Two rural schools in Mafikeng came alive today as Telkom CEO, Sizwe Nxasana, donated 40 computers with Internet access powered by satellite.
Batho Batho Primary School and Setilo Intermediate School have now joined the new Internet space generation through TelkomInternet powered by satellite, a new service that connects users whether their location is rural or urban.
Installed at these schools is a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) satellite dish. It transmits a signal to the Intelsat satellite in the sky, which in turn relays the information to the Telkom earth station at Hartebeeshoek outside Pretoria from where connection to the Telkom network is made.
Telkom top management is at the forefront of efforts to help previously disadvantaged learners to bridge the digital divide.
Through the Telkom Foundation`s Adopt-A-Project, a programme through which Telkom leadership plough back to communities, Telkom has donated computer laboratories to schools throughout the country to help improve the quality of mathematics and science education.
As part of this, Nxasana adopted the two schools, passing the learners a baton for a marathon race to the Information Age.
"Running a relay race means doing your best not to disappoint those waiting for the baton ahead. Therefore, you owe it to future learners of these two schools to use this computer equipment with great care so that they, too, can use it to leapfrog those crippling stages to the information society," Nxasana said.
There to witness the occasion were community leaders and provincial education authorities, including North-West education MEC Pitso Tolo.
The two schools are among many around the country which have been adopted by the Telkom leadership and turned into Super Centres with fully-fledged computer laboratories.
Many have Internet connectivity, servers and printers, giving learners a much-needed head-start in technology education.
"I challenge you to use these computers to shape your own future and bridge the rural-urban divide so that from this rural corner of our country can come some of SA`s best IT specialists, scientists and engineers.
"I would also urge education authorities to see to the sustenance of the school`s computer education programme through deploying computer educators so that this computer laboratory does not become a white elephant," Nxasana urged.
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