Donations are 'dumping in disguise'

By Leon Engelbrecht for Intel
Johannesburg, 07 Aug 2007

South African companies often donate old computer equipment to schools and charities in the name of social responsibility, but very often this is dumping in disguise, according to Intel.

"While donating a number of spare PCs to a school may be seen as altruistic, few schools have the resources to actually use these donations effectively, with the end result usually being a stack of unused PCs gathering dust in a corner," says Intel country manager Devan Naidoo.

"This approach is fragmented, expensive, limits the developmental impact and sustainability of the project and creates a management nightmare for the education department. In addition, without adherence to certain standards, recipients usually end up with a hodgepodge of IT equipment of varying age, capability and usability," Naidoo adds. The end results are delays in the deployment of ICT in schools in the country.

More worthwhile

A more worthwhile endeavour, says Naidoo, is what he calls collaborative corporate social investment. An example of this was last week's launch of the Classmate PC, which saw the Gauteng Education Department partnering with an Intel-led consortium to roll-out a complete end-to-end solution.

Naidoo says this encompasses all aspects of ICT and education, from the hardware, connectivity and educational content, all the way to providing teachers with the training to gain the most benefit from the solution.

In addition to Intel, the consortium consists of D-Link, EMS Industrial, IBM, LearnThings Africa, Microsoft, Mindset, Pinnacle Micro and the Telkom Foundation.

The key to a collaborative CSI is to take a holistic approach. Instead of a single company trying to shoulder the responsibility alone, the collaborative approach sees a group of companies, each able to donate something of value, working in conjunction with the government. This will create a solution that fits into the government's plans for education, as well as meet the needs of the community as a whole, says Naidoo.

"A co-ordinated programme provides benefits for all role players," he adds. "The education department is able to lay down guidelines and standards for donations and to co-ordinate these donations in line with its own plans and policies for education.

"Donor companies gain recognition from the government for their efforts, obtain bragging rights while at the same time ensuring their efforts remain cost-effective and efficient; and the recipient schools gain an ICT infrastructure that supports a teaching and learning environment that is sustainable and has impact.

"While most companies recognise the need for social investment, it is important for them to recognise they need to join forces with their peers, as well as the relevant government departments if they are to make a real difference," the Intel chief adds.

Lenhle Daka, IBM SA's executive for government relations and BEE, adds: "[The] Classmate PC project practically demonstrates what level of innovation can be attained when we partner as industry stakeholders with the government to improve education in our schools.

"Importantly, this project is aligned to our strategic objective of using technology as an enabler of education," he adds. "At the same time, it will help steer the youth towards technology and engineering fields, as we develop high-quality, technical skills which are crucial to growing SA's economy and ensuring we are globally competitive."