The Telkom Foundation has partnered with the Telkom Knockout to provide connectivity to selected under-privileged schools. Each of the 16 PSL teams competing in the Telkom Knockout Competition will nominate a school for the duration of the competition.
The chosen schools of the two teams that reach the final stage of the competition will receive a fully fledged computer lab to the value of R200 000, turning their place of learning into a ‘Connected School.’
A third school will be drawn from the remaining 14 team’s school nominations to also receive the same prize.
The prizes include 21 laptops, an interactive whiteboard and projector, Internet and WiFi connectivity for two years and education content and programmes and much more.
“We have a history of using the football sponsorship, such as the previous Telkom Charity Cup, as a catalyst for uplifting the communities. To this end our Foundation’s focus areas align to the Telkom Knockout theme of “connecting people” through football,” explains Telkom’s executive for brand, Joy Khaole.
“From a corporate citizenship perspective, this platform affords Telkom the opportunity to address education – a key challenge SA is grappling with currently,” she adds.
The “Connecting Schools” project aids Telkom’s mission to provide seamless connectivity that will help South Africans realise their dreams of more productive, rewarding and fulfilling lives.
Earlier this year the Telkom Foundation handed over of 300 tablets to six schools in Mpumalanga as part of its Connecting Schools Project. In September 2012, the Foundation delivered over 130 tablets with free Internet connectivity to schools in the Western Cape.
“The Telkom Foundation has been providing assistance to under-privileged and rural communities for the past 15 years. We are committed to giving learners from disadvantaged communities equal opportunities in education and leverage Telkom’s ICT expertise to make a visible difference in education,” says Sarah Mthintso, head of the Telkom Foundation.
“We believe the long-term prospects of our country hinges on the quality of our education system. We feel an obligation to prepare learners to one day excel in the knowledge economy,” she concludes.