Thanks to the efforts of a local organisation, Eastville Primary School now has a working, upgraded computer lab.
Lace up for Change (LU4C) launched the upgraded computer lab at the school located in Eastridge on Tuesday 12 April after giving the learners a cereal for breakfast.
Faizel Jacobs, LU4C chair, says they received a donation of R200 000 from Syntell, a South African technology company.
To ensure the donation goes as far as possible, it was decided to upgrade an existing facility – one that already had some infrastructure, such as cables and network points, in place – rather than establish a computer lab from scratch.
Officially registered in 2016, LU4C has run several campaigns aimed at supporting underprivileged schools.
These campaigns include feeding learners and providing school shoes. To date, school shoes have been donated to nine schools.
Jacobs says: “The organisation was founded around sport as a medium for change, but we did not just want to drop and go. We want to do projects that empower.”
Jacobs co-founded the organisation with Irefaan Abrahams who ran 50 half marathons in his 50th birthday year to collect the first batch of donated shoes.
The organisation has also organised other food distribution initiatives, handed over tablets and SIM cards to a school in Manenberg and completed another computer lab.
The lab at Eastville Primary is connected to the Western Cape Education Department’s portal for easy learning access, as well as literacy organisation Nal’ibali’s portal. The organisation’s aim is to promote reading for enjoyment nationally.
Jacobs says they will continue to support children in disadvantaged areas and encourages donations to assist them in fulfilling their mandate.
- To donate or to get involved, Whatsapp Jacobs on 082 882 2567 or email thecrew@lu4c.org.za
