Mascom invest P20m in Kitsong Centres
Pauline Dikuelo | Monday January 26, 2015 11:52
The 10 brought to 81 the total number of centres operating in 81 villages across Botswana.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Transport and Communications Tshenolo Mabeo said “one very important and interesting aspect about this project is that the centres are handed over to these young people to operate as their own businesses.”
Further he urged those who were awarded the centre to take the opportunity as a stepping-stone to improving their lives and building their own multimillion-pula ventures.
He also recognised Mascom’s effort to bridge the communication gap by donating ICT equipment to primary schools and kgotlas in rural communities.
Mabeo encouraged other companies to partner with Mascom and channel some of their investments towards the Kitsong Centres, highlighting that the partnerships were vital in fostering an enabling environment for the communities to fully realise the socio-economic benefits of the ICT infrastructure and services.
Mascom Chief Information Officer Lilly Sullivan noted that the centres were at the pinnacle of their Corporate Social Responsibility initiative as they realised the need to bridge the gap between urban and rural communities.
“ICT is one of the ways we have successfully managed to change mindsets of communities, one village at a time.
“Kitsong centres provide essential services to communities around the country. These services include email and Internet, mobile money, airtime and simcard sales as well as printing and photocopying,” said Sullivan
Once a centre is established, Mascom continues to provide support through skills development, introduction of new services and maintenance of the provided infrastructure. In 2012 Mascom enrolled 10 Kitsong centres on the ICDL programme, a globally recognised literacy certification.
This year 28 youth from 10 villages around the country who have been undergoing intensive training on business management and ICT were selected to manage the centres in their villages. The Kitsong Centres’ package comprise of a branded Portacabin equipped with computers, printers, copiers and data cards. The fully equipped centre is handed to a carefully selected youth to operate as their business.
Since its inception, ICT has been at the core of Mascom’s corporate social responsibility portfolio, the main objective being to transform the economy and bridge the rural urban digital divide.
Kitsong Centres started in 2009 as a partnership between Mascom and the government through the Nteletsa II Rural Development Project, which extended coverage to 41 villages where these centres were set up.
Upon realising the need and the potential of the life changing effects of this project, Mascom set up 30 more in the villages. The Friday launch brought the number of these centres to 81.