Zandspruit community benefits on World Telecommunications Day
19 May 2010
On World Telecommunications and Information Society Day, on 17 May 2010, a range of exciting activities were provided for the community of Zandspruit (one of Johannesburg’s largest informal settlements) in partnership with Monash South Africa and Telkom SA .
The aim of the event was to promote the benefits of various information and communication technologies within the Zandspruit community by offering a range of free activities including: a CV creation and printing workshop; scanning of personal documents;
internet access and email address setup; a Wikipedia quiz competition on the ‘Digital Doorway’; website setup demonstrations and a Telkom career and bursary desk.
The event was held at Emthonjeni Community Centre in Zandspruit, and was attended by about 100 children, youth and adults from the surrounding community.
“The majority of high school students and adults at the event had never used email or created a CV before, so this was their first engagement with a digital world that many of us take for granted,” said Paul Platinga from the School of Information Technology at Monash South Africa.
A presentation by Mpho Matete from Telkom's Graduate and Student Development division, outlined what a career in the telecommunications sector involves, the necessary qualifications, and the bursary application process for grade 12 learners.
Maureen Schneeman, Counselor for Ward 100, visited the event and expressed her support and said she welcomed any initiatives that promote the development of the community through affordable and equitable access to knowledge. |
