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The East African news story, May 27th
Business Daily News Story, May 30th
Sunday Nation –June 05, Opinion Editorial
Kenya’s teens and pre-teens are one of the most vulnerable population segments that are prone to abuse by cybercriminals. Akili Network, a Kenyan edutainment firm, has taken initiative to reduce their exposure by speaking to teens aged between 10 and 19, in a language that they understand to educate them about the dangers of cybercrime. It teaches them about trolling, phishing, protecting their online identities, cyberbullying, and mobile money fraud. Click link to read the full article: teenage-cybersecurity-key-focus-for-kenyan-edutainment-firm By Soko Directory Team
Kenyan Edutainment firm Akili network has launched an initiative that focuses on teenage cybersecurity.
Kenya’s teens and pre-teens are one of the most vulnerable population segment that is prone to abuse by cybercriminals. Click link to read the full article: firm-akili-network-launches-initiative-teenage By Mercy Auma from Kahawatungu
Kenya’s teens and pre-teens are one of the most vulnerable population segments that is prone to abuse by cyber criminals.
Akili Network, a Kenyan edutainment firm, has taken the initiative to reduce their exposure by speaking to teens aged between 10 and 19, in a language that they understand to educate them about the dangers of cybercrime; Click link to read the full article: kenyan-edutainment-firm-keen-to-fight-teenage-cybersecurity By Catherine Muindi from Kenya News Agency
Akili Network, Creative Minds Behind Akili Kids!, Deliver the New Flash Squad Series
Nairobi, May 26th, 2022… We often say that young people are “digital natives”, but that doesn’t mean they know how to keep safe from threats and bad actors on the Internet. This is the premise behind a new TV series entitled Flash Squad that was previewed at a special event today in Nairobi.
Flash Squad aims to show teenagers how to protect themselves and their communities online, and was created and produced by Akili Network and Peripheral Vision International. The first episode aired on Friday 27th May 2022 exclusively on Akili Kids! TV, which is available on PANG free-to-air channels, DSTV Channel 311, GOtv Channel 63, Startimes Channel, Pang 105 and Zuku Channel 602. Subsequently, Flash Squad will air daily on Akili Kids! TV from Mondays to Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. with new episodes Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
Speaking at the official Flash Squad preview event in Nairobi, Jesse Soleil, the President of Akili Network said, “Flash Squad covers a wide variety of topics, telling the stories of some not-so-typical Kenyan teens, and focusing on online safety, privacy, security, with the attendant simplicity expected of kids this age.”
Structured as a sitcom in a school environment, the series features a great cast of young upcoming actors and actresses, and provides valuable lessons on various relatable aspects of the teens’ lives. Keeping in mind teenagers’ short attention span, each episode is cut to just seven minutes - long enough yet also sufficiently brief to deliver the desired impact, fun and memorability.
Soleil explained that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed many children to the Internet earlier than they might have been under normal conditions, especially due to their having to take online lessons. With no handbook for how to use the Internet safely, young people are exposed to a risky environment with potentially difficult situations to navigate. Flash Squad, he noted, attempts to fill that gap by using relatable characters, real-life situations, and a good dose of comedy to help navigate the risks they will face and undesirable encounters, while still enjoying the Internet safely and confidently.
“It’s not easy to raise teenagers to become highly functioning adults. Several external influences distract them and complicate the efforts of parents and guardians. Exhaustion, anxiety, a lack of support and limited resources in schools and at home, make it hard for the adults to offer the support and guidance their children need. If together we can give our young adults the ability to help themselves and others to be safe, that is the best possible outcome. Our strategy is to use storytelling with the playfulness to tackle tough topics and so far, the response has been spectacularly positive,” said Soleil.
Akili Network will tackle other issues for teens and pre-teens using the techniques used with Flash Squad in contributing towards their wholesome growth and development.
For more information, contact Samantha Mugeni, Akili Network on email samantha.mugeni@akilinetwork.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
ABOUT AKILI NETWORK
ABOUT AKILI KIDS!
Akili Kids! is Kenya’s first and only educational television station for children and families, available free-to-air on digital TVs at PANG 105, on DStv, GOtv, StarTimes, Zuku, Safaricom’s Baze, and streams for free at https://akilikids.co.ke/watch
ABOUT PERIPHERAL VISION INTERNATIONAL
Peripheral Vision International, an international nonprofit that uses media, technology, and popular culture to catalyze social change around the world, with a special focus on last mile communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Together with partners, PVI has designed, produced and distributed television programs, videos, audio games, comics and other media that have been viewed, read, interacted with, or listened to hundreds of millions of times across dozens of countries. Our award-winning work has been profiled on CNN, The New Yorker, NPR, The Guardian, and many other news outlets
As of November 1st 2021, Multichoice launched the GOtv Supa package which offers a range of lifestyle and entertainment channels, featuring more entertainment for the kids, more drama-filled telenovelas, and more proudly local content, among them Akili Kids! Kenya’s number one TV station for children and families.
Akili Kids! which was previously only available to view in the FTA segment of the GOtv digital pay platform, will now be available on channel 63 across GOtv Lite, GOtv Value, GOtv plus, GOtv Max and GOtv Supa.
“We are delighted to be where the majority of Kenyans are! This is great news, not just for us, but especially for our audience who will no longer have to search and scan to find us” says Jeff Schon, CEO & Co-Founder Akili Network.
GOtv Kenya, is an affordable digital pay-TV that is a subsidy of MultiChoice Africa. The digital terrestrial television (DTT) platform was introduced to the Kenyan market in 2011 with the assurance of delivering great entertainment television for the whole family.
Akili Network are the creators of Akili Kids!, Kenya’s first and only educational children’s and family TV channel. Akili Kids! reaches an average of 5.4 million children and 4.2 million adults, parents and caregivers every week, and is available for free country-wide on free-to- air television, and on satellite TV platforms including: DStv, GOtv, StarTimes, Zuku, and the Akili Kids! Website, as well as Safaricom’s Baze mobile video platform. Our mission is to become the most trusted children’s and family brand in sub-Saharan Africa. We do this by providing a safe, free, and engaging content destination with learning outcomes for children and their families, and making ourselves available on every viewing platform, ensuring access for everyone.
Kenya National Spelling Bee Presents the July Spelling Bee Championships
—Kenya National Spelling Bee in partnership with Westgate Shopping Mall, Educate Yourself, Akili Kids! and Sai Office (Veda) have come together to help learners improve their spelling, English usage and promote a reading culture by conducting a Spelling Bee Championship at Westgate Shopping Mall on 24th July, 2021 from 8:00AM to 2:00PM. The competition has been earmarked as a fun educational forum, and will bring together spellers from all walks of life to pit their spelling skills against each other.
“We are delighted to inform you that we have partnered with Akili Kids! to bring a more wholesome competition experience for our Spellers. This partnership will ensure that the 24th July Spelling Bee Championship at Westgate Shopping Mall is professionally screened and turned into a captivating reality show.”
The Spelling Bee event targeting grade 4 to 8 learners, will for the first time ever, culminate in an entertaining reality TV show produced by Akili Kids! Kenya’s first and only free-to-air television station for children under the age of 14 years; that will air sometime in August.
“Out of the one-day competition, Akili Network will create an engaging, upbeat four-part TV series that will highlight the best moments of the day,” says Kaburo Kobia, Head of Production at Akili Network, “The series will follow contestants throughout the day and showcase their quest to become Kenya’s top speller.”
The TV show will be exclusively broadcast on Akili Kids! which is available on free-to-air, DSTV channel 311, ZUKU channel 602, Startimes channel Pang 105 and GOtv. The TV station currently boasts of a 5 million weekly children viewer base and 4 million adult weekly viewer base.
Registration for the Spelling Bee Championships is currently ongoing and all Grade 4 to 8 pupils are encouraged to sign up. Lots of amazing goodies are up for grabs with lots of activities set aside for the Spellers including an arts and crafts corner, one on one interviews, puppet shows by Kenya’s leading puppeteer; Darren Collins and free medical check ups courtesy of Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital.
About KNSB
The Kenya National Spelling Bee (KNSB) is a registered educational Organization in Kenya and is also a founding Member of the African Spelling Bee Consortium. KNSB operates in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, the Kenya Private Schools Association and the Kenya Primary Head Teachers Association, among others. The Kenya National Spelling Bee seeks to be a leader in developing life lasting skills, self-confidence, literacy and personal growth through correct spelling.
About Akili Kids! and Akili Network
Akili Network launched Akili Kids!, Kenya's First and only free-to-air children's learning TV Station. Today, Akili Kids! is the number one most watched children TV Station in Kenya and the second most watched daytime TV Station in households with children under the age of 14.
Akili Kids! has disrupted the Kenyan TV landscape by focusing on 24/7 children’s educational programming and has become the number one way to reach mums and children in Kenya. Akili Kids! is a safe, fun and supplemental educative destination that focuses on entertaining and inspiring children of all ages and stages.
May 28, 2021 - Nairobi, Kenya
The leading telco launches a new video streaming platform called Baze, featuring content from all over Africa including Akili Network’s, Akili Kids!
Akili Network, creators of Akili Kids!, Kenya’s first and only free-to-air children’s learning TV channel, announces a partnership with Safaricom, the leading telecommunications provider in Kenya and one of the most profitable companies in the East and Central African region.
Safaricom today add to their vast product portfolio, a service called Baze, which is a low cost subscription-based video streaming platform featuring content from creators across Africa with categories that span from comedy and music to kids entertainment.
“We are excited to be partnering with Safaricom to support the launch of Baze and their innovative initiative to provide low-cost streaming video to their mobile subscribers. We hope that Akili Kids! as their branded children’s offering, will give parents back control of the TV remote so they can watch the news while their children stream great kids content on their phones.” Says Jeff Schon, CEO Akili Network.
By simply dialling *544*54# to subscribe for a daily pass at ksh.10, anyone with a mobile device and a Safaricom subscription will have direct access to the branded Akili Kids! Channel on the Baze platform. This presents us with an opportunity to tap into the estimated 35.6million Safaricom subscriber base, bringing us closer to the Network’s goal of reaching all of Kenya’s children and their families with TV programs that are curated to support school readiness, stimulate imagination and creativity and most importantly enable parents and caregivers to build stronger and healthier relationships with their children.
“Akili Network is positioning itself to become the biggest brand in Kenya, providing safe and entertaining content to children and families,” Eddie Olang – Head of Sales at Akili Network says. “Partnering with the biggest telecommunications company in the region is a huge milestone for us and we are excited about the possibilities. The sky is the limit!”.
About Safaricom PLC,
In addition to providing exceptional telecommunication services, Safaricom also provides reliable broadband Internet and globally recognized financial services. Safaricom PLC is committed to transforming lives across Kenya and has adopted a number of the Sustainable Development Goals, some of which include Quality Education, Reduced Inequality, Decent Work and Economic Growth among others.
About Akili Kids! and Akili Network
Akili Network launched Akili Kids!, Kenya's First and only free-to-air children's learning channel. Today, Akili Kids! is the number one most watched children TV channel in Kenya and the second most watched daytime TV channel in households with kids under the age of 14, with a weekly viewer base of up to 5 million children watching weekly and 4 million parents watching along with them.
Akili Kids! has disrupted the Kenyan TV landscape by focusing on 24/7 children’s educational programming and has become the number one way to reach mums and children in Kenya. Akili Kids!is a safe, fun and supplemental educative destination that focuses on entertaining and inspiring children of all ages and stages.
For broadcast details visit: www.akilikids.co.ke or follow us on Facebook @AkiliKidsTV
APRIL 23, 2021 - Nairobi, Kenya
The HummingBird Tales: A Series of Short Animated Stories from Paukwa House
Akili Network has acquired rights from Paukwa House to broadcast 'Humming Bird Tales'--a short animated series about the lives of notable Kenyan that aims to nurture positive values in children.
"The Hummingbird Tales are wonderful," Anne Sato Scheduling Manager at Akili Network says, "Each of the animated episodes highlight remarkable achievements of contemporary Kenyans. We think children are really going to enjoy these five-minute short stories."
The Hummingbird Tales premiered on Akili Kids! TV on 24th April, 2021.This comes as a win for the children’s channel that boasts 5 Million viewers weekly across Kenya, with up to 800 000 children and their parents watching every half hour. The first episode of The Hummingbird Tales features Dr. Kizzie Shako, the first female forensic medical expert and police surgeon in Kenya.
"The Hummingbird Tales are an ideal tool for learning values from the lived experiences of others," explains Mwihaki Muraguri, Founder of Paukwa House, the creators of the animated series, "With an entertaining and interactive approach, these stories will help children learn how to take greater responsibility for their own behaviour and learning, serve others, exert themselves to achieve some goals and many other positive habits."
Akili Network aspires to add more local programs to Akili Kids! TV that will help create a safe and engaging content destination with learning outcomes to children throughout Kenya. This agreement with Paukwa, whose mission is to tell positive stories about Kenya, is in line with Akili Network’s goal of acquiring shows that Kenyan children can relate with and feel represented.
"At Akili Kids! we are intentional about the content we acquire for our TV channel," explains Jeff Schon, CEO Akili Network, "We make sure that the programs we acquire are not only educational but also entertaining. A third aspect of our acquisition strategy is to ensure we portray diversity. It is really important for children to see themselves reflected in the programs they watch."
About Akili Kids! And Akili Network
Akili Network has launched Akili Kids!, the first-and-only free-to-air children’s learning channel in Kenya. Akili Kids! has become the second most watched daytime TV channel in the country in just a year after launch. Akili Kids! has disrupted the Kenyan TV landscape by focusing on 24/7 children’s educational programming and has become the number one way to reach mums and children in Kenya. Akili Kids! is a safe, fun and supplemental educative destination that focuses on entertaining and inspiring children of all ages and stages.
About Paukwa House
Paukwa House is a story house named for the Kiswahili word that is an invitation to a story -Paukwa; an age old term, well known across East Africa. Paukwa invites one to remember the joy of stories from their childhood, and celebrate memory, culture, modernity, but most of all the positive untold stories of Kenya.
For broadcast details visit: www.akilikids.co.ke or follow us on Facebook @AkiliKidsTV
Akili Network, creators of Akili Kids!, Kenya’s first and only 24/7 free-to-air children’s learning TV channel, announces a partnership with DStv, a platform from Africa’s leading entertainment company Multichoice Africa. As of March 3rd, DStv will now carry Akili Kids! on channel 311 for all existing DStv customers in Kenya.
Akili Kids! was made in Kenya, for the Kenyan people and is committed to ensuring the wholesome development of children by selectively broadcasting only programmes that have positive learning outcomes. Akili Kids! has a wide variety of programs catering to children, parents, guardians and caregivers across the entire country. Moreover, the channel is deeply dedicated to enhancing relationships between parents and children by airing shows that can be enjoyed by children and the entire family together. Akili Kids! has a weekly viewership of over 5.4 million children and 4.3 million adults between 6am and 6pm, as per a specialized Geopoll report designed to measure viewership of children, parents and caregivers. Akili Kids! has introduced a comprehensive child-protective advertising policy that ensures children are not exposed to unhealthy or potentially harmful marketing messages.
Established in 1995, DStv aims to deliver the right type of content to millions of Africans, anytime, anywhere. As part of the Multichoice Africa family, DStv shares in the vision of making both homegrown and international entertainment more accessible to Africans as well as contributing to the economic growth of Africa by creating employment opportunities and empowering businesses across the continent.
“We are incredibly excited to add DStv as a distribution partner. With DStv’s exceptional brand value and reach, the greatest beneficiaries of our partnership is to Kenyan children, parents and caregivers.”, says Jesse Soleil, President and Co-Founder of Akili Network.
Kenyan children, parents and caregivers can now watch Akili Kids! TV on DStv channel 311 to enjoy a wide range of programmes: school readiness during the day, and action, adventure and learning shows for school-aged children in the afternoons and evenings, all of which promote academic, social, emotional, mental and physical well-being.
University of Notre Dame, Institute for Educational Initiatives
With widespread school closures and stay-at-home social distancing, there has never been a greater need for quality children’s programming. The Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child is pleased to share the launch of Akili Network’s Akili Kids, a free-to-air children’s television network in Kenya. Dr. Neil Boothby, the GC-DWC’s director, serves as a senior adviser for the project, which aspires to be the most trusted brand in children and family entertainment in Kenya.
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