Transforming Education in Africa: Blinkist’s Collaboration with SINA (Social Innovation Academy)

In an era where information is abundant but time is scarce, the quest for personal development and entrepreneurship knowledge can be daunting. Blinkist, with its innovative approach to condensing critical insights from leading books into bite-sized summaries, has become an indispensable tool for SINA’s curious and ambitious minds. Since 2020, Blinkist’s generous donation of free licenses to SINA scholars has opened up a world of knowledge and learning opportunities, perfectly complementing SINA’s self-paced and self-driven freesponsible and self-organized learning model.

SINA, founded on the belief that every individual can rise to their fullest potential regardless of their background, has pioneered a model of learning that empowers Africa’s youth, especially those from challenging backgrounds, to become changemakers in their communities. SINA transforms disadvantaged youth into social entrepreneurs, giving them the skills, knowledge, and mindset to turn challenges into opportunities. This model has seen the creation of over 80 social enterprises and the generation of 800 jobs through innovative products such as drinking straws from local grass or recycled and unbreakable clothing pegs.

Education helps foster better individuals

The idea that education liberates people is not new. In fact, it is a central theme in Angus Deaton’s famous book, “The Great Escape.” Deaton explains the concept of “progress” and how education, along with health and wealth, has been a driving force behind humanity’s escape from poverty and early death. According to Deaton, education not only enhances individual minds but also unlocks doors of opportunities, promoting a more equitable society. Our collective goal is to be part of this narrative of great escape, extending the power of learning to all corners of the world.

The Great Escape

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by Angus Deaton

1. 15 min reading time
2. audio version available

Get the key ideas on Blinkist

Buy on Amazon

1. 15 min reading time
2. audio version available

Get the key ideas on Blinkist

Buy on Amazon

Integrating Blinkist into the learning resources available to SINA scholars has been transformative. Arsene, a scholar at SINA, shares his experience, highlighting how Blinkist has enhanced his personal development and training sessions:

“I have enjoyed the platform on both the web and the app. Blinkist has provided me with interesting content to streamline the sessions I deliver and bring in more useful content. I can easily recommend a variety of books to SINA scholars based on their personal and professional development needs. Also, as an individual, it has helped me understand a few things about myself, like physical wellness and relationships. The wide variety of topics makes it interesting because I don’t only open Blinkist to read about business or topics that I will integrate into the sessions I facilitate. Still, I also find topics that help me build myself up in terms of society and community, organization, and communication. I use it daily because I can listen to the essence of 3-4 books over in just one hour.”

Our collaborative sharing feature, called ‘Spaces‘, has been a crucial component in achieving our shared mission with SINA. Spaces is specifically designed to encourage group learning and intellectual discussions. Users can create a shared space where they can invite others to join, explore, and discuss the knowledge captured in Blinkist’s book summaries. This feature provides an opportunity for collective learning, where learners can engage in interactive dialogues, explore, and reflect, all within a shared virtual educational space. This has been particularly beneficial for SINA’s scholars, transforming learning into a communal and participatory activity that revolutionizes traditional educational methods, inspiring lifelong curiosity and learning.

Blinkist supports SINA’s vision of a freesponsible world where individuals are empowered to take charge of their learning and development by providing access to distilled knowledge. It unlocks human potential and fosters sustainable development.