LUSO Computer Institute has expanded its social responsibility programme from supporting students with bursary loans to donations to two schools. The move is helping keep township children off the streets and busy with after-school activities.
Minerva High School in Alexandra was given PCs, furniture and office equipment, while Wendywood Primary School receives discarded office paper for recycling with Mondi Recycling.
"About 80% of students to complete courses with us during the past three years have been previously disadvantaged," says Izane Cloete, marketing director at LUSO. "Besides launching a programme next year that will see all students with a pass mark of 80% or higher guaranteed a job, we felt we could do more in terms of our social responsibility, and chose one of the needier schools in our region and another eager to work with us."
LUSO donated 65 PCs, 45 monitors and over 100 tables and desks and other office furniture valued at approximately R500 000 to Minerva High School. The tables and chairs were distributed to classrooms, with the PCs going to a centre to be used by the1 522 grade eight to grade 12 students at the school.
Cloete says: "The use of PCs will allow the children to become accustomed to IT from a early age, thus sparking a possible interest and choice of IT as a career."
"Last year we achieved a 61% matric pass rate, a rate increasing year on year because we keep the children interested and we offer them a variety of after-school activities. These activities are crucial to their achievement as children in the region are often abused or dragged into unsuitable activities if they leave the school premises before their parents arrive home from work." says Linah Mabungu, principal of Minerva High School.
Wendywood Primary School has increased its paper recycling effort from two tonnes to four, with collections by Mondi Recycling from the school increasing from once a month to between three and four. Funds raised from the recycling effort go towards school maintenance and any special projects the school might be running.
"LUSO`s donation has doubled our recycled paper output," says Bev Sperotto, secretary at the school. "LUSO has installed a collection skip at its offices and the amount of paper they bring to us has given our 870 students renewed energy in collecting and recycling. The project began as an environmental programme at the beginning of the year aimed at increasing our children`s awareness about their environment and how they can help to sustain it."
The paper donations to Wendywood Primary School are an ongoing project.
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