why the work of afiDE Ghana is particularly relevant as schools begin a new academic year. afiDE Ghana is a network of schools committed to sustainable digital education. Its approach recognises that successful digital transformation requires more than equipment. It requires infrastructure, teacher development, maintenance, leadership and collaboration, built together rather than left to chance.

Through its Digital Education as a Service approach, schools in the network are supported with computer workstations, internet connectivity, teacher training, maintenance and replacement, and technical support, the ongoing work that most one time donations skip. The network already includes more than 50 schools, reaching more than 30,000 students, and has supported more than 600 teachers through professional development.

What “Breaking a Future” Actually Looks Like

It rarely looks dramatic. It looks like:

  • A bright student who could have built a career in tech, but never touched a computer meaningfully before graduating.
  • A teacher who wants to innovate but was never trained, so the syllabus stays exactly as it was ten years ago.
  • A school leader who sees technology as an IT department’s problem, not a leadership responsibility.
  • A community that celebrates a new computer lab at its opening, then forgets about it within a year.

None of these are acts of destruction in the way we usually picture the word. But the outcome is the same: a student walks out into a digital economy without the tools to participate in it. That is a stolen opportunity, even if nobody intended to steal it.

A New Term Is a Chance to Choose

Every new academic year is really a decision point, whether schools treat it that way or not.

This term, a school can continue on the same path it has always walked, hoping, without evidence, that its students, teachers and leaders will somehow rise to meet a digital future they were never equipped for. Or it can honestly confront the gap between what it is doing and what its people actually need, and start closing it.

The future of Ghana’s economy is sitting in classrooms right now, not in the abstract, but literally, in the students who resumed school this week, taught by teachers who are either being equipped or being left behind, in schools led by people who are either leading this change or avoiding it.

So ask the question plainly, without flinching: is your school building its students’ future, or quietly taking it away from them?

The answer will not come from a mission statement or a school motto. It will come from what happens in the classroom, the computer lab and the staff room, every single day this term.

Join afiDE Ghana, a growing network of schools committed to sustainable digital education. Choose to build, not drift. Equip your teachers, empower your leadership, and give every student a real chance at the future ahead of them.

 

 

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A New Chapter, A Steady Hand: Introducing Eric Kwesi Oppong, General Manager of afiDE Ghana

by BlogEventNews

afiDE Ghana is entering a defining phase, marked by our transition into a memberdriven organisation and our enduring commitment to sustainable digital education nationwide. Leadership at this moment is not incidental; it is central to ensuring that our vision is carried forward with strength and stability.

Eric Kwesi OppongGeneral Manager - afiDE Ghana
Eric Kwesi Oppong General Manager – afiDE Ghana

 

We are therefore proud to announce the appointment of Eric Kwesi Oppong as General Manager of afiDE Ghana.

This is not simply a new name on our organisational chart. It is a deliberate investment in the management capacity, strategic direction, and institutional stability required to guide afiDE’s growth. It signals to our staff, member schools, partners, and stakeholders that afiDE Ghana’s next chapter is being built on solid ground.

Why this Appointment Matters

afiDE Ghana’s evolution into a member-based organisation is a structural transformation designed for the long term. It requires leadership that can balance two imperatives: preserving continuity with the values and relationships that brought us here, and scaling what comes next: deeper member engagement, stronger partnerships, and wider reach for digital education across Ghana’s schools.

Eric’s appointment is a strategic response to this demand. His background bridges educational leadership and business development, precisely the combination afiDE needs to manage growth responsibly while remaining rooted in our mission.

Knowing Eric

Eric Kwesi Oppong brings over a decade of experience in programme management, educational leadership, and business development. He has consistently built strategic partnerships and led teams to deliver measurable outcomes across Ghana and the United Kingdom.

Guided by UN Sustainable Development Goal 4, Eric directed the iReadilead Campaign, a nationally recognised initiative that established eight modern libraries and delivered literacy and STEM interventions reaching 24,000 basic school learners. His leadership has been recognised through prestigious honours, including the Chevening Scholarship and the GNPC Foundation Scholarship.

He holds an M.A in Education (Leadership and Management) from Oxford Brookes University and an MSc in International Business from the University of Ghana Business School, an academic foundation that mirrors the dual mandate ahead of him at afiDE Ghana: educational impact delivered through sound organisational growth.

“afiDE has built something genuinely valuable: a communityrooted approach to digital education that delivers real results. My focus as General Manager is to strengthen the systems and partnerships behind that work, so that as we grow into a member-based organisation, every school, teacher, and learner we serve feels the benefit of that growth. This is a shared journey, and I look forward to building it together with our members, partners, and team.” — Eric Kwesi Oppong, General Manager, afiDE Ghana.

Eric Kwesi OppongGeneral Manager - afiDE Ghana
Eric Kwesi Oppong
General Manager – afiDE Ghana

 

 

What This Means for you

afiDE Staff: Eric’s appointment strengthens the management foundation you work within every day. Expect clearer direction, dependable support, and leadership that understands both the education sector and the operational discipline required to grow an organisation well.

afiDE Members: As afiDE Ghana transitions to a member-based model, Eric’s role is to ensure that this shift genuinely serves you. His experience in building and sustaining partnerships means member voice and engagement will be a priority, not an afterthought.

Partners and Stakeholders: This appointment reflects afiDE Ghana’s commitment to longterm institutional strength. You are partnering with an organisation that invests deliberately in its leadership pipeline, a signal of stability and seriousness of purpose as we scale our shared work in sustainable digital education.

Looking Ahead

Eric’s appointment is one part of a broader story: afiDE Ghana building the leadership, structure, and member ownership needed to sustain its impact for the long term.

We are confident this is the right leadership for this moment, and we invite our entire community to join us in welcoming Eric Kwesi Oppong to afiDE Ghana.

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afiDE Ghana Celebrates National ICT Week by Championing Sustainable Digital Education

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afiDE Ghana Celebrates National ICT Week by Championing Sustainable Digital Education

Every August, Ghana pauses to take stock of its digital journey. National ICT Week, organized by the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), brings together government, industry, academia, and innovators to ask a simple but urgent question: how do we turn technology into opportunity for every Ghanaian? This year’s theme, “Innovation at Scale: Creating Opportunities Across Ghana’s Digital Ecosystem,” is a fitting moment for afiDE Ghana to celebrate what sustainable digital education really looks like in practice.

Because innovation at scale doesn’t start in a conference hall. It starts in a classroom, often one that has never had a working computer.

The Problem With Donated Technology

Across Ghana, thousands of schools want to give their students a real shot at twenty first century skills. Coding, digital literacy, research, and design are no longer extras. They are the baseline for participating in the digital economy that NITA, the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, and the wider National ICT Week community are working so hard to build.

But owning computers is not the same as running a computer lab. Hardware breaks. Networks fail. Software needs updating. Teachers need training. For many schools, the cost and complexity of keeping a lab alive year after year is simply out of reach. Donated computers too often end up gathering dust within a year or two, not for lack of good intentions, but for lack of a sustainable model behind them.

Our Answer: Digital Education as a Service (DEaS)

This is the gap afiDE Ghana was built to close. We are the Ghana chapter of the African Digital Education network, a social enterprise set up by 1A Computerlabs, and our model puts sustainability at the center of everything we do.

Instead of asking schools to buy, maintain, and eventually replace computers on their own, afiDE Ghana installs fully licensed, internet connected computer labs and takes on the ongoing responsibilities that most schools simply cannot carry alone:

– Lifetime maintenance and repairs, managed remotely so problems get fixed before they interrupt a lesson
– Reliable connectivity, so digital literacy doesn’t stop at turning the computer on
– Teacher training, so the lab is used with confidence, not left idle
– A small, sustainable token fee from students, rather than grant dependency, so the model keeps running long after the launch day is over

We call this a carefree computer lab solution for a reason. Schools get to focus on what they do best, teaching, while we handle the infrastructure, the connectivity, and the ongoing upkeep that keeps technology genuinely useful year after year.

Proof That Sustainable Digital Education Works

We don’t ask schools to take our word for it. Earlier this year, our model was piloted at Business Senior High School (BISCO) in Tamale, where sixty three computers were installed as a demonstration of what a properly maintained lab can do for a school community in the Northern Region, one of the areas of Ghana where the digital divide is felt most acutely.

That pilot became the foundation for something bigger. In November 2025, afiDE Ghana signed a landmark partnership with PAMEPI Women in Tech Ghana at the National Digital Education Conference, held at the University of Ghana, Legon. Together, we committed to rolling out sustainable, high quality computer labs in underserved communities across the country, starting in the North and expanding from there. As our founder, Hanc de Bokx, and General Manager Pim de Bokx have put it, our aim is to offer schools a truly zero worry digital solution, one where the school can focus on making learning exciting while afiDE Ghana handles the maintenance, connectivity, and hardware, for a lifetime.

Why Sustainability Is the Real Story of This Celebration

National ICT Week exists to spark conversations that turn into policy, and policy that turns into real digital opportunity for Ghanaians. But conversations alone don’t keep a computer lab running for ten years. Sustainability does.

afiDE Ghana’s network of member schools is proof that sustainable digital education isn’t just a conference hall ambition. It is already happening in classrooms from Accra to Tamale, built on leadership, collaboration, and local ownership, the same principles NITA has championed as it pushes Ghana toward becoming Africa’s digital trade hub. Our network was initiated with 1A Computerlabs as a founding CSR partner, and we continue to grow it through partnerships with organizations, schools, and impact investors who share our belief that every Ghanaian child, regardless of location, deserves access to technology that will still be working next year, and the year after that.

Join the Celebration

Ghana’s digital ambitions, from the One Million Coders Programme to the push for Ghana to become Africa’s AI hub, all depend on the same foundation: students who have real, reliable, hands on access to technology that lasts. That foundation has to be built school by school, lab by lab, and it has to be built to last.

This National ICT Week, we invite school leaders, organizations, and anyone who believes in sustainable digital education to join the afiDE Ghana network.

Get in touch:
Location: GD 216 2792, 8 Okudzan Avenue, Adjiringanor, Accra
Phone: 053 511 1599
Email: info@afide.network
Website: afide.network

afiDE Ghana. Sustainable digital education, carefree computer labs, and a growing network of schools building Ghana’s digital future.

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The Leadership Academy holds closing ceremony for Cohort One

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The Leadership Academy has closed its first cohort with a colourful ceremony held at Nyansa Square in East Legon on Saturday,15 August 2026.

Twenty school leaders were part of the cohort, which spent eight weeks in training under a programme delivered in partnership by afiDE Ghana and GSET. The closing ceremony, which ran from 8am to 5pm, brought together facilitators, mentors and partners from both organisations to mark the end of the journey.

Emmanuel Sefadzi, the Digital Education Trainer for afiDE Ghana, who served as master of ceremonies, opened the programme with welcome remarks and introduced the guests present. He then took participants through a recap of the eight-week journey, reminding them of how far they had come since the programme began. Nicole Odudu who is the Digital Education Manager for afiDE Ghana, during the opening of the program, used the opportunity to introduce the school leaders to afiDE Ghana’s new General Manager, Mr. Eric Kwesi Oppong.

Professor George Kweku Toku Oduro, a prominent Ghanaian Educational Leader, former Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the Technical Advisor to Ghana’s Minister of Education and the Patron of the Leadership Academy, delivered an address in which he commended the team behind the programme for their work. He said he was proud of what had been achieved and expressed hope to advise the Minister of Education on rolling out the programme on a full, national scale.

He noted that The Leadership Academy occupies a unique space in the education sector, pointing out that most programmes target students or teachers, while this one is designed specifically for school leaders. He added that the public should expect registration for Cohort Two to open in due course, and that afiDE Ghana remains ready to welcome any school into its community that wishes to embrace sustainable digital education. He rounded off his remarks with a pledge of his continued support to afiDE Ghana and GSET.

Joshua Kwesi Tetteh, who represented the facilitators from GSET, joined the ceremony online to deliver his remarks. He thanked afiDE Ghana, GSET, mentors and the participants for coming together to empower teachers across the country.

Four mentors attached to The Leadership Academy were also present at the ceremony, and Mr Selasie Tettey, a mentor on the programme and Proprietor of Acropolis Maranatha Academy, spoke on behalf of all four. He thanked the participants, afiDE Ghana, GSET and his fellow mentors for what he described as an impactful training aimed at school leaders in Ghana.

With the recap complete, attention turned to the main business of the day: the participants’ presentations. Some of the school leaders took turns to present their Digital School Strategy before an assessment panel, with each presenter given 15 minutes to make their case. Emmanuel Sefadzi managed a visible timer system throughout, signalling presenters at the 12-minute mark and enforcing a firm stop at 15 minutes.

Tina Coppson, Dean of Coordinators, delivered the closing address. She shared her own story from early in her career, recalling how she was posted to a village as a young, new teacher and had to find her way. She went on to speak of how that same determination helped her win awards and rise to the top of her field, using her journey to encourage the school leaders never to give up on their own goals.

Emmanuel Sefadzi returned to bring the programme to a close, outlining what comes next for the school leaders. He raised the possibility of an advanced programme in the future and shared ways for the leaders to remain connected to the network going forward.

Participants were then called up individually to receive their Certificate of Participation, in what turned out to be the centerpiece of the day’s proceedings.

The ceremony wound down with networking, photographs and refreshments for all who attended.

Schools, businesses, NGOs and other organisations interested in joining afiDE Ghana’s community of sustainable digital education can get in touch: Phone: 053 511 1599 Email: info@afide.network Address: GD 216 2792, Adjiringanor, Accra Website: https://afide.network/contact/ In all, the event lasted about eight hours, from registration through to the final send-off.

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afiDE Ghana Joins Nileem Academy to Celebrate 3rd Graduation Speech  and Prize-Giving Celebration at Ho

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afiDE Ghana Joins Nileem Academy to Celebrate 3rd Graduation Speech  and Prize-Giving Celebration at Ho

afiDE Ghana (African Digital Education network), joined Nileem Academy, a member school of the network, to celebrate the school’s 3rd Graduation Speech and Prize-Giving Celebration. The event, held on the premises of Nileem Academy, brought together students, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders in education.

The ceremony celebrated the academic achievements of 17 graduating students while also recognising the school’s growth over the past twenty years, including its progress as a member of the afiDE network working to strengthen digital education delivery for its learners.

Speaking at the event, the Headmistress of Nileem Academy acknowledged the benefits of digital education and the need for schools to embrace it. She thanked afiDE Ghana for its support in helping the school transition to sustainable digital education, describing the partnership as instrumental to the progress the school has made with the Board Members introduced.

Graduating students as well as some teachers received prizes and awards across various categories, including academic excellence, conduct, and leadership, in recognition of their performance during the academic year. Parents and guardians were also thanked for their continued support of the school’s vision. And as part of a broader effort to expand access to quality, technology-driven education across Ghana afiDE Ghana continues collaboration between itself and member schools like Nileem Academy,

Architects of Change: School Leaders Begin Their Eight Week Leadership Academy Journey in Ghana

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Inside the Foundation and Orientation Day for Cohort One of The Leadership Academy, where headteachers traded admin duties for digital ambition

School leaders from across Ghana gathered at Nyansa Square in Accra on Saturday for the Foundation and Orientation Day marking the start of Cohort One of The Leadership Academy, a new digital education leadership programme jointly delivered by afiDE Ghana and GSET.

Among them was a participant who had travelled all the way from the Ahafo Region. He arrived early, notebook in hand, and brought with him an energy that set the tone for the day. By 8:00 a.m., the venue had filled with quiet anticipation as participants registered, settled in, and began making their first connections. The programme team had designed the day to be interactive, educative, and engaging, and the nine-hour session delivered on every count.

A Welcome Rooted in Gratitude and Vision

At 9:00 a.m., Nicole Odudu, Digital Education Manager at afiDE Ghana, opened proceedings with a welcome address that was both personal and reflective. She recalled that while The Leadership Academy had been officially introduced the previous year, the Foundation and Orientation Day represented the true beginning of a journey nearly a year in the making. She took a moment to acknowledge the afiDE Ghana team, recognising the countless meetings, careful planning, and unwavering commitment that had brought the programme to life.

Addressing the fellows directly, Nicole encouraged them to approach the eight weeks ahead with openness, curiosity, and a genuine willingness to grow. She reminded them that while the knowledge gained within the programme is valuable, it is the relationships built and the actions taken beyond it that will ultimately define their leadership journey. She closed on a note that would echo throughout the rest of the day: that leadership is not about titles, but about service, responsibility, and the courage to create positive change.

A Message Across Borders: Pim de Bokx Speaks from the Netherlands

The team then played a video address from Pim de Bokx, Co-Founder and Acting General Manager of afiDE Ghana, joining the session from the Netherlands. His message was warm, direct, and anchored in a clear diagnosis of the problem The Leadership Academy was created to solve: that digital transformation in schools does not fail because of technology, but because leadership is not fully empowered to drive it.

Pim congratulated participants not only for being selected, but for choosing to step into a space that is still evolving and not always straightforward. Drawing on afiDE Ghana’s experience working with over fifty schools, he was candid that the programme does not arrive with all the answers, but is built from years of listening to school leaders and learning from the realities of the field. He was equally clear about ownership: what the programme becomes for each participant depends entirely on what they choose to do with it each week.

He closed with a thought that lingered in the room long after the screen went dark. When many school leaders can lead the shift to digital education in ways that genuinely improve learning, they are not simply changing their schools. They are shaping the direction of education itself.

A Call to Lead Digital Transformation

Two guest addresses followed, each framing the wider purpose and responsibility at the heart of the programme. Mr Governor Fianyo, Director of ICT at NaCCA, delivered the first address on behalf of Mr Miracule Gavor of GSET. Titled “A Call to Lead Digital Transformation,” the address challenged participants to see themselves not as administrators managing change from a distance, but as architects actively building it from within.

Professor George Oduro, the programme’s Patron and Technical Advisor to the Minister of Education, was represented by Isaac Yeboah, who delivered a thoughtful address on the weight of responsibility school leaders carry in shaping Ghana’s digital education future. Both addresses were received warmly, with several participants reaching for their notebooks as the speakers made their key points.

Eight Weeks, One Strategy, One Mission

With the opening addresses complete, Emmanuel Sefadzi, Programme Coordinator of The Leadership Academy and Digital Education Trainer at afiDE Ghana, took the floor to walk participants through what the programme actually offers. Over eight weeks, each school leader will progress from the foundations of strategic thinking through to a completed Digital School Strategy, which every participant will present formally in Week 8. Emmanuel laid out the vision, the structure, and the week-by-week journey participants could expect, giving the room a clear picture of the road ahead.

Saturday’s gathering marked the only in-person session of the cohort. All future sessions will be delivered through The Leadership Academy platform, and the team took time to walk participants through the sign-up process step by step, covering how to log in, navigate the portal, and access their course materials. The team also confirmed that a second cohort is planned before the end of the year, once Cohort One concludes.

Patchy Networks, Hesitant Staff, Stretched Budgets: The Real Talk Begins

Introductions brought the room to life in a way that formal proceedings rarely do. Each participant shared their name, their school, and one digital challenge keeping them up at night. The concerns were candid and wide-ranging: patchy infrastructure, staff reluctant to embrace change, and budgets stretched well beyond what digital ambitions require. The participant from the Ahafo Region stood out once again, this time for the directness and energy he brought to the conversation.

From Theory to Strategy: The Learning Begins

The academic portion of the day opened after a short snack break with the first unit of Module One, Foundations of Systems Thinking. Rather than a conventional lecture, the facilitator built the session around discussion and real-world scenarios, prompting participants to think critically about how change in one part of a school ripples across everything else. By the end of the session, participants had begun drafting early outlines of their own digital vision.

A second session on Introduction to Digital Strategy followed the same participatory format, with school leaders stress-testing their ideas against each other’s experiences and contexts. After lunch, the focus shifted to ICT Costing and Budgeting, a session that gave participants a practical and often sobering look at the true cost of digital initiatives once training, ongoing support, and maintenance are factored into the picture.

Building the Strategy: Emmanuel Returns to the Floor

The afternoon’s closing session saw Emmanuel return to the floor to introduce participants to the centrepiece of the entire programme: the Digital School Strategy. He walked the room through what the strategy is, how it is built week by week through the platform, and what a finished strategy looks like when presented in Week 8. It was a moment that brought the full arc of the programme into sharp focus, connecting the morning’s vision to the practical work that now lay ahead.

 

Meet Your Mentor: The Journey Beyond the Room

The most anticipated moment of the afternoon followed immediately after, when participants were placed into peer groups of five and formally introduced to their mentors. These mentors will provide regular check-ins throughout the eight weeks, supporting each group as they develop their Digital School Strategy, largely through the platform rather than face to face.

The facilitator then led the school task briefing, asking each participant to name one concrete action they would take at their school before Week 2 begins, a small but deliberate commitment that turned the day’s reflection into accountability. Emmanuel closed the session with final remarks, reminding participants of what to expect in the weeks ahead and encouraging everyone to log into the platform and prepare for what comes next.

Beyond Day One: What This Means for Schools and Ghana

The significance of what began on Saturday extends well beyond the twenty leaders who filled that room. Each participant returns to their school carrying not just new perspectives, but a structured, eight-week framework for translating digital ambition into a concrete and workable strategy. Critically, that framework is designed around the real obstacles school leaders face every day: unreliable infrastructure, staff who are hesitant to change, and budgets that rarely stretch as far as the vision demands.

As these Digital School Strategies take shape and move into implementation, the benefits will be felt across entire school communities. Teachers will be led by principals who understand the strategic, financial, and human dimensions of digital transformation. Students will learn in environments shaped by deliberate and informed decision-making rather than reactive technology adoption. And school boards and parents will gain greater confidence in the digital direction their institutions are taking.

At a national level, the programme speaks directly to Ghana’s broader ambition for digital transformation in education. By building strategic leadership capacity at the school level, The Leadership Academy is creating a network of administrators equipped to bridge the gap between national policy and everyday school reality. With a second cohort expected before the end of the year, the momentum is already building. School leaders who missed out on Cohort One are encouraged to follow The Leadership Academy’s channels for updates on when applications for Cohort Two will open.

Twenty school leaders now share one mission, with eight weeks ahead of them and a movement quietly taking shape behind them.

The Leadership Academy is delivered by afiDE Ghana and GSET. For more information on the programme, visit: https://afide.network/what-you-need-to-know-about-our-leadership-academy-and-why-your-school-needs-it-now/

School Leaders work together on the Future of Digital Education

by Blog

afiDE Ghana convened its annual Member Schools Meeting on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, bringing together 32 school leaders from 24 member schools across its growing network of more than 50 institutions. The gathering provided a space to reflect on progress, share updates on key initiatives, and shape the future of digital education in Ghana.

Held at Nyansa Square in East Legon, the meeting centred on the theme From Network to Working Together in Practice. It marked a shift from simply connecting schools to actively strengthening collaboration, shared learning, and joint action across the network.

Opening Remarks

The meeting was opened by afiDE Ghana’s Service Area Coordinator, Zita Nyarko, who welcomed participants and set the tone for the day. She framed the meeting not as a routine annual event, but as a purposeful space for reflection, contribution, and collective planning.

Zita emphasised that the theme signalled afiDE Ghana’s evolving direction: moving beyond maintaining a network towards building a community that works together in practice. She encouraged participants to engage openly, noting that school leaders play a central role in shaping how afiDE Ghana grows and delivers value.

The programme combined presentations, discussions, and interactive activities designed to encourage participation throughout the day. Ice-breakers facilitated by Digital Education Trainer Emmanuel Sefadzi helped create an energetic atmosphere and foster connections among leaders from across the network.

Progress Since the Last Meeting

Emmanuel Sefadzi presented a review of progress since the previous Member Schools Meeting on 12 May 2025. Over the past year, afiDE Ghana has expanded its reach through digital education programmes targeting both teachers and school leaders.

Key achievements included:

  • Growth in the member school network
  • Increased teacher participation in digital skills training
  • Expanded resources on the Digital Education Platform

These efforts have strengthened teachers’ ability to integrate technology into classroom practice, improving learning experiences for students.

afiDE Ghana reaffirmed its ambition to reach 250 schools by 2030, contributing to Ghana’s national agenda to expand digital learning and prepare young people for a connected world

Strengthening a Member-Based Organisation

General Manager Pim de Bokx led a central session focused on building a stronger member-based organisation. He highlighted a notable shift: member schools increasingly see afiDE Ghana as a partner embedded in their digital education journeys, rather than simply as a service provider.

“As schools continue to develop their digital education capacity, our role is not only to provide solutions but also to support leadership, collaboration and long-term sustainability.”

The session invited active participation. School leaders discussed what they value about their membership, what they would like to see more of, and how they can contribute to the network’s future. The discussion demonstrated strong appetite for a more participatory and collaborative model.

Identity and Positioning

Clinton Nyarkoh from iSupreme presented ongoing work on afiDE Ghana’s identity and positioning. As the organisation grows, its communication must clearly and confidently reflect its purpose and impact.

The session explored how afiDE Ghana presents itself to schools, partners, and the wider public—examining its values, messaging, and visual identity. Participants actively contributed ideas and feedback.

A key takeaway was that positioning is not just a branding exercise, but an expression of the shared ambition of member schools and the communities they serve, proven by the fact that the members chose the following core narrative to share with others: ‘afiDE makes digital education actually work’, above versions that put the emphasis on leadership or ambition.

Launch of the Leadership Academy

Digital Education Manager Nicole Odudu introduced the afiDE Ghana Leadership Academy, formally launching the programme. The Academy is designed to equip education leaders with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to drive meaningful digital transformation.

Developed with input from experienced school leaders, the programme offers:

  • Mentorship
  • Peer learning
  • Practical guidance on leading change

The first cohort will begin in June 2026, marking an important step in placing leadership at the centre of afiDE Ghana’s work.

Schoolrobot: Expanding Digital Tools

Evans Sarpong from Schoolrobot presented their platform, which offers tools to streamline school administration, support teacher development, and enable data-driven decision-making.

School leaders explored how the platform could integrate into their existing systems, and several expressed interest in piloting the solution. afiDE Ghana and Schoolrobot will continue discussions on how best to adapt the platform to different school contexts.

Expanding Support for Schools

Participants received updates on several initiatives aimed at strengthening support, including:

  • Continued development of the Digital Education Platform
  • Collaboration with GSET on a Teacher Experience Centre in Koforidua
  • Introduction of advisory services to support school-level strategy development

These efforts reflect afiDE Ghana’s vision of building a thriving community of forward-looking schools committed to innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

 

Member Voices

A dedicated feedback session gave school leaders space to share their experiences, aspirations, and concerns. While participants expressed appreciation for ongoing support, they also provided constructive input.

Key themes included:

  • Demand for stronger peer learning between schools
  • Need for programmes tailored to different school contexts
  • Interest in greater visibility of progress across the network
  • Strong enthusiasm for the Leadership Academy

The session reinforced the importance of listening and responsiveness within afiDE Ghana’s member-based approach.

 

Closing and Looking Ahead

Zita Nyarko closed the meeting by thanking participants for their active engagement and reaffirming afiDE Ghana’s commitment to building a supportive and empowering community.

She encouraged school leaders to:

  • Share insights with their teams
  • Nominate participants for the Leadership Academy
  • Explore collaboration opportunities within the network

The meeting highlighted the critical role of collaboration, shared learning, and leadership in shaping the future of education in Ghana.

Networking and Conclusion

The day concluded with a networking lunch, allowing participants to continue conversations in a relaxed setting. School leaders connected with one another, the afiDE Ghana team, and partners including iSupreme and Schoolrobot.

The atmosphere at the close of the meeting was one of optimism and shared purpose. School leaders arrived as members of a network—and left as partners in a growing movement to transform education in Ghana.

The Digital Education Leadership Academy Launches on 27 June 2026

by BlogNews

afiDE Ghana, in partnership with GSET, is launching the National Digital Education Leadership Academy (NDELA) — a practical, action-oriented programme designed to strengthen digital education across Ghana. The first cohort will commence on 27 June 2026 at Nyansa Square in Accra, bringing together school leaders ready to take the next step in advancing digital education in their schools.

Leading Digital Education Starts with Leadership

As Ghana continues its digital transformation, many schools face a common challenge:

> not the lack of technology — but the lack of structured leadership to use it effectively.

Digital education is not simply about introducing tools. It requires:

  • clear direction
  • confident leadership
  • alignment within schools
  • and sustainable implementation

Without this, even strong investments in technology struggle to deliver impact.

The Leadership Academy has been designed to address exactly this gap — by equipping school leaders to lead change, not just adopt technology.

From Intention to Implementation

School leaders often express strong ambition for digital education, but face real challenges in practice:

  • securing sustainable funding
  • aligning stakeholders
  • integrating technology into teaching and learning
  • managing resistance to change

The Academy supports leaders in navigating these realities — turning ambition into concrete action.

 

Who the Academy is For

The programme is designed for:

  • Directors
  • Principals
  • Head Teachers
  • School administrators

— leaders who are ready to actively strengthen digital learning in their schools and take ownership of the process.

A Practical, Integrated Learning Journey

The Leadership Academy runs over eight weeks and combines in-person and online learning:

  • Two full-day in-person sessions (Nyansa Square, Accra)
  • Six online masterclasses delivered flexibly
  • Weekly collaboration sessions for peer learning and exchange
  • Practical assignments directly linked to each participant’s school

This structure ensures that learning is not theoretical, but immediately applied in real school contexts.

Participants will engage with a series of masterclasses that address the most critical dimensions of digital education, including:

  • Leading in a Digital Age and managing change within schools
  • Moving from computer literacy to meaningful digital learning
  • Building a sustainable digital learning culture
  • Financing and sustaining digital transformation
  • Aligning school initiatives with national education priorities

What Participants Will Gain

By the end of the Academy, participants will be able to:

  • Lead digital transformation within their schools
  • Develop and implement a clear digital education strategy
  • Improve digital learning outcomes for teachers and students
  • Plan and manage sustainable ICT systems
  • Use data to monitor progress and adapt their approach

From Learning to Action

A central element of the programme is the development of a Digital Education Strategy and 90-Day Commitment Plan.

Each participant will define:

  • clear priorities
  • concrete actions
  • measurable steps

to implement within their own school.

This ensures the Academy leads not only to learning, but to visible and sustainable change.

Building a Stronger Digital Education Ecosystem

The Leadership Academy is more than a training programme — it is part of a broader effort to strengthen digital education across Ghana.

By empowering school leaders, afiDE Ghana and GSET aim to:

  • build stronger, more resilient schools
  • create a network of forward-looking education leaders
  • accelerate the development of meaningful digital learning

About afiDE Ghana

afiDE Ghana (African Digital Education network) works with schools, partners, and education leaders to scale sustainable digital education across Ghana.

Through its membership model, advisory services, and learning programmes, afiDE supports schools in moving from ambition to implementation — and from isolated efforts to a connected, learning-driven network.

📍 Adjiringanor, Accra  

📞 053 511 1599  

📧 <info@afide.network>

Eastern Region Leads: Future Teachers Build, Practice and Graduate – Digital Education Week Closes in Aburi

by Blog

Theme: Eastern Region Leads – Educators at the Forefront of Sustainable Digital Education

Day 3 of Digital Education Week stayed in Aburi — and things became even more practical. After a strong Day 2 of learning and discussions, the focus of afiDE’s Bronze training at PWCE now shifted fully to: building, practising, and gaining confidence. And once again, it showed: The Eastern Region is not waiting. It is leading.

From learning concepts… to creating things

Student teachers came back ready to dive into the 2nd day of the Bronze training, facilitated by afiDE trainer Albert Dunoo.

No long lectures, straight into action.

Using PictoBlox and Scratch, they:

* built simple applications

* tested their ideas

* worked step by step through problems

* supported each other in small groups

The room was focused.

But you could also feel something else: Confidence growing.

Because this was not just theory anymore.

It was real work.

Future teachers gaining real digital confidence

What stood out clearly on Day 3:

These are student teachers who will soon be in classrooms across Ghana.

And now, they are:

  • not afraid of digital tools
  • able to understand how systems work
  • ready to guide students through digital learning

This is the shift we are looking for, from:

  • using ICT to teaching with digital understanding

A proud moment: certification

At the end of the day, the atmosphere changed.

It was time to recognise the work.

Student teachers who completed the Bronze Training were called forward to receive their certificates.

Simple moment, but an important one.

Because this was not just about attendance, it showed that these future teachers have:

  • explored how digital systems work
  • practised building with tools
  • taken their first step into digital teaching

Building on what started on Day 2

Day 3 also built directly on what was started the day before.

The collaboration between: PWCE, GSET and afiDE Ghana, continues from here.

Together, they are working on something new for Ghana:

>> Turning the national College of Education curriculum into practical digital teaching approaches

This is not a one-time training; it is the start of a longer journey.

Eastern Region taking leadership

Looking back at the full week, something is clear.

In just three days, the Eastern Region now hosts:

  • The first Teacher Experience Centre in Ghana (Koforidua)
  • The first College of Education collaboration focused on practical digital teaching and learning(Aburi)

That is something to be proud of.

What Day 3 showed clearly

Digital education is growing.

But it will only succeed when:

  • teachers feel confident
  • teachers can practise
  • teachers can lead

And that is exactly what is starting here.

A collective effort putting the Eastern Region on the map

Digital Education Week was organised by afiDE Ghana, together with GSET (Ghana Society for Education Technology), Amalitech, and Kevi-Kess, afiDE’s regional partner in the Eastern Region.

Together, they brought ambitious schools, teachers, and partners into one shared space — and created momentum.

With afiDE membership and Digital Education as a Service (DEaS) now available in the region, more schools can start building systems that are not only effective today — but sustainable for the years ahead.

And with strong teacher training initiatives now taking root in Koforidua and Aburi:

The Eastern Region is positioning itself as a leader in preparing teachers for the future of education in Ghana.