13 Oct 2022

Orange Foundation has handed over the Lead Girl Digital Centre to Maun community.

The centre, housed at Life Centre in Sedie Ward is a joint venture between Orange Foundation, Queen Esther and Love Botswana Outreach Mission.

It seeks to promote the use of digital technologies for women and girls from rural and hard to reach places. Speaking at the official launch on Tuesday, Orange Botswana Legal and Corporate Affairs director, Ms Lepata Mafa-Nthomola said the centre was the fifth with others in Molepolole, Ghanzi, Mabele and Selebi Phikwe.

She said the centres were meant to address the struggles women went through to access necessities as technology and also in recognition that digital inclusion was imperative in the lives of girls and women, to shape them into techno savvy and employable individuals.

Ms Mafa-Nthomola said the centre was in line with the Reset Agenda as it talked about digitalisation being at the centre, to shape how the public consumed services and how government extended services to the people.

“We are saying you can access government services wherever you are without physically being there and we have changed the way we do things with COVID-19 having accelerated the use of digitalisation, stated Ms Mafa-Nthomola.

She said the mandate of Orange Botswana was to drive digital inclusion. She however acknowledged that not everyone had the means hence Orange Foundation enabled those disadvantaged, to bridge the digital gap.  Ms Mafa-Nthomola said the dream was to see the centre empowering girls, women and even boys with digital skills, to improve employability, further studies and conducting their businesses online.

“We want to see financial independent women who are software developers, engineers and ICT experts so, go out there and pursue these careers,” stated Ms Mafa-Nthomola, adding that Orange Foundation purchased 20 tablets, 30 computers, 10 laptops, printer and a projector for the centre.

She said Queen Esther facilitators were allowed to write another proposal should they need more equipment.

Queen Esther coordinator, Ms Vehae Tjiriange said the centre had so far trained 60 women from Maun in basic computer skills, noting that the programmme would be extended to surrounding villages.

She expressed gratitude to Orange Foundation for contributing to women empowerment and believed the digital centre would change many lives.

Ms Tjiriange stated that through the centre, there would be motivational talks from women in leadership and women would be offered a platform to share their stories.

Sharing her testimony, Lead Girl Digital Centre graduate, Ms Rumono Charles relished the opportunity accorded to them to study basic computer skills, an experience she said helped rebuild her confidence and had developed interest to further her studies and explore ICT. ENDs