Digital Doorway opens

FROM now on, no child in Diepsloot, particularly those who yearned to expand their horizons, could claim that there were no facilities to satisfy their appetite for knowledge, said Chris Vondo at the Diepsloot Community Hall.

Vondo is the portfolio head of community development. He was speaking at the launch of the Digital Doorway at the hall in Extension 2, on 22 November.

Children and youth could get basic computer and information database training at the centre, he said. “The centre will create an excellent opportunity to promote inclusion and simultaneously develop self-learning of computer and information skills.”

He thanked PPC Cement Community Trust for working with the City to enrich the minds of the people of Diepsloot. This launch showed that public and private sector collaboration did work.

The project was launched by the City in partnership with the trust to promote computer and information literacy. Digital Doorway is an innovative computer system that encourages self-learning of computer and information skills. The objective is to encourage people to experiment and learn, without formal learning.

The computer station will be open to the public from 8am to 5pm on weekdays. It is worth R95 000 and it is made to withstand the rigours of climate, enthusiastic use and vandalism. Content that can be retrieved on the system includes curriculum-based learning materials, Wikipedia, health-related materials, City strategy documents, educational games, typing tours and interactive science simulation.

According to Jaqueline Baloyi, a City spokesperson, it is an innovative way in which Johannesburg can use systems and advanced technology in a well-connected city. It was a step forward in empowering communities with computer skills.

“The Digital Doorway will help Joburg towards becoming a smart city, [its] Growth and Development Strategy concept of bringing services that are easy access,” said Baloyi.

Marble Tjie, a learner from Diepsloot West Secondary School, witnessed the launch, and said she was “very excited” because she would have access to a computer out of school. “At school they give us assignments where we have to do our own research and I will do mine here.”

The 15-year-old said that those learners who did not study computer skills at school, would be able to learn computers and see how they worked.

After the official part of the day was over, Vondo spent time with the youngsters at the hall. He showed them how the system worked and how they could use it to do research.

Diepsloot is one of 10 places in South Africa that has a Digital Doorway system. Orange Farm received one in 2009.