Pemba – Thousands of displaced and host community children in Cabo Delgado will soon have access to digital learning, thanks to the expansion of Instant Network Schools (INS) — a partnership between the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Vodafone Foundation. This initiative reaffirms a shared commitment to ensuring that every child, even when forced to flee, has access to inclusive, high-quality education.
“In the few days I have been in Cabo Delgado, I have witnessed how deeply engaged communities are in education—from children and parents to government authorities, who give it the utmost importance,” said Xavier Creach, UNHCR Representative in Mozambique. “Even in overcrowded classrooms, sometimes with no desks or learning materials, teachers continue to show up and lead. If they can do so much with so little, imagine what they could achieve with more—like the connected classrooms being implemented through the Instant Network Schools project.”
The launch event will take place on 14 March at 10:00am, at Alto Gingone Basic School in Pemba. Media, partners, and stakeholders are invited to attend and witness how this transformative initiative will enhance learning opportunities for displaced and host community children.
Alto Gingone Basic School: A Hub for Learning in a Challenging Context Located in the densely populated Gingone neighbourhood, Alto Gingone Basic School serves a diverse student body of 5,518 learners, 55 per cent of whom are girls, from the host community and displaced populations. Due to the high enrolment, the school operates a dual-shift system, ensuring that students can access education despite limited infrastructure.
The expansion of INS initiative to Cabo Delgado, starting at Alto Gingone, will bring innovative digital tools into the classrooms, significantly enhancing the quality of education for both students and teachers. To further strengthen education in the region, five additional schools in Pemba District will be included in the 2025/2026 school year, reaching over 15,000 students.
With this expansion, more children — especially those forcibly displaced — have access to the educational resources they need to rebuild their futures.
A Transformative Digital Learning Initiative In partnership with the Vodafone Foundation, UNHCR has been working to provide technology-driven educational solutions that empower refugee, internally displaced, and host community learners. The INS initiative seeks to bridge the digital divide by transforming traditional classrooms into connected learning hubs, equipping schools with state-of-the-art technology and fostering digital literacy skills among both students and educators.
Through this expansion, students and teachers at Alto Gingone Basic School will benefit from:
• A solar-powered Instant Classroom Kit, enabling learning continuity even in
areas with limited access to electricity.
• Tablets preloaded with interactive, curriculum-aligned educational content,
allowing learners to explore subjects beyond traditional textbooks.
• High-speed internet connectivity, providing access to global learning
resources and digital tools.
• Comprehensive teacher training, enabling educators to effectively integrate technology into their teaching methods and promote digital inclusion.
Empowering Educators to Deliver Digital Education With a dedicated team of 57 educators (60% female), Alto Gingone already has a strong foundation in information and communication technology (ICT). By enhancing teachers’ digital competencies, the INS initiative will support innovative teaching methods, preparing students for the future digital economy.
Background on Instant Network Schools
Launched in 2013, INS initiative is a flagship programme of the Vodafone Foundation, implemented in partnership with UNHCR to provide technology-driven education solutions in refugee-hosting areas. It has successfully expanded across multiple countries, including Mozambique (first to Nampula), Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Egypt.
With this latest expansion to Cabo Delgado, UNHCR and the Vodafone Foundation reaffirm their commitment to leveraging digital innovation to strengthen education for forcibly displaced learners. This initiative will ensure that more than 41,000 displaced and host community children in Cabo Delgado Province have access to connected classrooms—because no child should be left behind, even in displacement. (Press release)
