Nisha Ligon

Ubongo

Big Idea: 

Roughly half of 2nd graders in Africa can’t read a sentence or solve a one-digit addition problem. Ubongo brings learning to African children and families through TV, radio and online broadcasts. They develop locally-relevant “edutainment” content focused on school readiness, performance, and life skills designed explicitly for the African context. They’ve documented impressive learning gains so far. Their content won’t replace more formal education, but it’s a strong complement at a nominal annual cost.

Nisha is a social entrepreneur with a passion for education and a background in media and science. Before founding Ubongo, Nisha produced content for the BBC, The Guardian, London Science Museum, and an award winning documentary, Twiga Stars. She also worked as Content Maestro at Fuse School. She earned a B.S. in Biology from Yale and an MSc. from Imperial College London.

Rainer Arnhold Fellows