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| | NEPAD e-schools Africa Initiative |
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Addressing the digital divide, the lack of ICT skills and access to e-learning in Africa, is a prime concern to Fujitsu Siemens Computers, and the focus of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) e-schools initiative. This pan-African initiative, launched in 2005 by South African President Thabo Mbeki, is targeting more than half-a-million schools on the continent with the aim of improving the provision of education in schools and equipping the population with ICT skills. It includes teaching proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, Internet browsing, presentation tools and graphics. A further objective of the initiative is to make every learner health literate. It will have far-reaching consequences for the future development of African society.
Fujitsu Siemens Computers role has included the donation of SCENIC and ESPRIMO PCs to schools participating in the first phase of the NEPAD program. Together with other partners such as Oracle and Microsoft the company has helped to pilot the initiative in 24 schools across 10 countries on the continent, including Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria, with contributions worth around €500,000 in the pilot phase.
Speaking about the company's involvement in the initiative back in 2005, South Africa Managing Director Mark Wilson said, "Education is empowerment, and I believe it is a privilege for us to be able to contribute to this process and help bridge Africa’s digital divide. After all, it is technology that spans the chasm between the first and third world, and by providing high quality, reliable technology solutions, we are promoting education, knowledge and opportunities, allowing learners to be exposed to the vast range of options that should be open to them."
Further roll out of the initial phase is expected with a target of upgrading an estimated 600,000 schools within 10 years.
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