Page 53 - World Airnews September 2020 Edition

FEATURE FEATURE

One of our first programmes was in girls a fee for simple computing tasks. we see them sharing their newfound ICT

TRAINING THE TEACHERS Ethiopia, where 25 primary schools across South Africa, and with 14 graduates to skills with their colleagues.
“We also support degree students in
the Amhara region each received 20 com-
puters, together with headsets, speakers, date, we’re really happy with the outcome. PERSONAL INVOLVMENT
a projector and a RaspberryPi loaded with There’s another seven or eight due to “It has been such an honour to work in
graduate soon, all in subjects that align to

Africa’s air transport industry is set for rapid growth over the next educational content. our industry, like aeronautical engineering this field. Receiving feedback from the

communities as well as the invaluable
“This year, we funded the training of

decade. To support this increase, a new generation of skilled eight members of the Bureau of Educa- or information systems. support from the SITA Council has been
To date, we estimate the Foundation has
wonderful to witness.

employees will be essential. And with half the population aged tion in six modules of the international positively impacted over 84,000 students “I am always absolutely thrilled when I see

computer driving licence certificate (ICDL).

19 years or under, there is a wealth of opportunity and potential. They will be critical during the next phase - and it’s a really positive thing to note, tangible results, which is what it’s all about
particularly in Africa, that over half of these

for me.
of this project which will see them training

“We take our corporate social responsi-
Through SITA’s Air Transport Community Foundation, the a further 75 teachers at the 25 schools are girls. Our foundation is closely aligned to bility work very seriously, a lot of the time
the UN Sustainable Development Goals of

where SITA has created the necessary ICT
company is working hard to provide computer training and faciliti es. it is through collaboration with partners

“The initiative has established the de-
education for young people in Africa. partment of education as the only active such as the Wits Foundation, PEAS and

Computer Aid that we are able to effective-

World Airnews editor Heidi Gibson spoke to Amber Harrison, ICDL training centre in the country and the ly implement our programmes.

“What’s more, we get to share our
Director of the Foundation first in the region of Amhara. It will raise experience - evaluate and adapt it - each
the level of skills among teachers as well as
in the country and the impact will be felt country is very different from the next and

over the long term. we are constantly assessing the long term
In Uganda we support projects work- impact.

ing closely with our partner, Promoting “I garner a tremendous sense of worth
Equality in African Schools, or PEAS for from the success stories that we are
short. Here we are making an investment helping to create - like the student from

into providing new equipment to already the DRC whose Aeronautical Engineering
established ICT suites at schools that pro- degree we helped to fund.

vide training for teachers. In addition, we “He has now graduated and has set up
are building classrooms and providing an programmes for drone development, and
ICT suite at a fourth school that will provide is encouraging and teaching young people
valuable access to computing skills for both in this area. It’s an incredibly inspiring

teachers and students. Amber Harrison outcome.
“Two years ago we started working in “It is a huge privilege to be part of this
Zambia, and in Zimbabwe the year before Quality Education and Gender Equality, and and to help in delivering hope to these

that where we work with secondary and girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineer- young people that will hopefully one day

tertiary level students. In Zimbabwe an ing and Maths) is a focus area for SITA. support the growth of the air transport
eClass project established computer labo- “One of the key components of our suc- industry on the continent.

ratories in nine primary schools, one sec- cess is the fact that we set the projects up
ondary school and a special needs school in so that the community takes ownership to AWARDS
Harare through a programme working with ensure long term sustainability. Where pos- The Foundation won silver in the Best
Computer Aid, World Links and the Com- sible, all contractors are sourced from the Foundation category of the Corporate
puter Society of Zimbabwe. These eClasses community so they too are invested in the Engagement Awards ceremony in June
are proving technology access to over 17 project and so social pride is engineered. this year.
000 students across 11 schools. “All the time we are teaching the teach- The awards celebrate organisations

“At a tertiary level - also in Zimbabwe

Our foundation is closely aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals of Quality Education and Gender - we provided 100 PCs for use by female ers and training them first. We involve that seek to do good in their communi-

Equality, and girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) is a focus area for SITA students at the University. We installed them so that they can see first hand the ties while simultaneously benefiting the

business itself. The Foundation has also

“However, connectivity is often a problem when providing them at a location where the girls were benefits of ICT in education - and we’ve been shortlisted for two further awards

these types of resources in Africa. able to freely access them after discovering seen that it helps them with their lesson for social impact, with judging taking

planning and school management too.

ITA founded in 1949 – having just celebrated its 70th “To this end, we have a little device called a RaspberryPi that that the boy students were charging the This often has a multiplier effect whereby place later in the year. Q

Sanniversary – has been present in Africa since 1955. Given provides access to 64 gigs of data by creating a virtual wireless

the long association with the continent and the challenges facing network. Through this the community can access all kinds of

the youth in Africa, the foundation recognised an opportunity relevant content from one little box. The device costs us about INNOVATION IN ACTION – INTRODUCING THE

RASPBERRY P CONNECT
to provide access to computer training and education for young (US) $100 and this way we don’t have problems with learners

downloading inappropriate content.
people in Africa. “A second challenge is operating within a changing political Internet access can be variable and costly, while online safe-

“One of the unique challenges we face is trying to find the right environment. You can be as keen as you want and have all the right ty is also an important consideration. The SITA Foundation

people with whom to partner on programmes like this. Each coun- resources, but without the right local support or country stability has taken a novel approach, and working with ComputerAId,
has adopted the use of Raspberry Pi Connect devices at 44

try in Africa is unique, and the level of ICT maturity is quite differ- you might be forced to delay your project.
ent. There are also many challenges in the changing digital world schools in Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

and we try to ensure we work with charities who recognise this. SUCCESS ACROSS AFRICA The Raspberry Pi creates a Wireless Access Network

The Foundation works with UK-based charities with a focus The Foundation has success stories in Uganda, Ethiopia, South (WAN) that enables wifi-enabled devices like mobiles or

on Africa, while on the ground we work closely with their local Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is amazing to see how much has PCs to connect to the 64GB of educational content stored
on it. The Connect contains Wikipedia for kids, geography,
providers or contractors. been achieved with a budget of (US) $1 million last year. history, maths, and animated science lessons, as well as

“We understand the importance of following the national ICT “Our approach is to work through non-governmental organisa- stories, games and a basic coding application. There’s no

curriculum and work with schools to complement this, always tions and their partners, where we know the relationships are safe. limit to the number of people who can access different

making sure that the equipment we provide is up to the job. An- Through experience we know these partners are the most reliable content at any one time, and it works to a range of around

other thing we have to consider is the availability and reliability and are a trusted source of information. They also share our goals - 100m. Q

of electricity, so we support solar programmes at several schools. which is important.
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