Chronicle Editor
Stanford Chiwanga
A DIGITAL hub in Bulawayo has partnered with Bulawayo South constituency legislator Cde Raj Modi to offer free digital technical skills to unemployed youths, the elderly and children in an effort to close the digital divide in the city and to help them to be better prepared to work in online settings.
The hub, the first of its kind in the province, is aimed at teaching disadvantaged communities digital technology, such as web designing, offer programming, cellphone repairs, computer science even printer skills, networking, agriculture technology, graphic design, video graphic and 3D cartoon animation.
The youngest trainee at the institution is seven years old.
Founded by Mr Archibald Siziba in 2017, the non-profit organisation named Salcon Tech Hub, located at Bellevue Shopping Complex, has so far trained 450 students and equipped them with ICT skills. “The idea behind the formation of the hub was to train African students, especially those less privileged and those who seem not to have any academic qualifications to acquire ICT skills.
None of the students pay school fees and there is no benefactor covering their fees yet. We ask some of the students who can afford to contribute towards the Wifi, but still it’s a struggle.
“That said, we are glad to have Honourable Raj Modi, he gave us a building to use. He covers all electricity and water bills. However we are still in the process of getting other partners who can also help and we are hoping it is going to be successful,” said Mr Siziba. Salcon Tech Hub has begun seeing the benefits of its work as it has rendered services to a number of companies in Bulawayo.
Mr Siziba said: “We have companies such as Value gas, Bellevue pharmacy, the Mujiche chain stores and Nashua, they have assisted a lot and we offered our skills to them and received good rewards which help us through our days.
“But above all our needs, what we want the most is Wifi and computers. We would like to also thank and appreciate Hon. Raj Modi for the tremendous support he has shown towards us. God has been using him mightily. We call for helpers who are willing to work with us to up skill our people.”
Salcon Tech Hub will host its first graduation ceremony on 15 May at Reynolds Inn Hotel.
“We haven’t yet had any graduation, but our first graduation will be in May. We have over 450 students, or can as well call them partners, that have upgraded to more levels and we anticipate their graduation this year. We have over 68 children below the age of 12 and over 240 adults. We are still enrolling as we do train all day long,” he said.
Mr Hope Sendamai, the Bulawayo South Constituency manager said training is free for residents of Bulawayo South Constituency.
“Cde Modi is the patron and he has made the programme free to the Bulawayo South community. He caters for the operational costs of the project. There will be a graduation in May and the youngest graduate is seven years old,” said Mr Sendamai.
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