More than 500 refurbished computers have been donated to rural schools nationwide through the Vision 2015 campaign.
The Vision 2015 campaign is a pledge to provide 50% of South African rural schools with computers by the year 2015, and see 50% of surrounding communities benefiting from the programme.
The campaign was started in 2002 and spearheaded by Presley Information Technologies. It hopes to encourage corporate and civil society to participate in the venture by donating redundant computers that can be refurbished, sponsor events, provide transport or pay the refurbishment cost of the computers, says Percy Mphaho, CEO of Presley Information Technologies.
Vision 2015 is backed by the Eskom Development Foundation, the Youth Development Trust, and "Mark Shuttleworth, who has donated open source software to the campaign, and continues to do so," says Mphaho.
Schools in nodal points identified by president Thabo Mbeki will have preference for being set up with the computers, but only after meeting certain criteria. "The schools must have electricity, proper security and promising matric results," says Mphaho.
Govt involvement
The Department of Science and Technology almost implemented a similar campaign two years ago, but the duplication was soon realised and the department has subsequently joined forces with Vision 2015.
This has led to government involvement in the ongoing implementation of refurbished computers in three municipalities in Limpopo through the project, Mphaho says.
Before the conception of Vision 2015, Kabela High School benefited from the idea, receiving 20 refurbished computers from Presley Information Technologies in 1994. The handover was publicised on the SABC show Zola 7.
Due to the exposure created by the programme, Vision 2015 was born. Presley Information Technologies now hopes to repeat this success by securing a sponsor for an SABC TV series, which will cover the handover of computers at schools across the country.
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