Affordable ICT courses
Our
Model
We enable the underprivileged to seek a better life through education.
The Siyafunda CTC Model
The centre provides the following services:
- e-Learning
- Affordable ICT accredited courses and skills training
Partnering with SETA, we are an accredited provider offering a mixed blend of self-paced, tutor-based and peer training. The average course duration is 1 month; however, learners can be given extensions at no extra cost.
E-ACCESS
The provision of access to the internet, email and faxing facilities. The CTC will be available for the convenience of the community, i.e. in the evenings, on weekends and during school holidays for learners and communities. We are committed to ensuring that every learner/citizen has an email address.
- Business skills development and training
- Abet – Adult literacy programmes
- Multimedia centre facilities
- A fix and repair centre for hardware and software for the local businesses and ICT users
- Bulk SMS facilities for community news and information
- Website design and hosting
- Employability opportunities by CV preparation services and networking with employment agencies
- Implementing e-learning by partnering with the Department of Education
- Networking and Connecting with schools in enhancing ICT literacy for educators and learners
PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIP
The relationship with stakeholders is to provide funding or material support to “kick-start” the projects and initiatives. But this must not be once-off – the private sector must realize that establishing these CTCs with computers and infrastructure is a longer-term commitment to a project, rather than a simple donation.
Often, these types of centers receive private-sector donations of equipment, but important aspects, including the intricacies involved, like sustainable cost, security, and training costs are overlooked by all stakeholders.
The relationship with all 3 tiers of government is to provide “kick-start” support to the projects and initiatives through:
- The participation and involvement of ward committees and councillors on behalf of the municipality
- The municipality to adopt these CTCs as facilitators and coordinators for the broader strategy of service delivery to the communities
- Integrating the CTC with the school’s IT educational systems to provide after-hours access and services
- Integrating the CTC with the municipal library systems
- Integrating the CTC with a Multi-Purpose-Centre (MPC) strategy
- Leveraging the municipal ITC network infrastructure to provide access to the internet, thus extending service delivery and e-government services to the communities
- Training of councillors, ward committees and council staff in using technology for service delivery
- Manage the CTC on business principles and rules. Manage all CTC operational activities, financials, marketing and staffing. Foster relationships and partnerships with community-based organisations, NGO’s and social entrepreneurs.
- Manage the CTC processes and projects by managing the day-to-day operations of the CTC.
- Maintain and sustain the CTC’s infrastructure and facilities by providing adequate security for the CTC.
- Security and maintenance are major challenges encountered and as a security measure, the CTC needs to reinforce security installations. The center will need to partner with a security company to safe-guard its premises and enhance the functionality of the CTC.
- Market the CTC in the community for effective use Integrate community-based projects, ensuring the community won’t be isolated from the project.
- They have to be accommodated by the CTC to ensure they also benefit from and therefore take ownership of the CTC.
Training for trainers is also required, so they can in turn effectively train the CTC’s learners. Partnering with Isett SETA and other SETA Accredited Training Service Providers in providing affordable training material and content.
When companies donate equipment to the CTC, they need to put more emphasis on researching the effect of the donation to the CTC and surrounding community. While the initial donation is seen as a ‘God-send’ to a needy community, the repercussions of bringing attention to the CTC must also be considered and managed. Volunteer programmes are to be incorporated with each center’s needs and requirements.
We work with the community to assess the information needs and communication requirements, and to carry out awareness campaigns on the potential benefits of the internet. We are ensuring that key community leaders involved in campaigns provide full disclosure, because they know what the most appropriate channel to reach the community (at the same time, also become familiar with the benefits of the internet). We obtain the commitment of local government and NGOs towards the project.
- Identify and support local “champions”
- Involving the community in the design, implementation and management of center
- Ensuring that the community is willing to strive to maintain the center’s operation in the long term
- Ensuring participation of all community representatives, including women and the youth
- Provide training in information technology and telecommunications
- Provide technical support
- Ensuring the provision and maintenance of progressive resources
- Provide continuous technical assistance services, systems maintenance and upgrading hardware and software
- It empowers people to do what they want to do
- It lets people be creative
- It lets people be productive
- It lets people learn things they didn’t think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential.
E-Learning
- Provide affordable ICT and business skills with accredited courses and training
- Partner with ISETT accredited training service providers
Provide training of mixed blend; self-paced; tutor based; peers - Average course duration 1 month, student extension, no extra cost
E-Partnership
- Establish partners with value to add
- Local Government (internet; Infrastructure)
- Educational services providers
- Funders and donors
E-Access
- Provide Internet access
- Information
- Transactional
- Provide email access and address
Courses
- End-User Computing (PC INTRO & MS OFFICE)
- ICDL (7 Modules)
- CISCO IT Essentials (Hardware & Software)
- Microsoft (Advanced Courses)
- ABET (Adult literacy)
- BIZ-venture, success skills, Entrepreneurial skills, mini enterprise programme, BIA, TITAN (JASA)
E-Schools & E-University
- Connecting and partnering with schools as a form of community outreach
- Connecting and partnering with university online portals for students
E-Office
- Provide faxing
- Provide copying, printing and laminating
- Provide telephony
- Typing
- Fix and repair (Hardware, software installations, upgrades; support)
E-Web
- Website hosting and designing
- eNGO portal
- The eNGO programme would like to see that a maximum number of organisations finds a virtual face and identity that is visible to global and national audiences.
E-Consultancy
- Business Profiles and plans
- Financial management
- Project management
- Technical and infrastructure assessment and management
- Fix and repair centre
- Stakeholder management
- Assessment, monitoring, evaluation
E-NGO
- Collaboration
- Partnership