Seventeen May marked World Telecommunication Day, the day that saw the founding of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865.
World Telecommunication Day has been celebrated annually since 1965 and in November 2005, the World Summit on the Information Society called on the United Nations General Assembly to declare 17 May as World Information Society Day to focus on ICT-related issues.
The theme this year, as declared by the ITU, is "Connecting the Young", because ICT plays such a central role in the development of young people across the globe and in many remote areas where the youth does not have access to ICT facilities.
In South Africa, the Director General of the Department of Communication has declared the month of May as Word Information Society month, to raise awareness about ICT innovations, as well as to promote ICT as a tool for economic and social development, especially among the youth, disabled and women.
In the same vein, Telkom, through the Telkom Foundation, has developed a number of projects that focus on the roll-out of ICT infrastructure in schools, especially in remote and previously disadvantaged communities.
"Telkom has connected the South African youth through a range of programmes and projects. This entails the provisioning of networked computer laboratories with Internet access, equipment maintenance and the training of learners and educators," says Nkhetheleng Vokwana, CEO of the Telkom Foundation.
She added that the Foundation has equipped 650 schools, 10 community centres and 30 special schools with ICT infrastructure over recent years. This has been achieved through a number of the Foundation projects, including the adopt-a-project initiative, which involves Telkom top management in the Companies Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
"It is important that there is a focus on encouraging the use of ICTs among the youth, especially youth from disadvantaged communities. Without having competencies in ICT, one will be at a disadvantage as our global village is technologically driven," says Vokwana.
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