Hai Ti :SchoolNet says it's time to listen up and go digital!

WINDHOEK. SchoolNet Namibia is taking a bold new step to entice teachers and students into the digital world. SchoolNet has teamed up with Direq International, Strika Entertainment and The Namibian Youth Paper to produce and distribute Hai Ti!, a comic strip that spreads the word about the ways that computers and the internet can transform learners' and teachers' lives.

It's a new and highly innovative approach to a common problem. "Our numerous letters, manuals and trainers have not been very effective in bringing teachers into the computer lab. So we decided to build a character-based drama around the SchoolNet team and teachers and learners at a remote rural school in Namibia," says executive director Joris Komen. "There has also been a lot of controversy about the compatibility of Free and Open Source office applications and programmes with similar (and usually very expensive!) proprietary software more commonly used in the private sector. We expect Hai Ti! to finally put such controversy to rest. The skills acquired by teachers and learners to cut, copy and paste, and use office tools such as word processors and spreadsheets, as well as the Internet, must be completely platform neutral, without affecting their career and learning opportunities."

In order to demystify the computers that have proven so alluring to learners but not so much to teachers, SchoolNet collaborated closely with Strika and Direq to conceptualize, illustrate and produce a full-colour comic. Desiged to address educators' fears, SchoolNet staff - young, technically savvy Namibians - drew from their own experiences to craft the narrative.

The first 20-page comic interweaves the stories of a learner who uses the internet to prepare for a debate; of a football fan who learns that the Internet can be a better source for sports than the "cuca shop" (Shebeen); and of a young teacher learning computer basics with the help of SchoolNet trainers. The comic, liberally sprinkled with helpful definitions and basic tips, doubles as an easy reference manual afterwards. Each edition will also be published online at Schoolnet's website, www.schoolnet.na/haiti. The insert will be distributed in The Namibian Youth Paper on a regular basis for the next few years, with bumper Christmas annuals, and loads of competitions as added bonuses.

Hai Ti! is also unique in being the first publication of its kind to be published under international Creative Commons rules in Namibia. Creative Commons copyright ensure that any person who receives a copy or derived version of this publication work can use, modify and also redistribute the work and derived versions of the work, with appropriate acknowledgement to the original authors and artists. The first edition of Hai Ti! -- which means "listen up ! " in the Oshiwambo language group, has been included in the April 26th edition of the Namibian Youth Paper. Look out for more to come!