Dstv goes to school

A number of initiatives are currently taking shape in Zambia, hot off the press! Is the Dstv goes to school project. With partnership with Multi choice Zambia, SchoolNet Zambia will work towards integrating ICTs in the school curriculum. Multi Choice Zambia will provide equipment such as the full Dstv sets and smart cards to over 200 schools in the country over the next 2-3 years. Installations have already taken place in a number of schools; namely Matero Boys, Roma Girls etc.

SchoolNet Zambia with Multi Choice Zambia will at the need of July 2020 be conducting a 2 day workshop for teachers, school Administrators, government officials and other stakeholders that will aim to:

• introduce the Dstv goes to school programme
• Conduct basic training in the use of Dstv equipment in schools
• Training on how to implement and integrate ICTs in school curricula using Dstv technology.
• Lobby the active participation of stakeholders in the use of ICTs in Education.

Computer Refurbishment Center

Under the One million computers for African Schools campaign, Zambia has been selected to be one of the first countries to take part in this project. The project will see the establishment of a computer refurbishment Center to receive donated computers from donors, refurbish them in readiness for shipping into schools. This center will also ensure that the quality of computers that is going into schools is of the type that can be of useful and meets a prescribed specification standard for all SchoolNet Zambia e.g. Pentium II

The Campaign has also seem a training of Computer Service Managers, this online and face to face training will run from June to September 2020 and is interjected by a face to face training in Johannesburg South Africa in July. This is a very comprehensive course that includes:

1. Securing funding and second hand computers
2. Creating partnerships
3. Establishing Technical centers
4. shipping computers to the Technical centers and distribution to schools
5. Managing service centers
6. Training of teachers and school Administrators
7. Developing a business plan
8. Running an effective call Center.
9. Environmentally friendly disposal of computer equipment

This training will culminate in the development of a business plan and ultimately the sustainable establishment of a Technical Service Center. Zambia is being represented by 4 people on the training program. While this programme gains momentum, a task team is busy working on a feasibility study on the operations of the Technical Center in Zambia.

Think Quest Africa

The annual TQA challenge has been just that, in its first year in Zambia, it has not gone as planned, largely due to a host of reasons and most have been highlighted in the report. It has been a learning process and one that we hopefully can improve up next year.

Author: Chilufya Musosha (Interim Coordinator – SchoolNet Zambia and Co – Trainer Technical Service Center Managers Course)