Promoting Impact Tech | Spotlight on Shule Valley Technologies

It may come as a surprise, but did you know that school admissions can now be done from the comfort of your home, regardless of your location? Thanks to the Shule Tech Valley website application, applicants can now apply to schools digitally, saving them time and effort. Shule Valley Technology is an ed-tech platform that seeks to bridge the gap between education and technology, providing a one-stop solution for individuals and parents to explore their top school choices online. The platform, established in 2021, offers primary, O-level, and A-level studies through the provision of textbooks and past papers.

The accelerated pace of digital adoption has significantly simplified the way organizations and individuals work. Media Convergency, through its Impact Technology project, recently sat down with the co-founder of Shule Valley Tech, Mr. Heri Msuya, to explore their journey and how they are bridging the gap between technology and education.

The Inspiration behind

Heri wanted to be admitted to the school of his dreams and yet it was far across in the other region and the distance became a barrier, no relatives or friends could help him get the admission form and it could take miles for him to travel and get the admission form and head back home to fill the form and yet go back again to submit the form and to get his results. Heri lost his dreams of going to the school of his choice. In 2020 December, Heri with his friend Austin Sanga who is now the CEO at Shule Valley generated the idea of bringing a solution to tackle the problem and to bring innovative solutions, they wanted to bridge the gap between education and technology. The idea turned into a business not only solving its customers with easy access to find schools of their choice but also the platform helps schools in monitoring and controlling all administration systems from applications to admissions and to automate the whole school admission system. Through this system, they will have a report on how they have performed during their admission circle in the respective year. “We basically started from personal savings and donations from family and friends. We invested 4.8 million shillings however we are currently participating in various competitions so as to access enough funds for us to scale a larger audience”. Says Heri

How it works

Shule Valley is revolutionizing the way students and parents search for and apply to schools. With a user-friendly website, the entire process is streamlined and simplified, allowing applicants to find their ideal school in just three minutes. Students can apply and pay safely through the platform, which has greatly simplified the admissions process. According to Heri, the co-founder of Shule Valley Tech, the platform was designed with the needs of students and parents in mind.

They gathered data from different schools and consolidated it into one place, making it easy for users to access all the necessary information about the schools they are interested in. This includes vital details such as school fees, national exam results, and subject combinations. In addition, students can access tutorials, past papers, and textbooks through the platform, making it a one-stop-shop for all their educational needs. The availability of such a platform is particularly important in Africa, where access to education is a significant challenge for many students. By making it easier for students to find and apply to schools, Shule Valley Tech is helping to bridge this gap and ensure that more students have access to quality education.

Accomplishments and Challenges

Shule Valley has developed an innovative tool that encrypts application forms to ensure security and limit manipulation. The platform acts as a reliable database system for schools, providing easy access to essential information such as school fees, national results, subject combinations, past papers, and textbooks. Heri, the co-founder of Shule Valley, has revealed that the platform’s long-term goal for the next five years is to become a leading education innovation center. The company aims to process 10,000 application transactions annually, utilizing sophisticated software tools that foster digital application with ease.

To achieve their objectives, Shule Valley has begun creating shortlisting tools to help schools manage large groups of applicants efficiently. This tool allows schools to filter students that fit their criteria effectively. Additionally, the company is developing an advertisement tool to promote schools’ visibility to their target audience. Shule Valley has allocated a budget of 15 million shillings to accomplish its five-year goal. This investment will be used in marketing, on-ground activation, and agencies across the country to ensure that all students can access quality education.

For them the main challenge is Lack of funds, awareness, and low level of digital adaptation in Tanzania is what hinders Shule Valley, However In the next ten years Heri believes the government together with other stakeholders will help in enhancing technological advancement

Positioning

Heri says, “There are quite a number of stakeholders with whom we cooperate with them very well. There are various companies that are doing the exact same thing, we don’t turn it into a competition but a collaboration, we all have the same vision of bridging the gap.” Shule valley takes pride in the way they work with their customers closely and the ability of their user to get instant access to multiple resources in the app

Future Perspective

According to Heri, it is crucial for young entrepreneurs to maintain consistency in their ideas, as many startups fail due to a lack of persistence. Despite the growing adoption of digital education in many educational institutions, there are still mental models that hinder the shift towards digital education for some Tanzanians. While traditional classroom education remains essential, it is crucial to embrace digital education as well. Achieving the digital transformation of the country requires the collective efforts of individuals, stakeholders, and the government. This is why Media Convergency is continually improving programs that provide individuals and organizations with the digital skills they need to succeed.

To read more about our reports featuring Startups in Tanzania https://bit.ly/ImpactTechTZ2021-Report and http://bit.ly/TECHTZ2022