A live deployment, on real devices, in a real classroom. The goal is to prove the model, the cost and the delivery before scaling.
§ 01Programme site
Nurture Africa Vocational Training Centre, Nansana, Uganda. The pilot covers 154 vocational students. ICT is delivered as a supplementary module on devices running Nambi, entirely offline. There is no internet at the point of learning and no cloud dependency.
§ 02How Nambi is used
Learners work on shared, low-cost Android tablets. The model runs on the device; the curriculum is stored locally. Students ask questions and get explanations in plain language, at their own pace.
- Device
- Low-cost Android tablets, 3 GB RAM and up
- Model
- Custom model, fine-tuned from Qwen (2B, 4-bit Q4)
- Retrieval
- Local curriculum store, offline
- Network
- None required after setup
§ 03Skills taught
The curriculum focuses on the practical digital skills employers list in entry-level job adverts:
- Word processing and documents
- Spreadsheets and basic data work
- Email and digital communication
- Digital filing and data entry
§ 04What we measure
Every session is logged on-device. The numbers below are the ones we can currently stand behind.
Outcome evaluation is in progress. We measure skills acquisition (pre- and post-topic checks), attendance and retention, and cost per learner. Each figure is published with its measurement period and method once confirmed, alongside anonymised session data for independent verification. We do not publish outcome figures before they are measured.
§ 05Cost and unit economics
The fully loaded cost is $1.30 per student, per term, covering curriculum, local delivery and administration, with hardware amortised across its service life. Because the tutor runs offline, there are no ongoing data or subscription costs after deployment.
Hardware is the primary scaling constraint, not connectivity. In other words, the unit economics are a procurement problem rather than a recurring-cost problem.
§ 06Verification and reporting
Session logs, progress and assessment results are generated on the device and exported as CSV. Akaalo Ltd is registered in Uganda (URSB) and Ireland (CRO). Methodology notes, anonymised session log exports and financial documentation are available to verified funders and research partners on request.
§ 07What comes next
The next phase expands the cohort and adds modules, and begins preparing trade-specific tracks that link digital skills to vocational subjects. The same offline engine is designed to carry other curricula and other languages.