If you follow Kira, you’ve probably seen snapshots of us visiting classrooms, delivering professional development, and participating in conferences around the world. What you may not know is that Kira is now being used across the globe—and we’re thrilled to announce our very first partnership on the African continent, in the vibrant and resilient country of Togo.
Why Togo?
In 2023, our CEO Andrea Pasinetti and VP of AI Jagriti Agarwal traveled to Togo, a nation in West Africa, to sign a groundbreaking agreement with Cina Lawson, the Minister of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation. The mission? To equip all university students in the country—regardless of their major—with a strong foundation in computer science, through Kira’s Intro to Computer Science course.
One year later, we returned to Togo to officially launch Phase 1 of the program by delivering our first on-the-ground training at the University of Lomé.
Empowering the Educators
From June 2–6, Kira’s Professional Development Team had the privilege of training 44 Lead Tutors through our Train-the-Trainers model. Hosted at the University of Lomé, this session marked the beginning of a transformative journey to eventually reach 50,000 university students across the country.
This initiative is the result of a dynamic collaboration between Kira, the universities of Lomé and Kara, local education partner EdoMatch, and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation. It aligns with Togo’s visionary “Digital 2025” strategy to establish the nation as a bilingual and tech-forward hub in the region.
How It Works
Phase 1 focused on building a strong foundation: identifying and preparing the first cohort of Lead Tutors who will be instrumental in cascading training to Course Tutors and students.
44 Lead Tutors—recruited by EdoMatch for their technical expertise in Python—were trained directly by the Kira team.
These Lead Tutors will mentor 900 Course Tutors.
Those Course Tutors will then guide 15,000 university students at the University of Lomé and the University of Kara through Kira’s Intro to Computer Science course.
It may sound ambitious, but the structure ensures manageable group sizes—each Lead Tutor will work with 15–20 Course Tutors, and each Course Tutor will support 15–20 students.
A Week of Inspiration
Over the three-day training, we focused on pedagogy, the Kira platform, and motivational strategies—ensuring the Lead Tutors were not just technically ready, but also equipped to inspire and engage their students.
One of the most powerful moments came when participants were asked to design and teach lessons using Kira materials after observing just a single demo session. The results? Impressive, engaging, and deeply aligned with our “learn by doing” approach.
Our 44 participants brought sharp technical skills, incredible curiosity, and a genuine desire to make an impact. Their energy and commitment left us in awe.
A Surprise Kickoff
On Day One, what we expected to be a low-key welcome session turned into a full-scale press event—with remarks from Minister Lawson, University of Lomé Chancellor Adama Mawulé Kpodar, and other dignitaries, alongside media coverage and national TV interviews. We were honored to speak on behalf of the Kira team and share our excitement about contributing to Togo’s Digital 2025 vision.
Here’s one article that captured the event.
Overcoming Challenges
While neither Courtney nor I speak French beyond a few basics, the Ministry anticipated this challenge and arranged an exceptional live translation service. Through dual-channel headsets, we and the participants seamlessly engaged in both English and French. This thoughtful detail ensured nothing got lost in translation—and was instrumental in the week’s success.
Who We Met
We’d love to introduce you to just one of the incredible people we worked with—Gaston, a doctoral student whose passion for teaching and enthusiasm for the Kira curriculum shone through every interaction.
“This training gave me new confidence in my ability to teach computer science. I can’t wait to start helping others learn.”
— Gaston, Lead Tutor
What’s Next?
Starting July 3, we’ll launch a series of virtual training sessions for the Lead Tutors, supporting them as they begin working with their Course Tutor groups. Meanwhile, EdoMatch is recruiting the next wave of Course Tutors using criteria we helped define.
And beginning in October, we’ll begin monitoring the real impact of this program: 15,000 students actively engaging in computer science through the Kira platform, guided by a robust support system of educators.
