In a step to reaffirm its commitment to education and social upliftment, Dell SA has delivered five OptiPlex Desktop Computers to the Ekuthuleni training and work centre, situated in the heart of Johannesburg. These computers are the first additions to the computer literacy programme that is to provide homeless people with skills that could provide them with a foot in the market place door.
"Ours is a policy that supports the upliftment of previously disadvantaged communities with a strong focus on education, and once we heard what the objectives for the project were, we knew that this would be a good cause to contribute to," says Leigh Hancock, product-marketing manager at Dell SA.
The project was launched by MES (Metropolitan Evangelical Services) in October 1999 on behalf of the Gauteng Provincial Housing Board and aims to address the problems of Johannesburg`s homeless by providing temporary housing as well as training and development courses.
The computer literacy programme thus forms part of the larger objective of MES to enable homeless families and individuals to gain a foothold in the modern working force.
"MES is one of various community projects with which the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) is involved. RAU`s Department of Computer Science at RAU is involved in this specific project," explains Professor Basie von Solms, Head of RAU`s Computer Science Department.
"Our department will initially expose a number of persons identified by MES - the potential trainers- to a basic information technology literacy course, including word processing and spread sheets. Lecturers and postgraduate students of this department will offer this course. After completing this course, these trainers will then - using the donated computers - expose others identified by MES to a similar course. In this way we believe many people can be exposed to basic IT literacy, creating possible job opportunities for them."
Hancock says that in the last few years people have started to realise that if they speak about upliftment it inevitably includes technology as part of the programme. "Computer literacy is a basic requirement of almost any position, so that is where we need to start. I think most people are aware of the severe community challenges faced by the homeless of Hillbrow, and it is here that we choose to make a difference because technology has the ability to transform lives and dreams."
Minister Johan Krige, the executive head of MES comments: "I realised that we possess the power to bring about change if only we are willing to help those looking to help themselves - and that is what we endeavour to do. We want to provide opportunities not only to street children but also to homeless adults."
This is but one project that shows Dell SA`s commitment to preparing local communities for the global transition from an industrial to a digital economy, by supporting technology access, especially in areas with historically limited access to computers and the Internet.
"In keeping with our vision we have also been able to donate PCs to technologically challenged schools in the Free State and the Northern Province," explains Hancock. "This is also the reason that we sponsored the AIDS 2000 medical conference with about R3-million worth of computer and server equipment. We aim to contribute in areas where the need is felt most severely, and thus upliftment is a key focus for us."
Share
