Vodacom has unveiled a fully equipped computer centre for Mogoshi Primary School in Limpopo, northern South Africa, in the latest effort to tackle the lack of ICT education resources in the area.
The centre has 21 laptops, four WebBoxes, printers and servers. They will also benefit from 400MB monthly Internet access for one full year. This initiative was spearheaded by Vodacom Millionaires, a popular game show in South Africa.
The Vodacom Millionaires initiative is in its seventh year and has so far created over 270 computer centres all over South Africa.
In a recent report the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said that the future for education in Africa depends on mobile technology. The report suggests that African nations can ride on the success of mobile phone penetration to spread the reach of quality education to students in various schools.
Vodacom says that this centre will enable students to get quality education through technology.
“The teachers will also be provided with training and educational software that will complement the current school curriculum,” the company said.
“Every child in South Africa deserves equal access to quality education regardless of their background. This is not always possible because previously disadvantaged schools have a lack of resources,” Suraya Hamdulay, executive head: media-CSI and sustainability at Vodacom said.
He added that, “The internet has become an invaluable resource in education. It improves learning and helps to bridge the information gap across rural and urban schools.”
Kwena Piet Maleka, principal of Mogoshi Primary School said, “Today marks a new beginning for our learners as most of them have never had access to the internet before. We are excited to have a fully equipped computer lab which will provide our learners with basic computer skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the future.”
