AI-Powered Education in Refugee Settings

Bringing personalized learning to Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp

Challenge

Refugees in Jordan's Zaatari camp faced limited access to quality education due to resource constraints, language barriers, and disrupted learning. Traditional educational approaches were failing to meet the needs of displaced youth, with online learning proving inaccessible to many.

Solution

Working with UNHCR and the Let's Read coalition, we deployed Alfred, our AI learning assistant, to deliver personalized education through WhatsApp. The system provided:

Personalized micro-learning in Arabic and English
Interactive assessments and feedback
Offline capabilities for low-connectivity areas
Culturally relevant content adapted to local context
Analytics to track progress and identify intervention needs

Implementation

Our team worked closely with educators and community leaders to understand specific needs and constraints. We developed custom learning modules focusing on core subjects and life skills, fine-tuned our AI models on culturally relevant content, and trained local facilitators to support the technology deployment.

Implementation Process Visualization

Results

500

students engaged in the initial pilot

65%

course completion rate (vs 15% industry average)

87%

of participants reported increased knowledge

92%

would recommend the program to others

Program now expanding to additional camps

Testimonial

"Ekatra's solution brought quality education to students who had been left behind. The WhatsApp-based approach meant that even those with the most basic phones could access learning that was responsive to their needs and circumstances."

- Asmaa Bakawi, Founder, Let's Read

Key Insights

Technology must adapt to existing user behaviors rather than requiring new ones
AI personalization dramatically increases engagement in educational contexts
Local partnerships are essential for cultural relevance and trust-building
Simple interfaces can deliver sophisticated learning experiences

Next Steps

Building on this success, we're expanding the program to reach 5,000 more refugee learners in 2025, adding vocational skills courses, and developing enhanced offline capabilities.