MATH IS FUN

Changemaker: Martin Chishimba

Country of Implementation: Zambia

No matter how important Mathematics is in solving real life challenges and problems, 80% of Zambian Secondary School students keep failing, hating and never appreciate or even apply mathematical concepts in their lives. This has contributed to the high levels of poverty and hunger in the nation due to having citizens who cannot apply or use their analytical thinking.

In the traditional classroom, an instructor stands in front of the classroom and presents the learners with information on how to solve a certain Mathematical problem. In this set-up, students are expected to listen attentively, remember everything and probably write them in an Exam.

However, this only looks good on paper and not in reality and so students see little, if any, connection between the classroom and life. And to students the content seems distant and unimportant so they easily forget key details. Majority of Zambian secondary school pupils find Mathematics as the most difficult, abstract, deadly and boring subject. Students view it as a difficult subject and as such their performance and attitude is affected.

And this is where MATH IS FUN comes in. Last year, my colleague and I launched an online Mathematics Education platform we call Smart Math Assistance where we teach interesting, practical and engaging secondary school Mathematics. The project is initially estimated to directly impact 2,500 secondary school students in Lusaka with the aim of reaching all the nine provinces of Zambia. It is also the aim of the project to indirectly impact 8000 School students, Teachers, Educationists, researchers and Community members around the country.