Food retailer Pick ‘n Pay has donated over 800 computer workstations to the Shuttleworth Foundation’s tuXlab programme to assist them in their drive to increase the usage of open source software in South African schools.
This single donation will enable the establishment of tuXlabs in up to 40 schools.
Announcing the donation on Tuesday, Pick ‘n Pay said the tuXlab computer network runs entirely on open source software, which provides freedoms not associated with propriety software, such as Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
The Foundation initiated the tuXlabs with the core focus to provide an easy, cost effective, replicable, and social innovative model for schools in order to give educators and learners access to information technology and educational content. The tuXlabs programme has been running for just over a year and has already established 62 tuXlabs in the Western Cape.
Jonathan Ackerman, marketing director of Pick ‘n Pay, said the decision to donate the computers to the Shuttleworth Foundation was based on a shared belief that community upliftment can be achieved when individuals and organisations discover innovative ways of bringing about lasting change.
“Pick ‘n Pay supports the ideals of the Shuttleworth Foundation and the tuXlab programme to expand the use of IT in the classroom, making an impact on the quality of education for our future leaders whether it be in business, science, the arts or politics,” he commented.
Hilton Theunissen, the Shuttleworth Foundation’s tuXlab project manager, said that with the help of companies such as Pick ‘n Pay, the tuXlab programme could have a greater positive impact on learners and educators, making a tangible difference at a grassroots level.
“We applaud Pick ‘n Pay as their donation will not only have a direct impact on over 800 educators and approximately 4 000 learners, but also the communities where the schools are situated. We have received great encouragement from schools who have gained new skills through the use of open source in their tuXLabs.
“We also encourage schools to use the lab to enhance delivery of education, assist each other with technical troubleshooting as well as share their experiences and curriculum content amongst each other. Open source software is an effective way of giving learners and educators an uninhibited path of freedom to use, copy and customise the software without the fear of infringing piracy and copyright laws, and with donations such as this, we are able to extend the benefits of open source software to many more people”. – I-Net Bridge