The verdict in three sentences
In Saint-Louis, teachers, Gaston Berger University students and administrative staff can save several hours a week with a free AI assistant already on their phone. The obstacle is not the price of the tools, it is knowing what to ask, how to check and which data never to share. The level 1 Discover AI course at 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR, 5 h) builds these habits in a week.
What AI concretely changes in Saint-Louis
A high school teacher prepares a lesson sequence, differentiated exercises and a marking scheme. A UGB student summarises articles, structures a dissertation, revises before exams. A town hall or education office employee drafts letters and minutes. In all these cases, ChatGPT, Gemini or Meta AI (inside WhatsApp) produce a first draft in seconds, which you then correct.
The risks are real too: wrong answers stated with confidence, student papers entirely generated, pupils' personal data pasted into an online tool. Learning to use AI means learning to frame it.
| Task (2026 order of magnitude) | Without AI | With AI used well | Weekly gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepare a one-hour lesson | 3 h | 1 h | 4 to 6 h for 2 to 3 lessons |
| Create 20 differentiated exercises | 2 h | 30 min | 1.5 h |
| Summarise 5 articles for a dissertation | 5 h | 1.5 h with checking | 3.5 h |
| Draft an administrative letter | 40 min | 10 min | 1 to 2 h depending on volume |
| Revise a chapter with a quiz | 2 h | 1 h | 1 h |
What AI costs and what learning costs
| Option (Saint-Louis, 2026) | Indicative cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI free versions | 0 FCFA + mobile data | Enough to start and for 80% of uses |
| Paid AI assistant subscription | about 13,000 FCFA a month (about 20 USD) | Stronger models, higher limits |
| In-person AI workshop | 30,000 to 75,000 FCFA (46 to 114 EUR) | Half a day or a day, no follow-up |
| Free videos | 0 FCFA | Scattered demos, rarely in an African context |
| Kolonell Academy, Discover AI (level 1) | 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR) | 5 h, concrete examples, data protection rules, certificate |
The course Discover AI and use it this week, taught in French, explains what artificial intelligence really is, has you open an assistant on your phone and guides your first uses: preparing, summarising, drafting, revising, with a method to check answers and protect your data and your pupils' data.
It is level 1 of the Artificial intelligence track. The full 5-level track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA, up to the AI consultant profession.
Mini case study
Mariama, 34, a French teacher at a Saint-Louis high school, prepares three lessons and their exercises each week, about 10 hours of preparation. She takes the course at 25,000 FCFA over a weekend. With a free assistant, she cuts preparation to 5 hours, reviewing and adapting every document. She saves 5 hours a week, about 20 hours a month. If she spends half of that time on tutoring at 3,000 FCFA an hour, she earns 30,000 FCFA a month: the course is paid back in under a month.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
FAQ
Do I need a computer?
No, a smartphone and a connection are enough. The 5 hours are designed to be followed on a phone, with free tools.
Won't AI encourage students to cheat?
The course covers honest uses: understanding, revising, structuring, without handing in generated text as is. A trained teacher also spots more easily an assignment 100% produced by AI.
How much does it cost and how do I pay?
Level 1 costs 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR), payable with Wave or Orange Money. The full Artificial intelligence track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA.
Is my data at risk?
It can be if you paste pupils' names, grades or phone numbers into an online tool. The course gives simple rules to anonymise and avoid this risk from the first use.
Do I need a paid AI subscription?
Not at first: free versions cover the essentials. A subscription of about 13,000 FCFA a month only makes sense with intensive daily use.
Take the next step. Enroll in Discover AI and use it this week: 5 h, 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR), Kolonell Academy certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money. Questions? WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
