Kenyan EdTech startup Gumzo has released an online learning platform designed specifically to help students continue learning during the pandemic

After successfully piloting “Gumzo For Schools”, a video conferencing system designed specifically for e-learning in Africa; Usiku Games has enhanced its online learning platform to allow tutors to continue providing private tuition as the government announces a return to the school schedule for January 2021.

Dubbed “Gumzo For Tutors”, the online learning platform enables professional Tutors to host online lessons with a real classroom experience. Tutors will be able to pick up students for the online classes based on their expertise and an online schedule without worrying about their location:

“ Gumzo for Tutors saves time and easily fits lessons into a Tutor’s schedule wherever he/ she is. We believe this platform will offer more opportunities to Tutors to continue earning and continue imparting knowledge to students who are now isolated at home as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic…” Jay Shapiro, the Founder, and CEO, Usiku Games

With a 14-day free trial, Tutors simply register using their mobile numbers for verification purposes and safety. They will then proceed to create a customized classroom using their accounts and invite students to begin a session. All calls are encrypted ensuring that all calls are private and protected.

“ Our platform is secure, reliable, and easy to access for both the Tutors and the students. Using the mobile verification system for registered numbers we can ensure that the right Tutors join the platform to avoid any scams or cyber-attacks that have been rampant during this Covid-19 Pandemic…” added Mr. Shapiro.

Tutors can record their sessions and use them later for class reviews or send to students who cannot attend lessons in real-time:

“ Our recording capabilities on Gumzo enables students and teachers to refer to their sessions thereafter. The files from the recordings are secure and stored in the universal MP4 format that can be replayed on a wide variety of devices.”

Gumzo for Schools and Gumzo for Tutors are enhancements of Africa’s first web-based video-conferencing platform known as Gumzo. It was developed two months into the Covid-19 pandemic by Kenyan developers at Usiku Games.

The online learning platform uses local phone number verification and real-names to ensure a safe environment for all users. Meeting hosts can review the live video, name, and phone number of each attendee before allowing them into the classroom.

Gumzo users across Africa are enjoying better quality calls, due to the low latency of the high-speed broadband in Africa. “This is supported by the fact that our servers are right here on the continent, which allows for quick and seamless connections. The competition all host their servers internationally, so their video signals must go halfway around the planet via undersea cables, which takes time and degrades the call quality” says Mr. Shapiro.

During this Covid-19 lockdown, more than ever, families and friends are using video conferencing for social gatherings, and not just business meetings. Gumzo supports fun times for users, allowing groups to watch shared movies and play live party games with loved ones on the calls. This is particularly important especially during these tough times. Gumzo games include board games and collaborative jigsaw puzzles and other fun entertainment.

There are already more than 350 million internet-connected smartphones across Africa. Most of them that run on Android and iOS are compatible to use Gumzo, which is purely mobile browser-based, so there are no downloads or plugins to be installed.

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