Bringing Technology to Rural schools in Zimbabwe

Dear Friends,

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to you for your continued support of our Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) project. This project is our strategy for bridging the digital divide that exists between the rural and urban schools.  We've accomplished a lot along the way—thanks to your help!. Here are some highlights.

1. Twenty Five Primary and Secondary School Teachers Received Basic Computer Training
To date we worked in collaboration with our in-country partner,  Computers for Zimbabwean Schools (CzWS) to conduct six ICT workshops at Rimbi High school. The workshops have been a great eye opener to show the teachers that the era of black boards and chalks is over and to introduce to them the 21st century tools for teaching. We are pleased to announce that this project is a big success. To date, twenty five primary and secondary school teachers have received basic computer training including word processing, spreadsheet processing and presentation package training. The teachers found the workshops very beneficial and they requested to have more training. Here is what some of the teachers who attented the workshops had say:

"I am now able to embolden text. I am also able to underline text as well as to use italics. I am also fascinated by the ability of the text to appear in different colours. "

"I am benefitting so much through this programme since I was at ‘zero’ as far as Computer Literacy is concerned.  I was even shy to be associated with computers since I couldn’t even turn a computer on.  I am very thankful for Mr Mupinda, the instructor. He has taught us a lot within a short space of time.
Microsoft Word – I am now able to type any document and can insert any symbols I want with ease.  He also taught us Microsoft Excel which is a very useful tool in teaching.  The summation in particular was so interesting, using average and the copying of formulas was just magical!"

2. Five Teachers Received Laptops

Though this project is a big success one of the challenges is that the teachers have limited access to computers. To address this problem we made an arrangement with CsWS to provide us refurbished laptops at a discounted price of $220 per laptop. The teachers will pay $50.00 while the Tekeshe foundation covers the rest of the cost. To date we  purchased five laptops for the teachers. 

3. We Brought The Internet to 1,000 Students At Rimbi High School
Our biggest accomplishment this year was seeing our vision of  "BRINGING THE INTERNET TO RURAL SCHOOLS" become a reality. On  September 8, 2014 TELONE installed VSAT satelitte at Rimbi High School.  Here is what one of the teachers and the head boy had to say:

In His Own Words By One Of The Teachers 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 By The Rimbi High School Head Boy
"We are very pleased to have such a facility at our school. We are very grateful to you the donors. From now onwards the pass rate at our school will improve because we will be able to get information from the internet. We continue to look to you to help advance our school. Thank you so much!"

Goals for 2015 - 2016
1. Provide internet access to Rimbi Primary school.  
2. Provide computer training to 100 teachers by end of 2015
4. Provide laptops to 50 teachers by end of 2015

As you can see we have accomplished a lot. These accomplishments would not have been possible without your support. Through your donations you are playing a major role in tranforming the lives of rural teachers and students!.

May you have a very happy and prosperous 2015!

Best wishes,

Thelma

Dear Friends,

I would like to express my profound gratitude to you for your continued support of our ICT project.  I am pleased to announce that our vision of  "BRINGING THE INTERNET TO RURAL SCHOOLS" has become a reality!  September 8, 2014 marked a great milestone in the history of the Tekeshe Foundation as students, teachers and community leaders gathered to witness TELONE install VSAT satelitte at Rimbi High School. It was a day of great jubilation as TELONE technicians announced , "We finally managed to get it working! "

As I mentioned in one of my previous reports, Rimbi is an underserved rural village located in Chipinge district in the southen part of Zimbabwe. Rural schools are faced with so many challenges. Class rooms are in disrepair, teachers dont have proper tools for teaching and the schools dont have the funds to buy computers. Lack of access to computers and the internet has created a digital divide between urban and rural schools which is severely disadvantaging a whole generation of youth growing up in the rural areas.  Bringing internet access to Rimbi High school opens a world of opportunities and creates a level playing field for the teachers and students.

Rimbi community, the students and the teachers are grateful to you for bringing the internet to Rimbi. The following is an excerpt from the first email sent from the village by the head master and  faculty of Rimbi High School.

In their Own Words - Special Thanks To You  

On behalf of Rimbi High School staff, students, School development Committee, Rimbi community and all other stakeholders, I wish to register profound gratitude for the provision of this vital facility - the very facility we have used to write this email.

Equipped with such a facility, teachers and students can access vital information to bolster up the school`s pass rates at both O and A`level, thereby improving the quality of our products.

We are hugely appreciative of the facility that keeps us abreast of modern technology and closes the digital divide between Rural and Urban schools.  We continue to bank on your immense support for which we are eternally
grateful. We want to assure you that the facility will get our utmost care.

Yours faithfully
Mundeta ( Rimbi High School Head), Mlambo ( Rimbi High School SDC chairperson) & Matende ( Rimbi High School Teacher Internet Project Coordinator)

In His Own Words - Special Thanks To You  From One of the Teachers

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

Thanks again for your support. We still have a long way to go. Our goal this year is to provide laptops to 50 teachers. I thank you in advance for helping us meet our goal.

Best wishes,

Thelma