School children at Mbongolwane Primary School in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, received 20 new laptops from EMC SA.
The company says this is part of its pledge to provide technological assistance to the Nkandla/Mlalazi Rural Development Presidential Initiative.
This initiative seeks to address the need to increase community participation in agriculture, particularly by ensuring food security, job creation, community and rural development.
The Public Sector Business unit manager at EMC SA, Palesa Mapetla, says technology is important in rural areas, as it provides opportunities for people to broaden their horizons, which can help improve their lives.
“We are working with Cisco, and it will supply the network infrastructure to give the children of Mbongolwane Primary School access to the Internet,” she adds.
The school's principal, Nkosinathi Diyela, says they are extremely grateful that EMC became involved in this project to help the community and schools. “Our community represents one of the poorest rural areas in the province, so the laptops and Internet connectivity are deeply appreciated.”
These laptops will boost the teachers and learners' morale, and provide access to information and skills, which would otherwise not have been possible, says Diyela.
Mapetla says this initiative was brought about by her visit to the initial meeting to explore how technology could be used to assist in the rural development envisaged by the initiative.
The project came to life at the end of last year and was officially unveiled by the departments of agriculture, environmental affairs, and rural development together with the Nkandla and Mlalazi communities.
EMC SA says its involvement in the Nkandla initiative is the first in an ongoing programme to improve the lives of rural people through technology.
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