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Lasse Leponiemi

Chairman, The HundrED Foundation
first.last@hundred.org

Tai Academy.

Tai leverages the power of storytelling and digital technology to achieve inclusive education.

In Tanzania, where only 5% reach tertiary education, we use digital technologies and creative educational content; animations, comics, and audio, to drive social behavior change, demystify cultural taboos, and address educational inequalities. By leveraging both traditional and digital channels, we reach millions. Through dialogues, Tai amplifies marginalized voices and empowers communities.

Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Updated April 2025
Web presence

2

Countries
Students lower
Target group
Tai envisions a future where every child has equal access to quality education by employing engaging and educational content. We seek to bridge educational gaps and make learning more accessible and relatable. Through community dialogues and engagement, we challenge societal norms that may hinder inclusion. The organization is supporting students to grow into responsible and empathetic leaders.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

Tai Impact (Formerly Tai Tanzania), born from a passion for transformative education, addresses Tanzania's education gap where only 5% reach tertiary level. A group of dedicated volunteers founded Tai Impact in 2013. After three years of traditional programs, we innovated using storytelling and digital tech, boosting engagement by 38%. Our journey signifies the power of an innovative approach.

Tai Academy is an initiative that fills critical gaps in traditional education by providing practical, inclusive content on issues often left out of the classroom, sexual reproductive health, menstrual hygiene, digital divide, climate change, gender-based violence, public health, and the rights of people with disabilities. Its approach centers on relevance and accessibility, ensuring both students and educators can engage with materials that reflect real-life challenges and social dynamics. By combining academic learning with lived experience, Tai Academy encourages critical thinking, empathy, and active citizenship. The platform supports not just knowledge, but understanding, giving young people tools to navigate complex issues and become informed, compassionate leaders in their communities.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

In todayโ€™s world, education must go beyond academics to equip students and teachers with tools to navigate complex social realities. Tai Academy takes a holistic approach, addressing critical gaps in traditional education through content on menstrual hygiene, climate change, gender-based violence, mental health, and disability rights. Available via digital platforms (online and offline) our curricular content is complemented by extracurricular content delivered through TV, radio, school programs, community gatherings, apps, and social media.

Tai creates community ownership and leadership, empowering learners to drive local solutions. By using inclusive, life-relevant content in formats like animation, comics, and radio stories, we make learning engaging, empathetic, and action-oriented. Our innovation ensures equal access to education, regardless of gender, background, or ability, leveraging both traditional and digital tools to reach urban and rural communities alike.

More than just content, Tai facilitates community dialogue and youth empowerment to challenge societal norms. Our impact, seen in rising engagement by 38%, proves the transformative potential of combining storytelling with technology to make education accessible, inclusive, and deeply impactful in Tanzania and beyond.

How has it been spreading?

We create educational and social behavior change (SBCC) content using animations, comics, and audio stories that tackle real-life issues. This content is shared through television, radio, public spaces, community events, and digital platforms like the Tai Academy app, website, and social media. Our school outreach programs have directly engaged over 70,000 students through hands-on sessions. Combining offline and online channels, has enabled our content reache a wide range of audiences, especially young people and underserved communities. Tai Academy has reached millions across Tanzania and is steadily growing its presence beyond.

How have you modified or added to your innovation?

With the rise of Artificial intelligence, our chatbot is empowered with AI in provide answer to students. We also produce comic books for students who may not have access to computers, radio, or the internet. Comics offer a powerful, engaging way to reach learners in underserved communities, making important topics both accessible and relatable. In addition, our radio programs extend our reach to students and community members in rural areas, where digital access is limited. Together, these tools help us bridge the education gap and ensure no learner is left behind.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

If you want to try Tai Academy, here is what you can do:

1. Visit our website โ€“ Explore our content library, sign up, and start learning at your own pace. https://www.tai.or.tz/edutainment/explore-all

2. Download the Tai Academy App (Desktop and mobile). Access the content and use our AI powered chatboat for your questions regarding the topics we cover in our work.

3. Follow us on social media โ€“ Stay updated on new content, school programs, and community events. https://www.youtube.com/@Tai_Animate

4. Join a school or community session: If you are a teacher or student, get in touch to bring Tai Academy to your class.

5. Take part in our school outreach programs: If you are in Tanzania, we regularly visit schools to deliver interactive, in-person sessions. Reach out to find out when we will be in your area.

6. Partnership Development: If you are an NGO or educator, we like to collaborate with like-minded groups, let's connect.

At Tai Academy, we offer flexible, inclusive learning; online, offline, and right in your community.

Media

How failed education effort sparked new force in East African animation
How Tai Studios is crafting Tanzaniaโ€™s tomorrow through animated storytelling
Using comics to deliver key messages to young people is a creative and effective approach. It is engaging, easy to understand, and well-suited for communities with limited access to the internet, computers, or other digital platforms. Comics help break down complex topics in a way that is both educational and accessible, making them a valuable tool for reaching underserved audiences.
Naweza kwenye habari za UN
Moest Moest on Instagram: "๐— ๐—ง๐—”๐—ก๐—ญ๐—”๐—ก๐—œ๐—” ๐—”๐—ฆ๐—›๐—œ๐—ž๐—” ๐—ก๐—”๐—™๐—”๐—ฆ๐—œ ๐—ฌ๐—” ๐—ฃ๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—œ ๐—ง๐—จ๐—ญ๐—ข ๐—ญ๐—” ๐—จ๐—•๐—จ๐—ก๐—œ๐—™๐—จ ๐—”๐—™๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ž๐—” Mtanzania Mariam Mhina kutoka kampuni ya TAI Impact Tanzania ameshinda nafasi ya pili kwenye tuzo za ubunifu kwenye Elimu katika ๐—”๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ ๐—ฆ๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—น๐—น๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ธ iliyofanyika Accra
In many communities, boys are favored for school while girls are left behind. We use Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) and storytelling to challenge this norm by changing minds through radio, theater, and local voices. Every child deserves the chance to learn, grow, and thrive. We are collaborating with the community to change the narratives..

Implementation steps

Step 1: Story Development (Human-Centered Design).
We begin by engaging directly with young people, educators, experts and communities to understand their real-life challenges, needs, and perspectives. Through a human-centered design approach, we co-create stories that are relevant, relatable, and rooted in local context.
Step 2: Content Production:
Stories are transformed into compelling educational content across multiple formats, animated videos, comics, and audio radio episodes, making the learning experience dynamic and inclusive for diverse learning styles and levels of access.
Step 3: Dissemination of the educational content
Content is distributed through both traditional and digital platforms. These include school-based programs, community radio stations, mobile apps, printed comics, and social media, ensuring wide accessibility, even in remote or underserved areas.
Step 4: Dialogue Facilitation
We organize interactive sessions in schools and communities to foster conversation, reflection, and critical thinking around the topics covered. These dialogues help deepen understanding and encourage collective action.
Step 5: App Maintenance & Support
Our web, mobile and desktop platforms are regularly updated to ensure smooth user experience, content accessibility, and performance. We also provide user support and integrate feedback to continuously improve our digital tools.
Step 6: MEAL - Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning.
Tai gauges impact through comprehensive assessments, tracking engagement metrics for educational content, assessing behavioural changes in youth, evaluating school participation, measuring the impact of community dialogues on societal norms, and tracking long-term educational outcomes. This ensures a thorough understanding of the effectiveness and lasting impact of our innovative education initiatives.
Optional Step: Partnership Development
We welcome lilkeminded individuals and organizations to collaborate with us at any stage of our implementations. It can be a school, media house, researchers, funders, storytellers, educators, etc.

Spread of the innovation

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