Digital Partnership takes technology to poor South African schools
07/24/02 - Digital Divide network

TAKING TECHNOLOGY TO POOR SCHOOLS
The Digital Partnership, an initiative formed by the UK-based International Business Leaders Forum, aims to equip South African schools with computers decommissioned by some of the world's largest companies. South Africa was chosen as the pilot country because of its infrastructure and government commitment to IT. This week the first E-Learning Resource Center was opened in Soweto. The center, which will serve as a lab for six local schools too small to justify a lab of their own, will be used to train the teachers, who may be less computer literate than the children they are about to educate. "Bringing computers to disadvantaged communities isn't innovative," said Digital Partnership's founder, Roger Davies. "But too often centers are set up with just the hardware. They only work if you have the hardware, software, networks, support and training to make them sustainable. "The Digital Partnership aims to set up at least one training center in each province and install 3000 internet-enabled PCs in schools by the end of this year.

Issues: Accessibility issues, International issues, Hardware/software donations and Refurbishing, K-12 education, Corporate activities, Funding or in-kind contributions to other digital divide efforts, Africa

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