Bringing Technology to Rural schools in Zimbabwe

Thank you so much for your continued support of our Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) project. This project is at the heart of our organization and is our strategy for bridging the digital divide that exists between rural and urban schools. More than 75% of Zimbabwe's 16 million population lives in the underserved rural areas where there is limited access to technology because development is disproportionately concentrated in urban areas. As a result, rural schools in Zimbabwe are operating on shoestring budgets. Unlike urban schools which have integrated ICT in their curriculum, the majority of the rural schools cannot offer computer training because they don’t even have computers and the teachers lack computer skills. Even though there are a few rural schools that offer computer training, the quality of education is very low due to lack of equipement. An example is Rimbi High school, the student-to-computer ratio is 1,200 students to 20 computers.

Unfortunately, the majority of the students who graduate from the rural high schools have no computer skills. Yet after high school, over 70% of the students drop out of school due to poverty and they end up going to the urban areas to look for jobs. This is quite a challenge since they are ill-prepared to enter the work force due to lack of skills; unlike their urban counter parts who have computer skills. This digital divide is severely disadvantaging a whole generation of children growing up in the rural areas. This project aims to provide rural students with the skills essential for the 21st century that will place them on a level playing field to better compete for jobs.

Our strategy for addressing the digital divide that exists between rural and urban schools is to offer train-the-trainer workshops with the aim to build the ICT capacity of rural teachers. Once the teachers have acquired the necessary ICT skills they will be in a position to integrate ICT in the teaching process. 

Here are some of the highlights of what we have accomplished together:

• Provided VSAT Satelitte Internet Acess to Rimbi High School 
• Donated 5 laptops
• Donated desktops 
• Provided computer training workshops to 25 teachers

This project is a big success! Here is what some of the teachers at Rimbi High school had to say:

In His Own Words By One Of The Teachers Regarding Internet Access At Rimbi High School

"We would like to register our utmost appreciation to the donors for bringing this state of the art technology to our school. We used to be a school indeed just like other schools. On behalf of Rimbi school we feel humbled that from now onwards our school has the most advanved technology in the Sabi valley area. There is no other school in the valley with such technology. Our school is now in par with urban schools. Now that we are at par with other schools in the country there should be no excuse for mediocrity and below par performance."

In His Own Words - Special Thanks To You For Internet Access From Another Teacher

"It is quite a great pleasure to have this technology at our school, I will never cease to rejoice .I will never cease singing the AMAZING GRACE OF GOD. Thank you Tekeshe Foundation. Please extend my gratitude to our freinds who are out there who help us in several unparalled ways. They are are precious to us.

At a personal level, I am now a different teacher, my future academic prospects have been brittened by this . I wish to do my post graduate studies as soon as I get the opportunity. This technology will be instrumental in that endeavour. I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN. I WROTE THIS LETTER USING THE FACILITY, IT IS OWESOME TECHNOLOGY!
Yours sincerely
Matende"

Even though we have made a lot of progress in our effort to bridge the digital gap there is still a lot of work to do. Here is what we aim to accomplish together this year:

2018 Goals

• Provide basic computer training to 100 teachers. They will receive training on how to use use Microsoft Applications (Word, Excel & Power Point)
• Upgrade the VSAT satelite system at Rimbi High in order to increase the bandwidth and connect more computers to the internet
• Provide more desktops and laptops 
• Long term goal: Setup a community ICT center in Rimbi village so that the entire community can have access to computers 

As you can see we have accomplished a lot. These accomplishments would not have been possible without your help. Thank you so much for the major role you are playing in transforming the lives of rural teachers and students!

Best wishes,

Thelma

Thank you so much for your continued support of this project. This project is at the heart of our organization and is our strategy for bridging the digital divide that exists between urban and rural schools in Zimbabwe. Rural schools in Zimbabwe are struggling to stay afloat on finite budgets. The majority of the schools dont have electricity and they cannot afford computers and the internet. Lack of basic infrastructure makes rural schools less attractive to most teachers. Unlike urban schools which have teachers with computer skills and have integrated ICT in their curriculum, most rural teachers have no computer skills. As a result rural schools are lagging behind as they are not able to harness computer technology for the purpose of teaching and learning. This ICT gap is creating a digital divide that is severely disadvantaging community development in the underserved rural areas as the teachers and students lack the necessary ICT skills to enable them to participate in today’s highly digitalized world.

After high school, over 70% of rural students drop out of school due to poverty and they end up going to the urban areas to look for jobs yet they are ill-prepared to enter the work force because they have no skills; unlike their urban counter parts who have computer skills. The ultimate goal of this project is to provide the students with the skills essential for the 21st century that will increase their employability skills and place them on a level playing field to better compete for jobs.

To address this digital divide, we have been offering basic computer training workshops to teachers in Rimbi village. We adopted the train-the-trainer first approach in order to build the technological capacity of rural teachers. Because of your help we have seen dramatic improvements with twenty five teachers gaining basic computer skills and Microsoft Office experience. We also brought internet connectivity to Rimbi High school and donated laptops to teachers. Here is what one of the teachers who attended the capacity building workshops had to say:

In His Own Words From Muhehi
"We benefited a lot from the computer literacy workshops. I am one of the recipients of the laptops donated by the Tekeshe Foundation. I am very thankful for the program. I am now enrolled in a Masters program. I wanted you to know that the computer literacy workshops you provided helpled me so much throughout my first degree."

Phase I of the ICT project was a big success! To date 25 teachers attended the computer literacy workshops.  We are now in phase II. During this phase, The Tekeshe Foundation aims to establish an ICT hub in Rimbi village that will serve as a community technology center where teachers, students and the entire community can learn ICT skills and have access to computers & the internet.

 As you can see from the attached pictures, we have started offering basic computer training through our Youth Program.

2017 - 2018 Goals and Objectives:

• Establish an ICT community center equipped with 25 computers 
• Install VSAT satellite dish with 1Mbps and 60 GB data allowance and have internet connectivity at Rimbi community ICT center 
• 500 students from 5 schools are able to search for information on the internet by end of May 2018
• Increase in students’ academic performance as a result of their access to the internet and its vast educational benefits
• 100 teachers come to the center to use the internet 

Budget Break Down

25 HP 500B (Refurbished)Computers @ $350 each $8,750.00
VSAT Satellite Installation                                              $886.00
Internet Service - $136 per month for 12 months         $1632.00
TOTAL                                                                       $11,268.00

Thank you so much for making a difference in the lives of rural teachers and students!

Best wishes,

Thelma