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The Education Changemakers (ECM) programme, in partnership with the YALI Regional Leadership Centers, empowers grassroots visionaries. Here is how two alumni are scaling local solutions into systemic impact.
Julius Irungu
CEO & Co-founder, Esoma Solutions
“I was born and raised in rural Kenya, where education felt like the only path to a different future. My parents could not afford a single textbook”
Years after university, Julius joined the board of his former primary school. When the headteacher shared that an entire class could not answer exam questions simply because they could not read them, Julius saw his own story repeating. This painful realisation became the spark for Esoma Solutions.
Esoma was founded to make learning playful, personalised, and affordable so that children can read, understand, and succeed. Julius set out to address a staggering deep continental challenge: across sub-Saharan Africa, nine out of ten children cannot read or do basic maths by the age of ten.
In 2024, Julius was selected for the Education Changemakers programme. “That experience changed everything for us,” he recalls. “The intensive training and ongoing support helped us refine our strategy, strengthen our leadership, and build with intention. It gave us the tools and confidence to move from an idea with potential to an organisation with momentum and ownership of its future.”
When Julius graduated from the programme in July 2024, Esoma Kids had reached around 5 000 learners. Today, they have reached more than 42 000 children. This growth is accompanied by remarkable learning gains, with literacy scores improving by an average of 14.43% and numeracy scores by 16.52%.
The business model has also stabilised. The team grew from two founders to six full-time employees, with revenue soaring by 78.4% from 2024 to 2025. They are on track to double again in 2026 as they march towards breaking even.
Importantly, Esoma is reaching those often left behind. Through a strategic partnership with AHA Innovate, Esoma now works offline using solar-powered infrastructure, providing high-quality digital learning to remote communities without internet access.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
ONGOING CHALLENGES
- Device access remains highly limited in low-income areas.
- Connectivity gaps still affect consistent usage.
- Adapting content continuously for diverse regional languages.
- Sustaining long-term engagement with limited resources.
Esoma Solutions & Literacy Impact in Kenya
Nairobi EdTech Festival
Demonstrating our multilingual literacy app at the iHub EdTech summit in Nairobi, fostering collaboration between innovators and educators.
Digital Learning in Action
Young learners in a Kenyan classroom engage with interactive e-learning modules on laptops, improving their digital literacy skills.
Grassroots E-Learning Implementation
Children in a rural classroom using educational tablets and headphones to access personalized, offline-first learning content.
YALI Education Changemakers
A cohort of YALI Education Changemakers exchange grassroots solutions for improving educational outcomes across East Africa.
Forging Strategic Partnerships
Our leadership team meeting with international education advocates to expand access to quality digital learning resources in local communities.