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www.thevillagenews.co.za
20 November 2019
Getting SHARP on the internet who could benefit from what SHARP offers. Wonga Makalima is based in Zwelihle and has been with SHARP since the beginning. Ally Msweli is based in Gansbaai and joined the team in July. And in Stanford, people wanting to do the courses can go to Chaldine Moses.
Writer & Photographer Sarah Taylor
N
o one can take away your talent or your education. These are key to your future.” These words were spoken by Winnie Nywebeni from Zwelihle at her graduation from a free, community-driven, mobile-based digital literacy course.
To date, SHARP offers one course called ‘Your Digital Life’ and by the end of the course learners can search the internet for content, protect their devices and their personal content using passwords, and use data more efficiently. They have an email address and know how to use it. They can create digital documents, spreadsheets and presentations and all on their phones. They have also been introduced to the critical evaluation skills needed to be wise digital users.
“SHARP Digital provides a great opportunity for young people to learn new skills and get ahead. Don’t destroy your lives,” motivated Winnie, the eldest of a group of more than 40 students to receive their digital literacy certificates. They are among the 250 adults and children trained by SHARP in digital literacy since January this year. The average age of those attending the courses so far is 20, with some as young as 13 and up to 70. Of the adults, most are unemployed and 70% are women. ABOVE: Winnie Nywebeni speaking to fellow SHARP digital graduates last week at the Zwelihle Community Hall.
SHARP Digital is the initiative of Cath Croxton of Stanford and Olwethu Petros of Zwelihle in Hermanus. In January, they jointly established the not-for-profit organisation (NPO). Its aim is to provide starter digital literacy skills to first generation and first time users of the internet and digital technology to ensure these users can enter and begin to participate in South Africa’s increasingly digitally connected 21st century economy. And the statistics show how limited our digital skills actually are. “At least 80% of South Africans are either not connected to the internet or struggling to use it,” says Cath. “There are a lot of people with smartphones, but we assume that they know much more than they do. In reality, most people who are connected use their smartphones for Facebook and WhatsApp
LEFT: SHARP Digital graduate Nontlantla Golotile, 31, mother of seven-month-old Mandilakhe.
and are unaware that they can use them for the same things we use computers for. “Because our courses work on a mobile device,” says Cath, “learners can learn on the device they have in their own homes. Or they can come to one of our workshops or centres and learn on our tablets. This is a really flexible
and authentic way for students to learn about how to use digital – it also means they are learning by doing.” And with only 22% of households having a computer at home, it makes sense for students to learn on a mobile device rather than a computer. SHARP, an acronym for Sharing, Hunting, Access, Roles/Responsibilities and Protect, has Diginkokhelis (Inkokheli means leader in IsiXhosa) from the community who are there to support learners, facilitate workshops, and build awareness among the people
Next year, the NPO plans to offer new entry-point courses, with themes ranging from ‘Using digital for your business’ and ‘Online banking’, to ‘Is it real?’ (discerning fake from genuine news) and ‘How to apply for a job online’. However, before they start creating these new courses, they will run more focus groups in the community to find out perceptions of need. Nothing is ever done without buy-in from those who need it the most. Fellow graduate Nontlantla Golotile, 31, mother of seven-month-old Mandilakhe who attended all the classes with his mom, says she is looking forward to starting her own business one day but for now she feels confident to apply for a job in a supermarket. “I finished Grade 10 only and one day, maybe, I’ll go back and finish Grade 12, but first I want to see my baby grow before I think of going back to school myself,” Nontlantla says. Recently, SHARP Digital has been celebrating. In October, they held a graduation party with learners who had graduated from the course this year. And last week, they were proud to
present their story to the Overstrand Municipality’s Connectivity Summit. Cath says: “There were two main messages to come out of the summit. One was the need to provide internet access to the more disadvantaged communities to build economic transformation. The other was the need for skills to enable them to utilise it.” SHARP Digital is a community-based organisation and has many people in the community to thank for their support, including William Ntebe and Fikiswe Gxamesi of the Zwelihle Youth Café, from where the Hermanus operation first began operating; Olwethu Petros from Petros Media for supporting the idea and helping to drive it in his community; Luvo Bomwani from the Local Economic Development team at the Overstrand Municipality for recognising the potential of the project and making it easier for his team’s clients to use the service; the OK Foods supermarket at Gateway which donated the drinks and snacks for the graduation party; the dance group, The Mighty Eagles, from Gansbaai; the Zwelihle Young Brothers, an a capella quintet who sang at the graduation party and also the Connectivity Summit; and the Hermanus Rainbow Trust for incorporating the course into their Parenting Worx programme. SHARP Digital is opening real digital doors to some of our communities’ most disadvantaged people and it cannot do this alone. As a non-profit organisation with public benefit organisation status it can issue donation tax certificates to people who would like to support what it does. However, it is also looking for partnerships and collaboration to open more digital doors for more people. For more information or to make a donation, contact Cath on 078 254 5693 or cath@sharpdigital.co.za or visit www.sharpdigital.co.za.
OVERSTRAND MUNISIPALITEIT VERHURING VAN MUNISIPALE EIENDOM, ‘N GEDEELTE VAN ERF 76 ZWELIHLE
OVERSTRAND MUNICIPALITY LEASE OF MUNICIPAL PROPERTY, A PORTION OF ERF 76 ZWELIHLE
UMASIPALA WASEOVERSTRAND UKUQESHWA KWEPROPATI KAMASIPALA, INXALENYE YESIZA 76 E-ZWELIHLE
Kennis geskied hiermee dat die Raad ʼn aansoek ontvang het vir die hernuwing van ‘n huur van munisipale eiendom, synde ‘n gedeelte van Erf 76 Zwelihle, geleë te Petros Ntlapostraat 28, ingevolge die Raad se Beleid op die Administrasie van Onroerende Eiendom, 2015.
Notice is hereby given that Council received an application for the renewal of the lease of municipal property, being a portion of Erf 76 Zwelihle, situated at 28 Petros Ntlapo Street, in terms of Council’s Administration of Immovable Property Policy, 2015.
Kukhutshwa esi saziso sokuba iBhunga lifumene isicelo sokuhlaziywa kwesicelo sokuqeshwa kwepropati kaMasipala, eyinxalenye yeSiza 76 e Zwelihle, emi kwisitalato unombolo 28 Petros Ntlapo, ngokungqinelana nomGaqo-nkqubo weBhunga ongoLawulo lweePropati ezingenakuSuswa ka-2015.
Aansoeker: Ligging: Doel: Huurtermyn: Grootte:
Applicant: Locality: Purpose: Lease period: Size:
Umceli: Nomzamo Educare Centre Ingingqi 28 Petros Ntlabo Street, Zwelihle Injongo: Indawo yokuhlala yabantwana abakhathalelwa ngonoNtlalontle Isithuba senqgesho: Iminyaka eyi 3 Ubungakanani: ±1,028.3m²
Nomzamo Educare Centre Petros Ntlapostraat 28, Zwelihle Bestuur van Nomzamo Vroeë Kinder Ontwikkeling Sentrum 3 Jaar ±1,028.3m²
Nomzamo Educare Centre 28 Petros Ntlabo Street, Zwelihle Manangement of the Nomzamo Early Childhood Development Centre 3 Years ±1,028.3m²
Die aansoek is gedurende normale kantoorure per afspraak ter insae by die Eiendomsadministrasie kantore, h/v Molteno- en Viljoenstraat, Onrustrivier. Navrae moet gerig word aan Mev Madelein Erasmus, (028) 316 - 3724/ merasmus@overstrand.gov.za.
The application can be viewed during normal office hours by appointment at the Property Administration Offices, c/o Molteno and Viljoen Street, Onrustrivier. Enquiries must be directed to Mrs Madelein Erasmus, (028) 316 -3724/ merasmus@overstrand.gov.za.
Isicelo singabonwa ngamaxesha okusebenza aqhelekileyo ngokuthi wenze idinga neOfisi yoLawulo lweePropati, ekwikona yeziTalato iMolteno neViljoen, eOnrust River. Imibuzo mayijoliswe kuNkszn. Madelein Erasmus, kwezi nombolo zomnxeba, (028) 316-3724 okanye kule dilesi yeimeyili – merasmus@overstrand.gov.za.
Enige beswaar teen die voorgestelde verhuring moet behoorlik gemotiveerd en skriftelik wees en die ondergetekende voor of op 20 Desember 2019 bereik.
Any objections against the proposed lease must be properly motivated in writing and be lodged at the undersigned by no later than 20 December 2019.
Indien ʼn persoon nie kan lees of skryf nie, kan so ʼn persoon sy/haar beswaar/kommentaar mondelings by die Munisipale Kantore, Magnolialaan, Hermanus aflê waar ʼn personeellid sal help om dit op skrif te stel.
Persons who are unable to read or write can submit their objection/comments verbally at the Municipal Offices, Magnolia Avenue, Hermanus, where they will be assisted by a staff member to put it in writing.
Nayiphi na inkcaso ekhaba oku kuqeshwa kundululwayo kumele izathuzwe ngokufanelekileyo ngokubhaliweyo kwaye ingeniswe kulowo utyikitye apha ngezantsi ungadlulanga umhla we 20 Disemba 2019
Kennisgewing Nr 171/2019 Munisipale Kantore HERMANUS, 7200 Datum: 20 November 2019 The Village NEWS
Notice No 171/2019 Municipal Offices HERMANUS. 7200 Date: 20 November 2019 The Village NEWS
CC GROENEWALD MUNISIPALE BESTUURDER
CC GROENEWALD MUNICIPAL MANAGER
Abantu abangakwazi ukufunda okanye ukubhala bangangenisa inkcaso okanye izihlomlo zabo ngomlomo kwiOfisi zikaMasipala Magnolia Avenue eHermanus, apho bayakuncedwa ukubhala oko lilungu elingumsebenzi Inombolo yeSaziso 171/2019 iiOfisi kaMasipala HERMANUS, 7200 Umhla: 20 Novemba 2019 The Village NEWS
CC GROENEWALD UMPHATHI KAMASPALA
