Bridging the digital divide and bringing hope

On the dusty streets of Dikhatole, a township just east of Johannesburg, it's hard to find hope. Just outside the economic heart of South Africa there's no running water, no electricity and no formal housing. The people live cheek by jowl in tiny shacks that are erected wherever there's space. Young and old walk the streets aimlessly, seemingly resigned to their fate. They don't have jobs and without jobs there's little chance for a better existence. Some have matriculated and cannot afford tertiary education, others have little or no formal education. But all lack the skills and experience to find formal sector employment. The community is marginalised and poverty stricken with little or no basic service provision. It would likely remain so, were it not for an innovative initiative driven by the non-profit Organisation for Rehabilitation and Training (ORT). Recognising the extreme need of the people of Dikhatole, ORT has set about equipping members of the community with basic computer, internet and business skills. ORT approached the South African branches of Hewlett-Packard (HP), Microsoft and Macsteel with the idea of creating a learning centre, a place where the digital divide could be bridged and people could be equipped to compete in a fast changing world. The result was the birth in April this year of the Dikhatole Digital Village, the largest facility of its kind in the country with more than 90 internet enabled workstations. HP donated the computers and hardware needed to network the computers and connect to the internet, while Microsoft sponsored the software. The building which houses the training centre was loaned to the project by Macsteel, who renovated it and provide on-going infrastructure support. Despite this generosity, the project would be nowhere without the dedication of ORT's project manager, Sipho Kubeka. Kubeka told IRIN: "I know these people, I come from the same circumstances." He could be making a lot more money as an information technology (IT) consultant, but instead he has dedicated his time to making the digital village a success. The project is aimed at addressing unemployment and low incomes in the area. It will also address a lack of resources at local government level, by training councillors and council employees in basic information and communication technology (ICT) skills. Teachers in the area will also be trained to deliver ICT lessons to their primary and secondary school pupils. Computers will be donated to schools in the area for this purpose. It is envisaged that the project will last three years, and by then the community is expected to be trained and experienced enough to make the centre self-sufficient. Already all the trainers employed there are from the Dikhatole community. Kubeka said a training the trainers programme had allowed ORT to identify capable people to staff and manage the centre. IRIN visited the digital village and the township just two weeks into the course programme of the first batch of learners, or "delegates" as they are referred to at the centre. Since the launch of the centre in April, time has been spent selecting candidates from the community. Recruitment was not a problem, once word got out about the digital village. "During the open day for registration we had to close the gates [because there were so many people]," Kubeka said. Once selected the youngsters are grouped according to skills and levels of education. "Some of these guys matriculated five years ago but have been doing nothing since, but they have oomph! They are so dedicated, they grabbed this opportunity with both hands," he said. Each group has 44 delegates, and Kubeka aims to have 12 groups go through the programme by year's end. "From 22 July we start training the teachers in the afternoons. We'll also be training the local politicians, town councillors," Kubeka said. Around 540 women will be trained in basic internet use for networking and support, and in starting up and managing a small business. Each group goes through an intensive six week course that introduces them to computers and then familiarises them with operating systems, Windows, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Powerpoint, Outlook Express and the internet. Also thrown into the course are self-esteem and entrepreneurial skills seminars, as well as lessons on communication and presentation skills and CV writing. Kubeka said: "Employability is the guiding principle behind the course. During the course we are identifying the students who can be technical, and learn to do website design or programming, or have an aptitude for graphic design, so we can advance them at a later stage." There's no slacking for the delegates, as there's a test every Friday. Failure to perform to expectations means risking your place in whatever internships may come through the centre. Already, Kubeka has managed to find internships for six of the delegates, just two weeks into their training. "They'll be taken on as interns by the local government [town council]. A lot of the time [with similar projects] there's training but no follow-up with jobs so they don't gain experience," Kubeka said. There are plans to establish an internet cafe and desktop publishing centre in the nearby town of Germiston. "This will allow the trainees to utilise their skills and gain work experience, designing business cards, letterheads or providing technical support or secretarial services to the local businesses. They would work there on rotation," Kubeka said. The centre has now arranged free bread deliveries from the local Albany Bakery so that delegates could have some nutrition during the day. "Some of the delegates don't even have anything to wake up with, let alone food for lunch," he said. IRIN spoke to several delegates and trainers at the centre. Israel Sebekedi, a 28-year-old social sciences degree holder, with honours in public affairs and administration, has been unemployed for longer than he cares to remember, despite his qualifications. For the past few years he has been working with community organisations in Dikhatole. He had little hope of finding employment because "most jobs require that you be computer literate, which I was not". His ambition now is to become a computer programmer. Said Sebekedi: "To be here is for me, the best opportunity to advance myself, to have a career. After learning these computer skills I hope I will get a job." He had tried enrolling at a private computer training centre, but could not afford the R15,000 fee (US $1,551). Siyabonga Zikalala, just 21-years-old, has been living without his parents for the past four years. With a brother and sister at home, both unemployed, it fell on Siya's shoulders to provide through odd jobs as a driver's assistant and salesman in a clothing shop. "Apart from that I did nothing but apply for bursaries [since matriculating in 1997]. ORT has given me the opportunity to become computer literate, so that I can find a job and fund my studies to become a computer technician." Zolani Quvane, who is 27-years-old, is one of the trainers at the village. Also from Dikhatole, he had been chosen for training as a trainer because he had some exposure to ICT previously. He is studying human resource management through Technikon SA, a distance learning institution. He said: "My plan is to get my diploma and get a job in the human resources field, preferably in training and development. That's why I think my experience as a trainer here will help." Dikhatole, said Kubeka, means lost and found. For the beneficiaries of the ORT project, a new path out of misery and poverty has been opened.