Project Background:
The Umjindi Resource Centre is a Independent Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) and a registered Section 21 Company that was initiated between Sappi and the Umjindi Municipality
The Umjindi Resource Centre, a Section 21 (non-profit) company, provides access to information, educational resources and basic business services to scholars, students, pensioners, local entrepreneurs, visitors from other countries and adults of all descriptions. The centre has established itself as an affordable, accessible, and trustworthy digital village that empowers people.
The Umjindi Resource centre has been modeled on the very successful KwaDukuza Resource Centre in Stanger KwaZulu Natal. The Centre is the largest corporate social investment of its kind in the Mpumalanga Lowveld.
The Centre is located on the lower level of the Barberton Public Library and provides educational resources and facilities for the approximately 11,500 learners in the 33 schools situated within a 15 kilometer radius of its location, as well as for educators and the community as a whole. It provides a wide range of facilities and resources for young children, learners, educators and adults alike. A nominal membership fee is charged on a quarterly basis but, where appropriate, financial assistance will be provided to cover membership fees and will be granted according to pre-set criteria.
The Umjindi Centre comprises a Digital Village with computers, a dedicated study centre and a reference library. Duplication, lamination, faxing and bookbinding services are also provided to the community at cost. The Digital Village comprises 36 computers loaded with sponsored Microsoft software and providing Internet and e-mail access through a 1024k ADSL connection. Dell donated 19 new computers to the centre enabling it to operate at full capacity and expanding the digital village from 17 computers to 36. It affords every member of the community to use state-of-the-art information technology, regardless of personal means.
Today the power of the internet and computer literacy cannot be overemphasized. We have seen people using our facilities to learn, play, reach out to loved ones and to solve problems. Not being computer literate today is becoming as much of a problem as illiteracy was 20 years ago.
Participation in school, in studies even in society is based heavily on a person’s ability to acquire information. And with more and more people having access to up to date information through technology, those who do not have the luxury of accessing this information fall behind quicker than we imagine.
Although we provide technology and access to computers, the internet and knowledge it is important to remember that we provide this to humans. Although we provide convenient tools they would be worth nothing if they did not enrich human lives.
We are all stakeholders in South Africa’s future, and in the future of all the members of our community. It is thanks to socially aware corporate companies such as Sappi as well as local government that care about their community like the Umjindi Municipality that we, as a community project, are able to join the frontline in this effort