TANZANIA Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL) has donated ten (10) desktop computers together with a six-month free internet bundle towards Iringa Secondary School Internet Library (ISSIL) ran by the Global Outreach Tanzania (GOT) based in Iringa Region.
The TTCL Southern Highlands Zone Manager, Juvenal Utafu has handed over the computers and internet worth 20,197,600/- to the Iringa Regional Commissioner (RC), Amina Masenza on behalf the non-governmental organization called Global Outreach Tanzania.
Utafu made the statement on Tuesday and also appealed to students who the beneficiaries of the gift to use computers and internet wisely by searching for information that is relevant for academic purposes not anything else.
“Since our internet speed is faster of about 2Mbps students may attempt to use it to look for other things which are not relevant to them, like entering into harmful websites (pornography) which are not useful to them,” he said.
He said a lot of people including students like using internet services for something that are not helpful to them, adding that students should search for educational materials like books and some topics of their subjects.
“I hope this donation will go a long way to help students and teachers in improving quality education in the region. I know this education resource centre (ISSIL) provide service to students from both secondary schools and colleges but I urged you to use the centre properly and improve the quality of education through information technology,” he said.
TTCL has also thanked GOT for initiating the process of uplifting education standards in secondary students through computer literacy and information and technology which will reach many students at lower cost.
TTCL which is running the fibre network around the country has made life simple because it provides information technologies to people, banks and companies and brings people together doing business on internet through videoconferencing, hence economic development.
However, RC Amina Masenza who was represented by the Iringa Regional Education Officer (REO), Eusedius Mtavangu has expressed her gratitude towards TTCL for its generosity of donating computers and internet to GOT which will revamp and revitalizes education sector and other sectors in the country and urged other companies to borrow a leaf.
She said TTCL is doing a tremendous job of growing science and technology in the country and it is the engine of all Information, Communication and Technologies in the country.
“I personally also thank the Global Outreach Tanzania for initiating this educational project in secondary schools of Iringa because education without computer literacy is nothing especially in this digital world of information technology,” she expressed.
She said the world has come together as one village so without computer literacy and information technology in place we are out touch of the world.
“The efforts of global outreach Tanzania will help establish a well informed society, that is a knowledge society into the world of knowledge economy, that will make it easier for the government to take development to different people of walks of life,” she said.
On his part, Director of Global Outreach Tanzania (GOT), Francis Mwachombe said global outreach is an operational non-governmental organization that has equipped and managed computer laboratories in Tanzania secondary schools since 1998.
Mwachombe said that GOT in collaboration with Ministry of Education and Vocational Training is now managing internet library, digital library and hardcopy library and half of ten thousand secondary school students are members and it is provided free of charge.
The Iringa Secondary School Internet Library (ISSIL) at Kichangani Student Center provides, through internet access, a wide range of educational opportunities for students, as well for teachers who integrate this computer assisted learning into their curricula.
He said that the mission of Global Outreach is the introduction of computer literacy into the curriculum of Tanzanian schools.
“This is a commitment and challenge shared by Tanzanian’s nation leadership as a significant focus area for advancement of life in the country,” he said.
He added that in conjunction with partners they do establish computer laboratories, furnished electrical capacity often solar, installed hardware and software, create educational CDs to support curriculum subjects and build computer based learning centers into the project schools.
“A digital library provides additional computer based learning materials that are helpful to both teachers and students,” he added.
The Global Outreach Tanzania is currently working with a total of 13 secondary schools including Pomerini, Image, Bomalang’ombe, Nyerere, Lugalo, Iringa Girls, Mafinga Seminary, Ifunda Tech, St. Micheal, Mawelewele, St. Joseph Ipogolo, Mtera and Cagliero.
He said GOT through partners distribute computers between 12 and 15 to secondary schools that are in the project.
“We have selected the Pomerini Secondary School, a typical rural boarding school with 380 students as a pilot. It is located 60 kilometers from Iringa Town, far removed from paved roads, running water and communication,” said the director.
The headquarters global outreach is in Sarasota, Florida is managed by unpaid professional volunteers and operated from donated facilities. It maintains an in country office in Iringa town.
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