Unilever Zimbabwe, through its washing powder brand OMO, has donated 100 computers to selected primary schools in Chitungwiza as part of the company’s efforts to cut the technology gap between the developed and developing countries.
This forms part of the organisation’s initiative called “Vheneka Musha Mukuru” tailored to give back to the community and deliver social value to help children have a broader and healthier educational development.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Chitungwiza last week, Unilever Managing Director, Hilary Muzondiwa, said it is important to equip young children with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills as it unleashes human potential for the school going children.
“This donation is a drive to empower young children with ICT skills and its and a deliberate effort by us to unlock the potential within the little ones.
“We aim to close the ICT gaps that exist between the developed countries and developing countries,” he said.
“We believe the donation will go a long a way in impacting and moulding the lives of primary school pupils in becoming global competitors in innovation, invention and academic excellence and in keeping with the competitive global community.
“This being in line with OMO’s global ambition for USLP to give 15 million children the opportunity to get real life lessons today so that they can succeed tomorrow,” added Muzondiwa.
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Lazarus Dokora said more needs to be done to promote ICTs.
“To date government, through President Robert Mugabe, has donated more than 10,700 computers but we are far off where we need to be.
“We need as many computers as possible to promote our drive to have ICTs being the core of our STEM drive,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by the acting secretary in the Ministry of ICTs, Cosmos Chigwanda, who said ICTs have become a basic component of the education system accross the world.
He added that ICTs have transformed education worldwide calling on Zimbabwe to catch up.
