FNB donates hundreds of computers to SchoolNet Namibia

Monday 13 February 2006. Working with SchoolNet Namibia to ensure that Namibian schools are served with the best possible technology service
support in the classroom, FNB announced today that it is donating hundreds of redundant computers to SchoolNet Namibia, and supporting technical service support and training solutions at schools, nationwide.

SchoolNet Namibia relies heavily on donations of surplus computers from
organisations and companies like FNB to help bridge Namibia's digital
divide.

At a hand-over ceremony officiated by the honorable Nangolo Mbumba,
Minister of Education, newly appointed FNB Managing Director, Dr Vekiu Rukoro, handed over the donation to the Executive Director of SchoolNet Namibia, Mr Joris Komen, at the Katutura Community Arts Centre, this morning. The donation consists of nearly 700 computers and monitors.

“ We are giving these computers in a spirit of partnership and we hope to continue on this path until such time that all our schools are part of the global information network,” Dr Rukoro explained.

FNB wants to invest in the knowledge economy and in ICT education. This
donation contributes to bringing computer technology to learning environments, so that students can acquire the computer skills they need to succeed in a technology-driven economy and society.

FNB recongises that handing out used computers to schools directly, without any subsequent technical service or training support, often leads to disappointment and frustration at recipient schools.

" Without an end-to-end service provider such as SchoolNet providing long-term technical and training support to schools receiving such donated computers, recipient schools are either forced to obtain costly technical support from commercial service providers or land up throwing out such computers, with a resultant harmful effect on the environment", Dr Rukoro stated.

Dr Rukoro said the computers and equipment were recovered from FNB offices across the country and that most are still in a good working condition. Given the fact that Banks are expected to keep up with the latest computer technologies, computer equipment have relatively short life cycles in such business environments, but such redundant computers can still be used for many years in the classroom environment.

(Minister Mbumba stated that) the national ICT policy for Education encourages local and international business partners to provide used computers to schools through organisations such as SchoolNet to ensure that schools benefited from technical service support for the duration of the extended life of such computers in the classroom. Minister Mbumba pointed out that the cost of such long-term technical service support far exceeded the capital cost of the donated computers, and encouraged business partners to help defray the cost of such technical service over 3 to 5 year service periods. "Given the fact that SchoolNet manages to provide technical service support and unlimited 24/7 internet access for a very affordable N$300/month to schools throughout Namibia, I am very pleased with FNB's commitment to help share this service cost with schools who receive these donated computers," Minister Mbumba said.

“ This is indeed very encouraging progress that we are making under the
banner of the XNet Development Alliance Trust, founded by Telecom Namibia and SchoolNet; with the sound cooperation of more companies
like FNB, investing in affordable technical service and internet access solutions to schools in Namibia, we can realistically meet the targets set by the ICT Policy for Education Implementation Plan scheduled to roll-out later this year,” said Len le Roux, Chairman of the Board of SchoolNet Namibia.

Minister Mbumba called on all companies in Namibia, to make use of SchoolNet's excellent technical support service for prospective computer donations. “This will ensure synergy of efforts in implementing our ICT policy, and most importantly, lead to sustainability of infrastructure and ICTs in general, long after the donated computers have ceased to work,” he pointed out.