While Huawei invests in telecoms research and development, it also believes in social development. The company runs a number of social investment programmes and partnerships in Africa, says Roland Sladek, Huawei VP of international media affairs.
According to Sladek, the company runs Telecom Seeds for the Future, an initiative developed to help bridge the gap between what is learned in ICT education and what is necessary in the industry.
Through the programme, Huawei works with universities and other local organisations to provide training in communication technologies, provide scholarships and internships for top students, and offers work experience to selected students. This is done through the Huawei Undergraduate Work Experience programme, where ICT students are offered the opportunity to gain work experience at Huawei's offices in China.
Since Huawei established its training centre in SA in 2008, thousands of South Africans have been trained in various aspects of technology. Sladek says the company has a number of training centres across Africa, including Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Earlier this year, Huawei partnered with the Khulisani Foundation to unveil a mobile ICT training centre project to provide computer skills training to schools for underprivileged and disabled children in Johannesburg. "SA is a particularly good example of where we invest in terms of skills development and improving energy-efficiency," he says.
In 2011, Huawei established the Instant Network Solution, in Kenya, where a network using satellite communication was set up in an area where no coverage meant residents were unable to talk to their relatives for two years. The company has since also established networks in rural areas in Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria, and has deployed e-government networks for 18 African countries.
Huawei actively collaborates with public and private partners on programmes that leverage communications technologies to promote sustainable development and environmental protection in Africa. One such example is the company donating $100 000 to the Safaricom marathon, in Kenya last year. The funds were used by the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to improve living conditions in rural areas and help preserve the natural environment in the country.
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