We are very excited about our new Digibus project, a mobile tech lab in a double decker bus, which will connect and provide a free skills training service for digitally excluded communities in Gloucestershire.

The so called digital divide is very real, as the world has become increasingly 'online' people lacking the skills or ability to access services and information are falling behind in society. Communities already digitally excluded have become further disadvantaged because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Digibus will make a difference to the lives of those most vulnerable; enabling users to better access relevant information and services, improve their digital skills, connect with friends and family, reduce social isolation and improve livelihoods.    

On board the tech lab will be fitted with computers, laptops, tablets, a
3-D printer, robotics and coding and a virtual reality system. Digibus will travel throughout the county from late summer 2021, focusing on the areas and communities where individuals have the lowest engagement with the internet.  The Digibus trainer will provide personalised sessions for visitors so they can learn as much or as little as they like; whether it's how to order their medication or groceries online, chat to friends and family, stay safe using the internet, or finding out about important services or social networks that can provide further support.
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We are looking for volunteer bus/coach drivers to help with the project planning and to drive the bus, so please if you'd like to get involved, or stay updated about Digibus, including timetabling and events do sign up to the newsletter here.  

Covid-19 presents a great challenge for students in many African countries as school closures are likely to continue until 2021 in response to the pandemic. For most families this will be yet another setback they can’t afford and children although young, will quickly become the providers for their families.  Equipping them with real life skills will enable them the opportunity to either access better paid work or to develop their own business after leaving school. 
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In response to the ongoing disruption the pandemic has caused, we developed an Entrepreneurial Skills for Students initiative.  The objective of the project is for students to gain vocational experience and entrepreneurial skills during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with the aim of improving their future livelihoods. 

​Demand is rapidly growing for digital skills in graphic design, database and CRM, web building and setting up online platforms for small to medium businesses.  In addition, IT hardware and networking is becoming essential as digital development increases.  The project will enable students in Form 3 (the penultimate grade before their final, exam year), to learn how to use digital technology such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe video to gain practical skills they can use when they leave school.

The Covid crisis has really shone a spotlight on the desperate need for IT equipment and we are pleased to be helping where we can to alleviate IT digital poverty locally in Gloucestershire for:

• school children who need to keep learning remotely
• young adults support in education, digital literacy and employment  
• shielding and isolated members of our community
• job seekers ​

​With our friends, the VCS Alliance, and the help of Gloucestershire County Council we actioned the Big Laptop Giveaway, to support the most vulnerable in our local community during the pandemic.  We are pleased to report that 27 Gloucestershire charities benefitted from receiving laptops and desktop computers as part of the local campaign. 

"Without a laptop the mother was unable to access benefit applications, apply for employment, attend virtual meetings with school and social care. Her children are now able to access online education. They are all immensely grateful." 
Beki Wallace | Senior Family Support Worker| Barnardo’s Cymru and South West | Forest and Stroud Targeted Family Support Service

"Enabling isolated people to become active online really has changed people’s lives. It has helped to maintain both family and community links during what has been a tough year for everyone."
Audrey Harris | Families and Wellbeing Manager | GL11 Community Hub | Dursley

“This is my first time with modern technology, but I wish I had learned before. I can now see and keep up with all that is going on in my family without leaving the house.”
Recipient of donated laptop | GL11 Community Hub | Dursley 

We want to support more people in Gloucestershire and have a long waiting list for urgent IT equipment - if your business or school can donate working IT equipment please do get in touch. 
contact@itschoolsafrica.org

We are thankful to all our amazing donors who have supported us over the years, we couldn’t have achieved all that we have without your help. Computer donations are the foundation of our work and make our charity work possible.

In the light of the pandemic, technology for education and participation is now more important than ever. We are focused even more on improving not only access, but training and learning programmes to provide key digital skills for communities that need it most in Africa and our local UK community.

​One of our recent donors commented:
“ITSA has been providing us for many years with an efficient, speedy collection service backed up with all the relevant documentation to meet our compliance obligations. It’s great that our old IT finds new life not just in Africa but with local projects which we can feedback to our staff and customers providing them with the reassurance that we are always working to minimise our impact on the environment and helping others at the same time.” Gary Thomas, Sustainability Lead, 
Ecotricity Group

Please continue to support our African and UK programmes. We securely wipe all donated IT equipment using specialist approved software and we are fully WEEE compliant.  
Get in touch for more information contact@itschoolsafrica.org 
01242 228800 

Thank you for helping us to reach our Big Give Christmas Campaign target of £15,000!  We are delighted and overwhelmed with the support we have had over the last week, raising more than we have done in previous years. 

The funding will enable us to provide ICT training for 180 teachers in Zambia. ​Many teachers lack the skills and confidence to use computers in their lessons and so students are not getting the opportunity to use computers in their non-ICT classes.  Covid-19 has presented a unique opportunity, forcing schools to start looking at their e-learning capabilities. A teacher, trained in ICT is no longer a choice, they are now a necessity.

The courses are specifically aimed at developing knowledge and skills to assist teachers when delivering ICT in education, with the overall objective to improve teachers’ digital skills proficiency and the students’ experience and education.  We expect the training will have a positive effect on students educational outcomes, with more students achieving higher grades in ICT and non-ICT subjects such as maths and science.

We will start the courses in the new year, working with the schools and head teachers to ensure all training is delivered in an Covid-secure environment.  Please check our news page for updates later in the year.

We are excited to be taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2020 for the third consecutive year. In just under one month the Big Give Christmas Challenge launches on #GivingTuesday (midday 1st Dec) 
​Could you support us?
Please save the date 1st December 2020 –  8th December 2020. 

For one week only, online donations raised for our teacher training project in Zambia, will be DOUBLED as part of a match funding campaign. For example, an online donation of £100 would be doubled to £200. If Gift Aid is claimed, the donation could be worth £225.
(Donations are doubled whilst matching funds last.) 

​Project Overview - The aim of the project is to train teachers in Zambia in ICT and digital skills to help improve the quality of digital education. ​
Only 6.8 percent of individuals over 10 years old in Zambia know how to use a computer (Ministry of General Education, Republic of Zambia). Schools lack the resources to provide digital training, leaving teachers unskilled and often unable to provide a positive digital learning experience for students.

Covid-19 has presented a unique opportunity, forcing schools to start looking at their e-learning capabilities. We want to provide digital training for teachers to improve digital education for students. 

We believe the impact of the project will enable teachers to integrate ICT into all subject areas improving students digital skills so they can utilise them to improve their studies.  Consequently students will leave school confident and digitally focused to improve their future education, and livelihoods.

We are excited to share a series of three blog posts, written by one of our fantastic new student volunteers, exploring how our country programmes in Africa have adapted their services in the light of the pandemic.

Maya, our first virtual student volunteer, has over the past few months researched (with lots of Zoom meetings) how our Africa programmes in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, are coping with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

​Maya commented "I hope these articles shine a light on the reality that schools and their students are facing right now. I’ve learnt so much about the challenges these people are facing, but I’ve really been struck by their resilience and positivity."

Thank you to Maya for her valuable contribution. 
Please read more 

We are proud and delighted to say that we have now reached the monumental milestone of receiving 100,000 donated computers and laptops. It is a truly magnificent achievement. We are grateful to all our donors be they Schools, Businesses, Rotary Clubs, Universities and Individuals who have enabled us to reach this remarkable number.
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These donations of computers and laptops which potentially could have gone to landfill have meant that we have been able to give access to IT to millions of schoolchildren in Africa as well as supporting many local UK community organisations, primarily in Gloucestershire, who have helped many thousands of individuals improve their IT skills and bridge the digital divide. Thank you to all our donors for their support, we couldn't have achieved this without you!

“With citizens of the UK staying at home to stay safe, technology has become a necessity for keeping connected, working remotely and accessing vital information.”
(Lloyds Bank Consumer Digital Index, May 2020).​

The objective of our local TECH Connect Community Programme is to bring technology, digital participation and digital skills to those who need it most. We have integrated Digital Unite's Champion Network into our successful IT outreach programme that provides refurbished IT equipment and digital support for vulnerable and disengaged communities. 

Our Digital Champions Network is made up of digital champions who assist people with their digital skills. Many people don’t feel comfortable learning on their own and need personal, one to one support to help them overcome the barriers to being online. 

Our objective is to train, support and manage a cohort of digital champions to help people gain digital skills in a friendly peer-to-peer method of learning. We are working in partnership with local grassroots community groups, who identify vulnerable families and individuals, so together we can cascade digital skills knowledge whilst encouraging digital participation for those who need it most.
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​Contact jenny@itschoolsafrica.org for more information

​In December 2019 we took part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge and with your support we were delighted to raise enough funds to install a fully equipped IT lab for Njamba Secondary School in Malawi. Njamba School is a government secondary school with the capacity for 400 pupils. By providing IT facilities for the school it will enable most of the students to gain a digital education for the first time, as previously they had just four computers. It is likely that it will also increase school enrolment as parents will want their children to go to a school that has computers that they can benefit from. The lab was extremely well received by the school, and will really transform the education they can offer to both existing and future students.