Johannesburg, South Africa - March 13, 2014:
Wipro Ltd. (NYSE: WIT), the global Information Technology, Consulting and Outsourcing company has launched a Computer Learning Incubator and a library at the Gobandlovu Primary School, located in Esikhawini in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Gobandlovu Primary School is among those that lack both a library and basic computer equipment with internet access. To address this need, Wipro established a Computer Learning Incubator (CLI), a facility that provides PCs and internet connectivity to the students. The CLI can be utilised by the local community like an internet cafe. The construction of the centre was enabled by Breadline Africa and funded by Wipro.
Breadline Africa renovates disused shipping containers and recycles them for essential community purposes. Since their establishment in 1993, they have provided over 190 containers to poverty stricken communities. For the past four years, the Cape Town based NGO has worked with the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory to place container libraries in each of the nine provinces. To date, 39 library containers have been placed in schools across the country.
The findings of an annual national assessment report on junior education shows that the national average performance in literacy stands at 35% among grade three pupils and at 28% for grade six. In addition to the CLI, Wipro stepped forward and fashioned a library from a refurbished shipping container, housing over 5,000 educational books and training materials for the students and teachers. This initiative aligns with the South African government’s vision to increase access to essential resources for an enriched education.
Shailendra Singh, Business Director, Africa region, Wipro said, "We believe that a successful business should assume responsibility to give back to the society. At Wipro, we are planning many such initiatives to promote education and facilitate self-sustaining enterprises in the local community."
Nokulunga Lungi, a resident of Johannesburg, has been selected to manage the operations of Gobandlovu School initiative, and has been trained by Wipro in end user computing and general business principles and acumen. In the first year, Wipro will bear her salary along with all the operational expenses of this initiative with the vision of growing this enterprise into a self-sustaining entity.
Explaining the significance of this initiative to the local community, Nokulunga Lungi said, "This is a wonderful opportunity to help people in the Esikhawini area. Having access to computers and to the internet will make a huge difference to our lives. I’m very pleased to be part of this initiative, and look forward to learning how to build a business with Wipro’s support."
"Literacy and the right to education is a human right," Director of Breadline Africa, Tim Smith said of the initiative. "Libraries help foster a love of reading and provide a world of opportunity to children. Through the generosity of companies like Wipro, the initiative has reached more than 30,000 children, many of whom are entering the world of reading for the first time."
Wipro is committed to being an involved participant in its communities and the larger society. Since the beginning of the last decade, Wipro has unveiled several initiatives targeted at helping address issues dogging India’s education system. A key initiative, Wipro’s Applying Thought in Schools aims to improve the quality of school education. Mission10x is another program wherein the company works with college teachers to enhance employability skills of engineering graduates in India. Wipro has also launched fellowship programs in the US to improve the performance of students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
About Wipro Ltd.
Wipro Ltd. (NYSE:WIT) is a leading Information Technology, Consulting and Outsourcing company that delivers solutions to enable its clients do business better. Wipro delivers winning business outcomes through its deep industry experience and a 360 degree view of "Business through Technology" - helping clients create successful and adaptive businesses. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, a practitioner's approach to delivering innovation, and an organization wide commitment to sustainability, Wipro has a workforce of 140,000 serving clients across 61 countries. For more information, please visit www.wipro.com.
Media Contact:
South Africa
Jane Wessels
Wipro Technologies
+27 110616500
jane.wessels@wipro.com
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