Microsoft Partners With Namibian Government to Create a Sustainable Programme to Address Digital Divide
Successful collaboration through the African Pathfinder initiative results in a broad framework for technology access and training in education.
WINDHOEK, Namibia — 7 June 2005 — Microsoft and the Namibian government today marked the completion of a two-year collaboration to create a new approach to provide Namibian schools and communities with access to technology and computer-related training. The joint initiative, named the African Pathfinder, comprises a broad range of programmes which, together, enable information and communication technology (ICT) to be procured and put to use for African society. As part of the evaluation process, the African Pathfinder initiative equipped 13 pilot schools in Namibia with a comprehensive learning solution, incorporating technology infrastructure, telecommunications, teacher-training programmes and innovative software solutions. Microsoft has now signed public private partnerships with 15 African countries under its “Partners in Learning” initiative where the African Pathfinder model may be replicated.
The initiative’s success, attributable to the Namibian government’s vision for development and Microsoft’s commitment to a sustainable model for ICT in education, underscores the value that technology can bring to students, teachers and administrators in developing countries.
“A well-educated and skilled society leads to improved development through healthcare, nutrition and economic performance,” said Theo-Ben Gurirab, the Speaker of the Parliament of Namibia and former prime minister. “By working together, the Namibian Parliament and Microsoft have begun an important process of equipping today’s students, who are tomorrow’s leaders, with the resources and skills that will pave the way for a more prosperous future. I believe I speak for every Member of Parliament in saying I am very proud of the success of the African Pathfinder initiative and confident in the potential it has to empower the people of Namibia.”
Microsoft put considerable resources — people, software, expertise and funding — into the development and execution of the African Pathfinder pilot to create a replicable solution for schools in Africa. The initiative generated a number of innovative projects based on Microsoft’s model of addressing nine critical components of ICT in education: access, training, technical support, public/private partnerships, innovative software, learning communities, research, curriculum development and policy development. The model was adapted to address the needs and priorities of the Namibian education community, providing the infrastructure required to bring comprehensive ICT training and affordable access to the country in a scalable way. Now complete, the initiative is locally owned and operated, and backed by the Namibian government.
Additionally, through the African Pathfinder initiative in Namibia, three community centres have been installed with computer resources, a teacher-training curriculum has been developed and the Namibian government has adopted a contract for implementing the African Pathfinder model in schools across the country’s urban and rural communities. The initiative supports Microsoft’s goal to broaden digital inclusion and bring the benefits of technology to a quarter of a billion people by 2010.
Jean-Philippe Courtois, CEO of Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa, asserted Microsoft’s commitment to working closely with communities in developing countries to improve access to technology. “As the African Pathfinder initiative demonstrates, there are very few places where technology can have as powerful an impact as in education,” he said. “By partnering closely with the Namibian government, Microsoft’s technology and knowledge is now serving the teachers and students of Namibia and that knowledge can be applied to other countries in helping to bridge the digital divide. Microsoft will remain deeply engaged with partners in Namibia and across the region with the mission of supporting digital inclusion.”
Sustainable Access to Technology — Digital Pipeline
A core component of the African Pathfinder is the Digital Pipeline, which generates a sustainable supply of PCs, while supporting local capacity building for increased access to technology. The Digital Pipeline is a multi-stakeholder approach to establishing computer refurbishment centres where surplus computers from developed countries are obtained and reconditioned for use in schools and other organisations at a very low cost.
Microsoft initiated the programme to help bridge the digital divide by taking advantage of the increasing number of PCs that are discarded each year by businesses and other organisations. According to a recent Gartner study, worldwide, 118 million computers were decommissioned for the first time in 2004. Microsoft estimates that this number will grow every year to reach 180 million by 2010. Working in close partnership, Microsoft and the Namibian Parliament have created a model for extending the value of refurbished PCs.
Computers will be received by a Digital Pipeline Centre (DPC) to be refurbished and commissioned for use in schools and community centres. The Digital Pipeline Centres will be run as financially sustainable businesses. One of the first examples of the Digital Pipeline in action is the National Computer Refurbishment Centre in Windhoek, which will officially open this week.
A primary goal of the Digital Pipeline initiative is to build IT capacity in developing countries that have not traditionally had the resources required to take advantage of innovative technologies. As part of the African Pathfinder initiative, Microsoft has developed special software tools for use in schools that enable a student in Namibia to enjoy a similar experience as a student in a developed country — irrespective of the age of the technology being used.
The initiative supports key Millennium Development Goals, including having the private sector make the benefits of new technology more widely available and, by 2015, ensure that children everywhere are able to complete a full course in primary schooling.
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