Adopting the right approach

As part of its development programme, the Computer Society of South Africa (CSSA) `Adopt A School` project recently donated a server and networking hardware to Sinethemba Senior Secondary School in Philippi, Cape Town. The school received a Pentium III 700MHz processor PC from the CSSA.

Magherdien Sadien, Adopt A School Project Co-ordinator for the Western Cape Chapter of the CSSA, explains the goals of the Adopt A School project. "The project aims to assist schools in disadvantaged areas that have already progressed on their own steam with regards to IT infrastructure and training. We do not provide the entire infrastructure, but rather enhancements to improve the functionality of the school`s current system."

Running projects like the one at Sinethemba requires commitment, not only from the CSSA, but also from the corporate sector which plays a major role in assisting communities in need, says Sadien. "As it stands, we will be assisting two more Western Cape Schools in the near future, but we desperately need more funding to expand our project and assist more schools. Obviously, the more funding we receive, the more we can do for communities who really need out help."

Sinethemba Senior Secondary educates over 1500 pupils and already possesses a computer lab with fifteen PCs. Sinethemba pupils are educated in basic computer skills and software packages, such as MS Word, Excel and Publisher. Computer education is put to as much practical use as possible, with the pupils using MS Publisher, for instance, to publish the school newsletter.

The Sinethemba computer lab is also used for community training, says Sadien. "Ex-pupils, their relatives and students from the nearby night school utilise the lab at Sinethemba for the preparation of documents, CVs and projects. Unfortunately, however, the school does not yet have a trainer to conduct after-hours classes,"

The CSSA Adopt A School Project places its primary focus on providing schools with the necessary tools to further enhance their computer infrastructure, and the learning potential of their students. "Advanced Cabling donated the cabling to Sinethemba Senior School, and showed the staff how to install everything - they performed the installation themselves, after hours," says Sadien. "This is a really positive aspect of the project. The recipients of equipment are also the recipients of valuable knowledge, which they put into practice in the real world."