The plight of a Kuils River, Cape Town, high school desperate to provide its disadvantaged learners with computers for research and academic work has been answered with the donation of a brand new and fully kited R1 000 000 multimedia centre and library.
Soneike High School was originally established to provide access to education for learners in the broader Kuils River region, and whilst committed to developing an educational institution of excellence, it has always lacked an effective IT facility, vital in today’s educational environment.
The South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT) recently came to the school’s aid, donating the new facility for the benefit of learners.
Commenting on its multi-media centre and library donation, the SAMCT representative, Mr Faried Boltman said: “It is imperative that previously disadvantaged communities in, especially, rural areas be provided access to educational institutions of excellence, matching those located in the country’s more urban and affluent areas, to build such communities and offer them a better quality of life.”
He added: “Being able to undertake online research early on in their school lives will assist learners to be more successful in the higher learning environment. Unquestionably, learners from disadvantaged backgrounds often struggle to adapt to the demands of higher learning, if not exposed to a full range of resources, inclusive of the world of computers.”
The school’s new multi-media centre and library have been specifically designed as a dedicated research site focusing, particularly, on agricultural science and agricultural management practices. It will enable learners to immerse themselves in data collection and analysis, regarded as an important driver of scientific research.
Mr Boltman said of its investment in IT for learners: “We, of the SAMCT, are pleased to have been in the position to assist Soneike High School in bringing all the incredible benefits of IT learning to learners here. There can be no question that IT education has emerged as a vital component of any curriculum today. Such exposure equips learners with digital literacy, helps foster a sense of critical thinking and problem-solving, and – importantly – prepares them for an increasingly technology-driven world.”
The SAMCT was created in 2008, the result of a partnership between Old Mutual Unit Trusts and Al Baraka Bank, for the creation, marketing and distribution of a suite of Shariah Funds. The organisation provides funding, services and other resources to improve the lives of the vulnerable, deprived and disadvantaged. It has successfully delivered sizeable assistance solutions throughout South Africa – irrespective of race or religion – and continues to work to support needy organisations in the fields of healthcare, social development, poverty alleviation and education.
He stressed: “The new multi-media centre and library established at Soneike High School is set to become a hub for research and data storage and will serve the school’s IT needs for many years to
come, given the robust, future-proof and scalable infrastructure we have provided. We are pleased to have partnered with the school to offer effective IT education to its learners.”
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For more information about the SAMCT or its Soneike School media centre/library donation, please contact:
Rasheeda Motala
Social Responsibility Officer
Tel: 084 506 2280
Email: samct@samct.co.za
www.samct.co.za