Business heavyweights join forces to uplift marginalised community

A business consortium headed by IT giant Hewlett-Packard South Africa (HP SA) has launched a project to provide several thousand members of the poverty-stricken Dikhatole community on the East Rand with basic computer, Internet and business skills.

The training will be provided through the newly-opened Dikhatole Digital Village, the largest facility of its kind in the country, which boasts more than 90 Internet-enabled workstations. The project is spearheaded by the non-profit Organisation for Rehabilitation and Training (ORT) South Africa and sponsored by HP SA, Macsteel SA and Microsoft SA.

Dikhatole, a marginalised urban community of around 10 000, has chronic levels of unemployment coupled with poor basic service provision. There is only one primary school and two high schools in the area.

Iris Colyn, National Director at ORT South Africa, says the project takes a three-pronged approach to the problems faced in Dikhatole: it aims to uplift members of the community, improve the quality and quantity of ICT training in schools, and improve ICT resources and skills in local government.

Jos Nickmans, MD of HP SA, says ORT and HP have worked closely with governmental and private sector bodies and members of the community to ensure the project will sustain itself once ORT and HP have withdrawn.

"The project targets unemployment and low income in the area by helping youngsters to gain qualifications and experience, and encouraging entrepreneurship, particularly among women," said Nickmans.

HP SA donated all the computers to the project and provided the hardware needed to network them and connect them to the Internet. It has also provided a cash donation.

Microsoft SA came in to sponsor the software by providing Microsoft Office XP Pro, Encarta, Windows 2000 Server and client access licences for all 90 computers.

The project operates from ORT`s headquarters in Johannesburg as well as the modern Macsteel Training Centre in Driehoek near Dikhatole, which was loaned to the project by Macsteel. Macsteel has made special renovations and alterations to accommodate the project and will provide ongoing infrastructure support to the centre.

HP and ORT are currently schooling 12 trainers in employability skills training to deliver courses covering areas such as computer literacy, CV writing, communications skills, entrepreneurship and presentation skills. Another 1 080 unemployed youths will be trained in employability skills and self-employment, while 540 women will be trained in basic Internet use for networking and support, as well as in starting and running a small business.

The second major thrust of the project is to build up computer resources and skills in the region`s schools.

HP and ORT aim to train at least 70 teachers in essential computer skills and will help train more than 2 400 children in basic computer use. In addition, the two companies will upgrade and install computers and Internet facilities at the schools.

The third aspect of the project involves training local government employees in basic computer and Internet skills, and installing computers in the workplace to allow them to communicate effectively and share information more readily.