Huawei South Africa has partnered with Khulisani to launch a mobile Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Training Centre Project in the south of Johannesburg to teach computer skills to disabled and underprivileged children.
The mobile ICT centre will be available in low income residential areas and informal settlements such as Meyerton, Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark and Sasolburg, in five special needs schools.
According to Huawei South Africa chief executive officer (CEO) Wilson Liu the company is committed to helping South Africans living in poverty through skills development and training.
“Huawei South Africa is committed to contributing towards the reduction of unemployment and the alleviation of poverty, through supporting skills development and training initiatives. Whilst our focus is on improving the resources of schools and education in the rural and semi-rural areas, we also invest in special needs schools which are often marginalized due to limited resources,” said Liu.
Liu says the decision to start the pilot project was informed by statistics that show that five per cent of the South African population lives with disabilities and that various factors such as poverty, unemployment, insufficient training and education are the most common stumbling blocks for them.
“Huawei made the decision to launch a pilot project in partnership with Khulisani, an enterprise development company that focuses on the ongoing upliftment of individuals with disabilities. We conducted research into their needs and customised the training accordingly, in order to accommodate the different disabilities which the pupils experience, ensuring a positive outcome for the project,” he said.
By creating the ICT centres Huawei hopes it can create a firm foundation in terms of computer literacy and will train the children basic ICT skills such as Microsoft office and internet access.
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