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Wilbrought Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
STUDENTS from King George VI Rehabilitation Centre in Bulawayo have acquired basic information, communication and technology (ICT) skills under the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) inception training programme for persons with disabilities.
The centre also received a donation of 10 computers from the Government entity that will go a long way to address computer challenges at the institution.
Speaking at the centre on Friday after a five-day hands-on training workshop and handing over certificates to participants, Potraz Universal Services Fund (USF), Postal and Courier Services director, Mr Kenneth Dewera said as an entity they were mandated to ensure that everyone has access to ICTs.
“We want to ensure that person with disabilities are specifically catered for in terms of access to ICTs, provision of ICT services and gadgets as well as the provisions that allow them to adapt to ICT-related gadgets, as we leave no one behind.
“The motivation behind this training is that over the years we have been teaching institutions how to work with persons with disabilities on computers and acetic gadgets. So, after we had covered significant ground and all institutions, we then decided to also train the students at these institutions.”
Mr Dewera said the training programme which they started this year, has also been rolled out in Mashonaland West, Masvingo provinces and now Bulawayo while they will be covering all provinces.
He said the idea was to ensure that all persons with disabilities in all provinces are trained in the use of ICTs.
“Our intervention is to ensure that these communities of people with disabilities are able to utilise ICTs in the same manner as everyone else, so that is the basic objective.
“This is in line and supports the aspirations of the National Development Strategy 1(NDS1) which speaks to the issue of achieving a digital economy.
“On this programme we are targeting persons with disabilities only, but we have other various programmes in sectors like health where we are equipping all health centres with internet connectivity and providing necessary ICT gadgets for health centres.”
Mr Dewera said as Potraz they were also making interventions in the education sector where they were establishing computer laboratories in each and every primary and secondary school.
“We have also targeted institutions of higher learning where we are establishing computer laboratories. We have also dealt with areas of disaster management where we go and support institutions that are mandated to deal with disasters.”
He said the computers given to King George VI was after an assessment and consultation with the institution based on the realisation that they might need more, while they were in the process of seeing how much more they need to acquire.
King George VI deputy head, Mrs Sibonginkosi Dube extended her gratitude to Potraz for making training the students as ICTs were critical in the current era.
“I would like to extend my gratitude to the Potraz for conducting this important programme to train the students on basic ICT skills as the world revolves around ICTs now. It is of importance that children with disabilities are able to operate computer gadgets without anyone’s assistance.”
She said the donation of the computers was a shot in the arm for them and it will ensure more students have access without taking turns to use them.
Potraz is rolling out the programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and the Internet Society of Zimbabwe.
Online Reporter