In a partnership between Business for Computer Literacy (BCL) and Internet service provider, M-Web, Internet and IT skills are being taken into previously disadvantaged communities in the Western Cape.
In a pioneering project initiated by these organisations, a major new IT community centre has been established at Tafelsig Senior Secondary School in the historically troubled Mitchell`s Plain area.
The facility was opened recently by Jay Naidoo, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting.
"This visionary project has transformed a classroom into a high-technology IT learning centre with resources including 25 online computers," said BCL director, Keith Boyd. "It will bring technology and the Internet into the lives of both students and the wider community -- in many cases for the first time."
This centre has been welcomed by the local community, in which fewer than 5% of students currently progress to higher education.
The project represents a R250 000 investment by leading Internet company, M-Web, and is a partnership initiative between the local community, BCL and M-Web.
"The main goal of the project is to help close the gap between the `information-rich` and `information-poor` in post-apartheid South Africa, through access to technology and the Internet," stressed Boyd.
Parents and ex-students will also have the opportunity to use the facility and -- according to Marlon Abrahams, corporate social investment manager at M-Web -- this broader community service was one of the reasons that this centre was selected for support.
"We want to promote Internet literacy and help the technological disadvantaged in South Africa," says Abrahams.
"These communities represent a rich source of untapped potential which could contribute significantly toward making South Africa a world-class business nation. We want to help unleash that potential through technology, Internet and access to information."
BCL is a section 21 (non-profit) company, whose main aim is to provide children from secondary schools in the disadvantaged communities with access to computers and the Internet. The company was formed as the result of a sincere commitment by each of the directors to contribute toward creating a more tolerant and economically viable society. BCL`s strategy is to bring the efforts of business, the community and government together in order to achieve this goal.
The operational funding for BCL is provided by the DNS Group and SPL, two companies in the Dimension Data Group. BCL directors serve on a voluntary basis without remuneration.
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