COVID-19 CORONA VIRUS SOUTH AFRICAN RESOURCE PORTAL
The Foundation
Datatec’s corporate social investment (“CSI”) spend is directed into educational initiatives consisting of school-level intervention programmes for learners and teachers, and educational bursaries. Other initiatives include the provision of technology infrastructure and skills development for unemployed youth. In this way, Datatec gives back to the country and the economy that initially fostered its own growth.
As a competitive global market leader in ICT, Datatec regards it as a moral imperative to in some way address the grassroots needs of its founding country’s people and give back where it is needed most – education in South Africa.
Recognising that education is the base on which a successful economy is built, the Datatec Educational and Technology Foundation (“the Foundation”) funds educational organisations whose purpose is to improve education within underprivileged communities in South Africa.
Datatec Educational and Technology Foundation
Through the support of school-level intervention programmes in maths and science, the Foundation has been able to directly benefit over 21 000 learners and more than 3000 teachers in the past five years and has impacted thousands more since its establishment in 2001. The Foundation has established partnerships with a number of non-profit organisations in South Africa, including the Tomorrow Trust, the OLICO Foundation, the Vula Programme, Afrika Tikkun, the Kutlwanong Centre for Maths, Science and Technology, Maharishi Invincibility Institute and the Belgium Campus ITversity.
OUR MANDATE
- Developing sectoral skills, learnerships and/or education;
- Education relating to and/or development of entrepreneurial projects focused on sustainable development;
- Education relating to and/or the development of career guidance and;
- Development of educational or training facilities for previously disadvantaged individuals, and in particular, education and development focusing on information technology, mathematics and/or science.
Success in maths and science is critically important if we want to grow the pool of young people pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) careers. It is also vital that we equip our teachers with the necessary skills and confidence in these subjects so that they can support and encourage their learners to excel and rise above their circumstances.
“As a Foundation we believe that education is a passport out of poverty and into a life of possibility. We are proud of the partnerships we have established over a number of years with many reputable non-profit organisations who are making a meaningful difference at grassroots level across many of the rural communities they serve.”
Maya Makanjee
Datatec Educational & Technology Foundation (Chair)
Social & Ethics Committee (Chair)
OUR VALUES
As an extension of the Datatec Group, the Foundation is led by a set of values in how it conducts business. Not only does the Foundation uphold the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (specifically Good Health and Wellbeing; Quality Education; Decent Work and Economic Growth; and Climate Action), but it lives by the following:
Our funding focus
- SCHOOL LEVEL PROGRAMMES AND TEACHER DEVELOPMENT
- PROVISION OF TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE
- BURSARIES FORTERTIARY STUDIES
- ICT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR UNEMPLOYED YOUTH
SCHOOL LEVEL PROGRAMMES AND TEACHER DEVELOPMENT
Teacher and learner development is a critical area of investment for the Foundation, especially in the realms of maths and science, where public-school teachers are heavily under-resourced. It has been proven that with public-private partnerships, the issue of poor school-leaver passes can be effectively addressed. The Foundation supports non-profit organisations (“NPOs”) working to improve learner participation and test results to enable learners to pursue tertiary education in fields that require maths and science as lead subjects. It also supports NPOs providing teacher training and upskilling in maths and science.
PROVISION OF TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE
As a leading global technology company, Datatec recognises that access to ICT is vital in a developing economy and it is the Foundation’s objective to provide poorer communities with access to computer technology for the purposes of education, skills development and job creation.
BURSARIES FORTERTIARY STUDIES
Many underprivileged learners simply don’t have the means to access tertiary education due to impoverished circumstances. The Foundation supports students, particularly female students who study towards degrees in STEM related fields.
ICT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR UNEMPLOYED YOUTH
Skills development is another critical need, particularly among the youth, who feel the brunt of unemployment in South Africa. The Foundation continues to invest in NPOs that provide sectoral skills training aimed particularly at the youth to improve their chances of employment.
Kutlwanong Promaths
A non-profit organisation committed to accelerating the quality and quantity of mathematics and physical science performance amongst school-going township youth in South Africa. For the past ten years, the Foundation has funded its outreach programme for Grade 10-12 learners in Mdantsane township outside East London in the Eastern Cape. Not only has the programme produced many distinctions but it has also dramatically increased the bachelor pass rates in one of the poorest provinces in the country.
Maharishi Invincibility Institute
Maharishi Institute (MII) is a non-profit private college and self-development organisation, which provides bursary loans and self-development programs for bright, deserving youth to further their studies and assists them to find employment opportunities when they graduate. MII provides financial and other access to accredited qualifications through Services SETA and ICT SETA; as well as access to an accredited international Business Degree via distance education. The Foundation funds a Skills to Employment programme that provides certified and accredited training programmes to 530 students over a two-year period.
Olico Maths Education
An effective after-school maths tuition programme that provides a blended use of extracurricular maths tutoring and custom-built online maths programmes for Grade 7-9 learners alongside maths clubs aimed at primary-school learners from Grades R-6. OLICO actively works in Alexandra, Diepsloot, Bosmont, Dunoon and Heideveld, and through partners in Soweto, Ivory Park, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, and in the deep-rural Eastern Cape. The Foundation has supported OLICO since its inception over a decade ago.
The Tomorrow Trust
A non-profit organisation that supports orphaned and vulnerable children by providing holistic programmes that support the academic, psychosocial, career and digital development of children from Grade R to Grade 12 via Holiday and Saturday School programmes. In addition, they also support children’s tertiary aspirations through their Tertiary Programme.
Over the past seven years the Foundation has sponsored 60 learners per year to attend the Holiday and Saturday School programme in Gauteng.
Afrika Tikkun
An organisation that develops young people from cradle to career. This model is a comprehensive approach to child and youth development that considers the needs of each young person across different stages of their lives from preschool to primary school, onwards to high school and post matric by offering a set of programmes and support services to counter the effect of poverty and inequality for each young person that comes through its doors. In this way, they are actively working towards the reduction of youth unemployment in a sustainable manner. The Foundation has supported Africa Tikkun for almost a decade providing funding for technology infrastructure and more recently iPads to enhance their digital offering.
Belgium Campus
A tertiary institution that offers National Certificates, Diplomas and Bachelor degrees in Information Technology. The Foundation funds three female students studying towards a four-year Bachelor of Computing degree.
The Vula Programme
Provides educational outreach under the auspices of Hilton College in KwaZulu-Natal which services 90 under-resourced schools and disadvantaged communities. It uses up-to-date technologies, innovative teaching methods and experienced facilitators to concentrate on upgrading the teaching and learning of high school Mathematics and Physical Science. The Foundation has supported the Vula Programme since 2001.