Launch of dot-ORG/Intel Computer Clubhouses in South Africa
dot-ORG/Intel Collaborative Project To Develop Strategies for Sustaining and Expanding Computer Clubhouses in Brazil and South Africa was officially launched in South Africa on February 14th by Eric Rusten (Deputy Director, dot-ORG), Phil Christensen (Country Director, AED South Africa), Parthy Chetty, (Education Manager, Intel South Africa), and representatives from the two NGOs that are establishing three Clubhouses in the Johannesburg area.
Intel is establishing three Computer Clubhouses each in Brazil and South Africa. As with other sites in Intel's global Computer Clubhouse Network, they will provide a creative and safe after-school learning environment where young people from under-served communities can work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, develop skills, and build confidence through the use of technology.
Building Sustainability
dot-ORG staff, using pilot project funds, will work with the local implementing NGOs to develop and test different sustainability strategies and business plans. The goal is to enable the Clubhouses to continue and expand their operations after funding from Intel is completed. Dot-ORG will also provide technical assistance to Intel and the NGOs in their efforts to expand the Clubhouse program to support other community populations when not being used by the target youth, develop linkages between the South African and Brazilian Clubhouses, assist with strategies for multiplying the concept in other locations, and facilitate relationships between the program and USAID Missions in both countries.
Last October Intel launched its first Computer Clubhouse in South Africa. Hosted by the Youth Development Trust (YDT), it is located in a section of the central business district of Johannesburg targeted for economic revitalization by the municipal government. The Southern Africa Association of Youth Clubs, under contract to YDT, will soon open two additional clubhouses, one at an informal settlement east of Johannesburg and another in Soweto.
Staff from dot-ORG facilitated a follow-up meeting to the launch to arrange for the capture of baseline monitoring and evaluation data and to help the NGOs identify the most promising sustainability strategies for immediate testing. Project staff also established a listserv to promote discussion among the various Clubhouse stakeholders in South Africa.
AED signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Intel Corporation on October 16th, 2002 to guide this collaborative project with Intel.
For more information
CONTACT
Eric Rusten, Deputy Director, dot-ORG
Email:
Tel: +1 202 884 8714
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