Diana Al Dajani, winner of the 2013 Al Fiqhra National Business Plan Competition in Qatar and the MIT Best Woman Entrepreneur Award, tells Shalini Bhardwaj how she developed her vibrant, self-learning educational platform for children.
This unique digital education platform is showing positive results and is quickly gaining acceptance across the parent and teacher community. It is also thriving as a business model, bringing fame and recognition to its founders. Success seems on track, but is it really?
As I sipped a deliciously flavored cup of tea that tasted of fresh lemongrass growing in her backyard, I tried to understand the what ifs and buts, the ambitions and fears, the successes and failures of a young entrepreneur who had plunged into the world of business and competition to prove a point.
Diana Al Dajani, a computer engineer by profession and founder of eduTechnoz, gained attention for winning second place at Qatar's Al Fiqra National Business Plan Competition in 2013 and the MIT Best Woman Entrepreneur Award in 2013.
She's doing an amazing job: providing kids with a self-directed, educational and fun platform that not only helps them develop their Arabic skills, but also helps them fall in love with the language.
The online game aims to meet the needs of children between the ages of 3 and 7, allowing them to master various aspects of the language in a fun way. Data analysis of regularly generated performance reports showing the child's progress shows a steady 19% improvement in children's language skill levels.
This comes at a time when Arabic language learning support materials are either limited in availability or not widely available.
“Qatar's Vision 2030 places a strong emphasis on Arabic language skills acquisition, and the sector is receiving a lot of attention. In Qatar itself, there are many initiatives to promote Arabic. However, this is an emerging industry and there is always room for improvement.
“As the saying goes, 'it takes a village to raise a child' and eduTechnoz is just a drop in the ocean, but I hope it will ripple out and reach as many children as possible. It will probably take a few generations to realise our ultimate dream beyond increasing language literacy in our nation,” says Diana.
Diana had been interested in entrepreneurship since she was a child, but it wasn't until she was a teenager that she was faced with a crucial decision: whether to become an astronaut, which was the obsession of the time, or to make a difference in the world.
“eduTechnoz wasn't built in a day. It was a long journey full of challenges, learning and hard work,” says Diana. She has had an “entrepreneurial spirit” since she was 10 years old. Born and raised in Kuwait, of Palestinian origin, Diana recalls her childhood spent in the shadow of the Gulf War. “There was no school, no TV. We were bored at home watching the VCR. One day, my dad gave each of us three siblings (now five) an Iraqi coin. We were three siblings (now five) and we were always fighting over toys. I made a smart deal and managed to get all three coins. That was probably my first business venture that made me take bigger risks.”
She recalls with a smile: “I started selling my brother's toys around the neighborhood and made a lot of money until my mother found out and the whole business was over.”
Her thoughtful teenage attitude prompted her to choose a career that would enable her to promote and impart Arab customs and culture to children. She felt conflicted when she saw foreign cartoons and shows that had nothing to do with the Arab way of life being introduced to children through television.
“We couldn't relate to what was being shown on TV,” she said, and this sparked her passion and ambition to teach children to recognise and identify with their cultural roots.
Once determined, to make her dream come true, 15-year-old Diana furthered her computer studies and obtained a degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto, Canada. There, she started working and developing websites, all the while nurturing her passion and putting a lot of effort into it. She spoke to as many people as she could about the subject, conducted market research, gathered information about rules and regulations on starting a business, and above all realized that getting customers is the most challenging aspect of any venture.
She partnered with a company to create an animation that included all elements relevant to Arab society, but it didn't sell. She took the setback as a learning experience.
Her dream came true much later, when she moved to Qatar with her husband and had two sons. This time, her 5-year-old son began to dislike his Arabic homework, forcing her to think hard. He cried and found the homework too difficult.
She didn't want to let her son miss out on learning Arabic at this foundational stage, so she created a game that he would find fun and through which he would easily learn the skills he needed to master Arabic.
To help her kids in her absence, she did what she does best and developed this game for computers after not finding a similar game, which became popular among other parents and teachers as well.
Encouraged, she took the toughest decision of all to leave her salaried job managing a work-from-home business and decided to start the business as a social enterprise. “It was a turning point in my career, but I believed in the adage 'Be the change you want to see in the world!'” says Diana. The triumph of her passionate spirit over an uncertain future is clear in her soft voice.
The impetus she needed for her efforts came when she was introduced to the Bedaya and Al Ruda Centre through the Mowgli Foundation.
“These organizations guided me throughout the struggle of developing and understanding business processes. I had a great mentor in Khaled Sadeddin who introduced me to different possibilities. He encouraged me to participate in the Al Fikra competition which I was hesitant to participate in as the chances of winning were slim. He said one thing that etched itself in my mind,” she recalls. “Submit your business plan not to win but to open doors of opportunity.” This became her success mantra. Though she is naturally shy, she never gives up on knocking on the doors of opportunity.
The win is just one step forward in her journey. “We have to adapt to the rapidly changing technology. Kids are now mobile and we want to keep up with their changing interests and adapt to their behaviors with shorter attention spans. My team and I developed a mobile platform that allows kids to continuously improve the skills they have acquired, no matter how many times they play or complete a level. Our app was selected for the Arab Mobile App Challenge, organized by Silatech, to represent Qatar at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Although we don't have enough funds for a large-scale development, we intend to deliver a powerful presentation to represent Qatar for this honor,” Diana reflects.
“The app (https://edutechnoz.com/Mobile_Arabic_Game.php) is intelligent and goes beyond the basic levels of alphabet and vocabulary. I believe it fills a missing link in building a child's confidence and interest in Arabic by teaching them how to read,” explains Diana.
Diana's ability to make key decisions at the right time while maintaining an ideal work-life balance sets her apart from many who give up on their dreams due to lack of confidence or hesitation. “Tell people about your idea. Even if someone copies the idea, it takes your passion to follow through. Networking literacy is crucial,” she suggests. As for advice to future entrepreneurs, she says, “Never turn down an opportunity and keep your price to a minimum. Start slow and small, take the plunge and test the market. Organisations like Bedaya, Al Rooda etc are great places to seek help and guidance.”
Qatar has set economic diversification goals in line with QNV 2030, which has led to increased support for entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises.
What separates successful people from unsuccessful people is perseverance, analytical ability, and a passion that is bigger than their dreams.
Under:
1) Achievement: The originator of this idea is Diana Al Dajani.
2) Group photo of the interns.
