NIIT initiative for children in Uganda unveiled at Commonwealth
forum today
November 19, 2007: NIIT, Asia’s No. 1 Trainer and
leading Global Talent Development Corporation will be setting up two
Hole-in-the-Wall learning stations for the socially and economically
disadvantaged children of Uganda, under the umbrella of Commonwealth Connects
Initiative and Ministry of Information and Communication (MoICT), Republic of
Uganda.
The first Learning Station in Kiswa, Nakawa Division in the capital city of
Kampala has been commissioned today, during the ongoing Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2007 in Uganda.
Hole-in-the-Wall Education Ltd. (HiWEL) is a joint venture of NIIT, and the
International Finance Corporation, part of The World Bank Group which
facilitates learning of computers through unconditional and public access to
computer, to socially and economically underprivileged children.
NIIT HiWEL signed an agreement with Commonwealth Secretariat to participate
in Commonwealth Connects Initiative in October 2007.
The Internet connected HiWEL Learning Stations will provide free access to
educational and socially relevant information to the children in Uganda.
Children from disadvantaged communities will have an opportunity to access
useful information on personal hygiene, sensitization of masses about the
dangers of HIV/AIDS and prevention, ways of controlling malaria, educational and
edutainment content.
The activities at these Learning Stations will be monitored from a central
station at New Delhi, India. A dedicated team from NIIT HiWEL team will not only
implement the project but will also train the local resource persons to sustain
it after the project period.
NIIT HiWEL intends to share its learning and experience to benefit the
underserved children of Uganda by providing an enabling environment thus leading
to their empowerment.
The private sector with its expertise, experience and innovation is at the
forefront in facilitating access to Information and Communication Technologies
at grassroots. To enhance the collaboration amongst member countries, the
Commonwealth Connects Initiative also emphasizes effective Public Private
Partnerships in promoting local access and connectivity.
NIIT HiWEL in India is one such innovative initiative, by the private
sector, for the disadvantaged and underserved children and communities.
Initiated as an experiment in 1999 and established in 2001, HiWEL
facilitates learning through unconditional and public access to computers. In
its endeavor to positively impact learning outcomes in elementary education and
computer literacy HiWEL also addresses the digital divide, the drop out rate and
works towards providing effective and interesting teaching-learning experience.
Today, with 150 Learning Stations in India, Cambodia and Africa, HiWEL has
impacted thousands of children, in rural areas and urban slums.
HiWEL Learning Station is much more than a rugged PC in an open playground
setting. It is a method, which consists of innovations in hardware technology,
software technology and cognitive design. The underlying idea is to supplement
learning resources to enable creative and interactive self-learning in an
informal setting. Children discover a versatile learning tool and they embark on
a journey through experimentation, collaboration and social networking thus
forming learning communities.
For media queries, contact:
Prateek Chatterjee, NIIT Limited, Ph: +91 9910201085, +91 124 4293041;
Shivanjali Singh, NIIT Limited, Ph: +91 9811991107, +91 124 4293044;