An information technology (IT) centre called IT-Mania is now open in Alicedale to equip community memberswith computer skills that may help them to enter the job market.
A volunteer student fromSwitzerland, Benjamin Mueller, took the initiative to ensure that the promise of an IT centre for the Alicedale community was fulfilled.
An information technology (IT) centre called IT-Mania is now open in Alicedale to equip community memberswith computer skills that may help them to enter the job market.
A volunteer student fromSwitzerland, Benjamin Mueller, took the initiative to ensure that the promise of an IT centre for the Alicedale community was fulfilled.
“This course will give them some sort of competitive edge,” Mueller said. “Working a computer can be a basic prerequisite for getting a job.”
The centre has been open for just over a week and held its launch party last week Monday. Alicedale is a small town which is home to just under 5 000 people.
It has a high unemployment rate, with more than two-thirds of its population jobless. The project was developed in conjunction with the Siyaziphakamisa Youth and Development Programme in Alicedale. Various organisations contributed to the launch of this project.
The Alicedale Development Fund provided bursaries for two members of the community, Gabriel Dennis and Thando Lwethu,to become teachers at ITMania. They were trained in IT literacy and basic technical IT at the Hilltop Empowerment Centre in King William’s Town.
This centre also issues the certificates that are awarded to participants at the end of a six-month course. Mueller described himself as the “enabler” of this project.
He said that it took many years to get off the ground. These problems included gathering funds and encouraging all sectors to support the aims of a project that was not necessarily geared towards profitmaking.
The launch took place at the Malibongwe Centre where the classes are held. The launch was attended by prominent members of the Alicedale community and the facilitators of the project. Mueller opened the launch by praising the teachers.
“I am glad that against all odds we have managed to open something beneficial to the community,” he said. “I’ve been here for five months and along the way I lost some of my enthusiasm; but now I’m glad to see that [the centre]has opened.
We’ve managed to give two young men employment.” He added that Dennis and Lwethu could be proud of their effort in facilitating this project. Both teachers thanked Mueller for his “energy and drive”.
Dennis added that he felt fortunate to have attended the training course in King William’s Town, especially as “there is a demand for computer literacy worldwide”. The long-term aspiration of is to open an Internet café in Alicedale.
There are 10 computers available for participants to use. Classes are held in the mornings and afternoons to accommodate the 30 students that have signed up.
Course instruction is in English, but the teachers are also able to instruct in Afrikaans and isiXhosa The first classes started on Monday 15 February.
Each class starts with an introduction to computers and participants begin with learning how to type. “This is so that they can familiarise themselves with the keyboard and the mouse,” Dennis explained. The programme consists of two modules.
In the first module the trainees will learn computer programmes such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel and will be taught how to access email and the internet.
The second module focuses on the technical side of computers, which involves finding solutions to hardware and networking problems.
