The UAE-based Ustad Mobile is the new organisation making it easier for people living in areas with poor connectivity like in refugee camps or like Afghanistan to access educational modules.

The app features a peer-to-peer sharing option that allows teachers, or one individual, to share the app or internal modules through bluetooth technology, saving time and gigabytes for its users.

The app is essentially a soft skills training programme that aims to bridge the gap between universities’ theoretical approach and the real demands in the job market. Ustad Mobile has created custom versions for different projects, one of which helping Afghan students develop their pre-employability skills like writing a CV, job interviews, and likewise. Another version helped deliver training to kindergarten teachers in Jordan.

The app is now used in all Afghan universities and also works with USAID and FHI 360 on a project called Goldozi, that helps women in Kabul and surrounding areas to market their handicrafts. The app was founded in 2014 by Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe.