Sara Njoroge

Kenyan tech entrepreneur empowering education through mobile technology

Sara Njoroge (b. 1978) is a Kenyan software developer and founder of M-Shule, a mobile learning platform that delivers educational content via SMS and voice calls to students in rural areas. Launching in 2015, her initiative addresses Kenya's education gap by leveraging ubiquitous mobile phone access. Over 500,000 students now use M-Shule, with studies showing a 20% improvement in exam performance among users.

Njoroge's innovation emerged from her experience teaching in underserved schools, where she observed how lack of infrastructure hindered learning. Partnering with telecom giant Safaricom, she created a low-cost subscription model that aligns with Kenya's Vision 2030 education goals. The platform's curriculum covers math, science, and literacy in multiple local languages, including Swahili and Kikuyu.

Her work has inspired similar initiatives in Uganda and Tanzania. Njoroge was named a Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 laureate in 2018 and serves on UNESCO's Digital Learning Advisory Board. She advocates for policies ensuring equitable tech access, stating, 'Every child deserves a chance to learn beyond their ZIP code.'