Social development

Building digital bridges in the Cape

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11 January 2009

International telecoms equipment manufacturer Alcatel-Lucent has partnered with the Telkom Foundation to establish an e-learning centre and internet café at Grassy Park High School in Cape Town.

The centre will be able to provide free access to high-speed broadband internet to students as well as residents from the neighbouring community.

Latest technology

It will be equipped with the latest high-performance computers and a complete set of learning facilities and tools, and will be able to accommodate about 25 users at a time.

"This initiative is part of Alcatel-Lucent's corporate social investment programme, which places education high on its agenda, with a view toward developing local talent and providing better learning opportunities for underserved areas," Alcatel-Lucent South Africa MD Mervin Kamoetie said in a statement this week.

"We believe that young people must have access to information technology during their formative years, so that as a country, we can be competitive globally."

Grassy Park High School serves a disadvantaged community in the Cape Flats, with the vision to be a community-based school that contributes to the development of the country by providing education services to both young students as well as to adult learners.

Narrowing the digital divide

"For Alcatel-Lucent, this e-learning centre is not just a donation, it is a part of our role in the community as we aim to sustain our global technological leadership and help the world communicate better, while meeting our obligations to the communities we live and work in," said Thierry Albrand of Alcatel-Lucent's Digital Bridge initiative.

"This commitment to social responsibility is one of Alcatel-Lucent's most enduring and important corporate values."

SAinfo reporter