As part of its ongoing sustainability programme, IT asset disposition company Xperien has partnered with the Wiltons Foundation to help schools, particularly in rural areas across SA, empower their pupils with digital literacy.
The organisations are on a mission to donate computers and electronics to schools around the country, having recently started with computers donated to Masakhane Combined School in Mpumalanga, with more schools to follow.
The partnership aims to create spaces where innovation and creativity can be unleashed through access to digital tools and digital skills.
According to a statement, the Wiltons Foundation is an NGO that is experienced in managing international partnerships and on-the-ground community and capacity-building projects, including school upgrades.
It has collaborated with various organisations in rural communities in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, to upgrade their schools.
Wiltons Foundation director Katy Wilton Martins explains: "We're grateful for and proud of the invaluable partnership with Xperien and the opportunity to be part of the circular economy.
“The computers were received by the school management team with such excitement and gratitude, and they wasted no time in setting them up. We got to share in the excitement of the kids discovering and exploring an online learning support programme. I was amazed at their agility.”
Martins says it was the pupils’ first exposure to laptops and interactive learning. “They were totally captivated and didn’t want to leave school on a Friday afternoon and this is exactly what we are trying to achieve.”
Xperien CEO Wale Arewa adds: “This initiative strives to transform communities by building capacity, encouraging and motivating, and ultimately, instilling a sense of hope and purpose. Our refurbished electronics are ideal for schools, learning centres and CSI programmes.
“We see a growing number of companies entering the circular economy. Annually, Xperien‘s ISO-accredited IT refurbishment factory, CRS WORX, processes more than 30 000 tier one laptops, desktops and servers manufactured by Dell, HP and Lenovo. In addition, we distribute CRS equipment to the retail trade with a 12-month warranty,” says Arewa.
According to the Development Bank of Southern Africa, poor infrastructure and resources are serious obstacles in the development of communities, advancing educational goals and economic progress.
In a 2020 report, Amnesty International highlighted the desperate state of public schools in SA, with poor infrastructure, sanitation and resources perpetuating the cycle of poverty, inequality and underperformance, and infringing on the right to education and the health and safety of learners and educators alike.
“School environments can help or hinder learning and teaching. The right to quality education includes schools where learners are safe and have adequate infrastructure, facilities and resources,” Martins concludes.
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