Basebenzisa ubuchwepheshe ukuzama ukuvala igebe phakathi kwabafundi abadla izambane likapondo nabadla imbuya ngothi. USLINDILE KHANYILE uyabika
NGESIKHATHI izwe livaliwe ukuzama ukunqanda ukubhebhetheka kweCOVID-19 igebe phakathi kwabafundi abami kahle nalabo abaswele lihlale obala njengoba kulabo abasezikoleni ezimi kahle kube lula ukuthi bashintshe indlela abafunda ngayo besebenzisa ubuchwepheshe besimanjemanje kanti kulabo abantulayo kube wumzukuzuku abaningi bagcina bengafundanga.
Yilo kanye leli gebe inkampani engenzi inzuzo, i-iSchoolAfrica, ngokubambisana nomqwalizintaba, ezama ukulivala njengoba inomkhankaso wokwakha imitapo yolwazi esebenza ngobuchwepheshe ezweni lonke nokuzodla uR1 million.
UNksz uSaray Khumalo, owaqopha umlando ngokuba ngowesifazane omnyama wokuqala ukuqwala intaba ende kunazo zonke emhlabeni iMt Everest, usebenzisana ne-iSchoolAfrica kulo mkhankaso abathemba ukuthi uzokwenza bakwazi ukwakha umtapo wolwazi owodwa esifundazweni ngasinye. Kuzokhethwa isikole esisemakhaya noma elokishini.
UNksz uKhumalo uthe: “Sengikwazile ukuthola imali yomtapo wolwazi wokuqala futhi wona sizowunikela ngomhlaka-15 Okthoba eHanani Primary eMpumalanga. Kuvele kukhona imitapoy olwazi emihlanu ebesengike ngasiza ukuthi yakhiwe phambilini kodwa leyo bekuyilena okuyizakhiwo zesitini. Manje izikhathi zishintshile, kumele abantwana bathole lawo makhono ahambisana nesikhathi samanje.”
Umtapo wolwazi ngamunye uzobiza uR160 000 kuya kuR200 000. UNksz uKhumalo, okhulele eDRC nosebenza embonini yezezimali, uthe uyakholelwa kakhulu ekutheni ezemfundo ziyakwazi ukwenza abantu balingane uma kuyimfundo esezingeni elifanele; yingakho ekholwa wukuthi kumqoka ukuthi uma sekufundiswa ngobuchwepheshe kungafanele kube khona izingane ezizosala.
“Ngikhule ekhaya nodadewethu siyisikhombisa. Sikhuliswe wumama, eyedwa elekelelwa wugogo nomkhulu. Umama wasigqugquzela ukuthi asifunde. Wayengeke akunike imali yokuthenga umswenko, kodwa okuthinta isikole wayekunika. Uma ufundile, ukwazi ukwenza izinto eziningi futhi usuke uyitshale kahle imali yakho uma ufunda,” kusho yena.
Selokhu yaqala i-iSchoolAfrica umsebenzi wayo ngo-2009 isisize izikole eziwu-240, abafundi abawu-100 000 futhi yaqeqesha nothisha abawu-3000. Ifakela izikole amagumbi anama-iPad asuke esefakwe izifundo ezihlukene nezinye izinsiza zabafundi.
UNksz uMichelle Lissoos, umqondisi we-iSchoolAfrica, uthe kulo mkhankaso abawenza noNksz uKhumalo bazogxila kakhulu ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi ngoba kumqoka ukuthi izingane zithole isisekelo esihle.
“Asikwazi ukuthi singalokhu sibeka izaba ngezinselelo ezikhona ezweni, kunalokho kumele siqhamuke nezixazululo. Ngoba siyazi ukuthi ezweni lethu kukhona izindawo lapho kunezinkinga zengqalasizinda, ukubiza kwe-data nokungadonsi kahle kobuchwepheshe, thina sihambisa ama-iPad asuke esefakiwe ulwazi okungadingi i–data ukuze ufunde,” kusho yena.
Mhla ka-25 ku-Okthoba uNksz uKhumalo uzozama ukuqopha irekhodi lomhlaba ngokushova ibhayisikili amahora ayisishiyagalombili ngaphandle kokuphumula nokuyiyona ndlela athemba ukuthi uzohlanganisa ngayo enye imali ezoqedela lo msebenzi kwezinye izifundazwe.