Samsung Provides Technology Boost to Ambitious School

Enriching lives through technology

In keeping with Samsung’s aim to enrich lives through technology, the Masibambisane High School (MHS) in Delft, Cape Town has become the stage for an ambitious project intended to uplift the prospects of its scholars.

The Samsung Employees Volunteering Programme (SEVP) is exciting not only because it is the first of its kind in South Africa, but also for the difference it can make to the school and its learners. It stems from Samsung’s focus on investing in Africa through its technological leadership.

“As we are living in a digital era, any school, especially in previously disadvantaged areas, will benefit from hands-on experience with technology,” notes Pitso Kekana, Head of Public Affairs and Corporate Citizenship: Africa Regional Headquarters (RHQ) from Samsung South Africa.

“Learners now need to apply for university enrolment online; they need to be able to download information that is not readily available at school and this will only be possible if the learners understand how they can use technology,” he stresses.

Unfortunately, neither Masibambisane High School nor the township in which it is located have been able to fully benefit from living in a digital age and instead have to contend with serious challenges. While the school itself lacks resources with which to uplift the standard of learners’ performance and enhance the quality of teaching, the Delft region is also beset by a lack of jobs and opportunities. These factors prompted Samsung to choose the school as a deserving and relevant school for the SEVP.

Despite the difficulties with which it has to contend, the school still strives to offer academic excellence to its 1 256 students.

“We are grateful to have Samsung involved, as this project will assist us in enabling appropriate learning within this generation where technology is so prevalent,” explains Mr Boesman, the principal of Masibambisane High School. “While we are the only educational facility in this area which focuses on science, maths and technology, it is difficult for us to acquire the equipment needed, and thus we have limited resources to empower our learners with technological and scientific skills. This project will improve our learners’ performance and is going to make teaching much more effective and efficient,” he continues.

Running from the 26th of August until the 3rd of September 2016, the programme is set to see 30volunteers coming from Samsung South Korea, who will provide lessons in certain computer applications that are widely used and often critical in most modern businesses, including Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop. Additionally, students will be able to see e-commerce in action and experience first-hand how an online shopping portal can be established using wimix.com.

The Samsung Employees Volunteering Programme will go a step further, enabling students to not only see the inner workings of a smartphone, but also how these are repaired. Considering the proliferation of smartphones across the continent and the world at large, technical expertise in how to fix a damaged or broken phone is certain to remain an in-demand skill for the foreseeable future. It may also hold the key to enabling students to bridge from their school studies to gainful employment.

Kekana notes that gaining basic smartphone repair skills is an advantage, as it can be learned within a short space of time. “What will be encouraged is that the students continue to learn more to the point when they are accredited by Samsung or a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college that provides similar training. What we have realised from those who attend these sessions is that they are able to apply the knowledge in real life situations and create employment opportunities for themselves,” he elaborates.

“We need to acknowledge the fact that not every learner is academically minded. Those in grade eight and grade nine need to be empowered with life skills so that they can be responsible citizens and prepared for the working world,” adds Boesman.

While Masibambisane High School will undoubtedly benefit in the short term, the initiative is also intended as a pilot project, with its success serving as the basis for similar initiatives being launched in other areas.

“Apart from helping Masibambisane High School and its learners by actively demonstrating the positive effect that technology can have on their lives, we believe the initiative will also contribute to the community as a whole. This is of paramount importance to Samsung,” concludes Kekana.