Gauteng Department of e-Government visited the Eastrand School of Arts in Daveyton to open a computer lab in celebration of Mandela Day on the 18th of July 2023.
The opening of the computer lab at the school comes after the department was made aware of the non-functioning of the lab due to a lack of resources such as furniture and computers stolen from the school. The department then committed to providing the needed computers and furniture to restore the lab.
The computer lab is provided with the department’s free WIFI called Gauteng Provincial Network to provide connectivity and make the process of learning and teaching easier.
HOD Cyril Baloyi of the e-Government mentioned that Mandela Day is an important day in our national history because as we remember our Icon, Anti-apartheid Activist and Former President of our country, the late Nelson Mandela, we are challenged to go beyond our call of duty and help one another.
“After our last visit during the youth tech expo we were made aware of the dire situation of the lab in the school, We then took it upon ourselves with the help of our partners to restore that which was stolen so that the school’s computer lab can go back to being operational. It is within the best interest of the department to also contribute to the Gauteng Provincial Government by ensuring that our schools are equipped with all the resources needed to provide the best education for our learners,” said Baloyi.
“We came here today to the school to fulfil our promise of donating furniture as part of our contribution to the project of refurbishing the school lab,” said Stanley Rabasotho, EOH’s group head of the public sector.
“In the company, we have a transformation team that covers a lot of Socioeconomic issues, especially around maths and science and skills development for young people. We got involved in this programme when we started last year across all the five regions because it talks to our strategy as an organisation.”
The SGB chairperson of the school, Nomsa Ndaba mentioned that she is happy for the school to get the donations.
“My role in the school is to be an overseer of some of the things and be hands-on in any operations in the school and we were in dire need of the lab. Our kids will acquire technology skills and be more advanced.
“We are a School of Arts so, there is a lot to learn with the computers,” she ended
By Simphiwe Nkosi