Rinchi
TechInAfrica – Microsoft has started an initiative and partnership called Youth Spark – Spark a Child’s Digital Future. It is part of a collaborative initiative between Microsoft, World Vision, and the British Council. The three companies will invest $75 million with NGOs to provide digital access to children in developing countries.
According to Microsoft, the company has opened more than 100 hubs in Africa which were done with a $2 million of investment. Through the hubs, people are trained about using digital content properly.
David Owens from World Vision explained during a press conference that the Spark a Child’s Digital Future would start in Kenya and would address the opportunity gap. “We are very excited about this project. With this, we can put the power of technology into the hands of eager young minds.”
He went on, “once a child’s basic needs are met, developing digital skills leads to better jobs. These jobs have a poverty-fighting ripple effect: improved family income, community contribution, and less dependency on services. This is why World Vision, Microsoft, Intel, and British Council are teaming up to improve digital access and education for African students.”
There are three main goals of the initiative, including bringing significant technology advancements to African schools; bringing holistic digital access to classrooms with devices, infrastructure, and teacher training; as well as improving learning outcomes for students in terms of academics, life skills, and economic opportunity.
“We need to scale, and the only way to do that is by getting other partnerships. We found a huge interest alignment with others to better skills, and it’s all being driven by improving employability,” said a representative of the British Council.
Source: technomag.co.za
