Going to school shouldn’t be a luxury, but the reality is, it still is. That’s one of the many disappointing aspects of a world where technology has become ubiquitous and every other problem seems to have a digital solution.
This presents a huge challenge and opportunities for everyone with a passion for education and keen on creating solutions for these sort of problems. Local mobile operator, Econet, has its hand in e-learning through EcoSchool, now these efforts are being extended through another one of its arms, Muzinda Hub.
The technology skills training centre and entrepreneurship hub is partnering with the Global Business Coalition for Education to run an initiative called the #UpForSchool Campaign, in Zimbabwe.
This is an international drive aimed at getting people from all over the world to sign the #UpForSchool petition which is meant to prompt global leaders to take action and deliver on commitments made in 2000 at the United Nations to ensure all out-of-school children gain their right to education before the end of 2015. These signatures will be handed to the United nations general Assembly at the end of this month.
As a local partner, Muzinda Hub has offered to develop free websites for the first 20 schools that register 1,000 signatures by the 30th of September. Muzinda is also distributing petition books to organisations that want to support this cause. People who want to sign up can also do so on the website.
This web development-for-charity initiative from Muzinda Hub has been enabled by the cohort of developers and aspiring tech entrepreneurs that are part of the hub’s training academy. This unit has been extending the skills acquired from the Muzinda Hub programme by engaging its software developers and digital practitioners in work for Zimbabwean enterprises.
image credit #UpForSchool
2 comments
I will not hold my breath over this. I have seen good projects being hijacked by big companies or individuals.
By the way, charity is now a big business world over were no tax gets paid and bosses give themselves huge salaries.
One Laptop Per Child anybody? We all loved netbooks(Nhava?) didnt we?
The MDGs are done, they have expired. There are now SDGs to be launched this month in New York at the UN. They should put their efforts in these SDGs instead of trying to enforce somethign which expires in less than 20 days..