Community

Technology has brought people around the world closer to each other, and it was in this spirit that AngloGold Ashanti aimed to reach out to rural children and give them access to the world of technology. In the last three years, the company donated 267 computers, at a cost of some R4.5 million, to 30 schools in the rural areas of Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland, touching the lives of some 30,000 potential learners between the ages of 13-25 years old. (AngloGold Ashanti sources a significant portion (31.3%) of its South African labour force from Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland.) While the project has changed the lives of many, it has also presented some lessons.

“AngloGold Ashanti believes that technology is the future: children need to be empowered to be able to talk to the rest of the world, and that was one of the key reasons we invested R4.5 million in the computer rollout project, between 2006 and 2008,” says Sipho Mahlangu, Corporate Social Investment Manager.

The AngloGold Ashanti Fund, with the Information Technology department, worked together on the computer roll-outs, which concluded in 2008.

In Mozambique, local stakeholders demonstrated their determination to see the computer project succeed, with all levels getting involved - from the education ministry to the local community leadership. Communities proactively raised funds to build more classrooms in some schools and to pay for the additional technology teachers needed to support the programme in their neighbourhood. Local businesses donated air conditioners and furniture to the schools. The Mozambican programme, being a model success, proved that synergy between government, private sector, community and schools is vital for a successful computer project.

The roll-out in Swaziland proved to be more challenging. In July 2008, a year after the original donation of computers had been made, the Corporate Social Investment team visited the recipient schools in rural Swaziland for inspection and monitoring of the project. They found that the majority of the schools had no proper classrooms dedicated as computer laboratories; instead staff rooms (which are also used as libraries and storerooms) were being used to store the computers. This limited the learners’ access to the computers, because not all learners were able to attend a class together.

Several lessons have been learned for future reference. A thorough feasibility study by the company would have helped to minimise the classroom challenges, identifying the capacity of the schools to have dedicated computer laboratories. Ongoing monitoring from local and national education bodies, as well as AngloGold Ashanti would also have alerted the company to the inactive computers earlier. Governmental support, as was evident in Mozambique also assists in providing the required resources and support to make a project such as this succeed.

Mahlangu explains that the challenge with the computer project is that the organisation did not accompany the donation with computer literacy programmes. This can lead to the computers not being used, as learners do not have the internet or educational programmes installed. AngloGold Ashanti chose not to champion the project alone but rather to contribute by giving computers, and then relying on the schools to facilitate the rest of the needs – but a strong partner is needed to assist with successful implementation.

In Lesotho, the third and final labour-sending area for this project, the schools were strategically chosen in close proximity to each other. This proved to be a key decision, as the schools were able to help each other by sharing resources such as text books, and with one teacher even creating his own technology syllabus.

“When the company donates computers, schools also need to play their part and meet us halfway by implementing their side of the project. We provide the seed, but each school needs to plant the seed and grow it,” says Andrew Pierce, Manager Global Contracts and Strategic Sourcing in AngloGold Ashanti’s Knowledge and Information Solutions department. “We acknowledge the lessons learnt from this project, and despite the many challenges, this was a fantastic initiative that made a difference in the lives of many.”