KNYSNA NEWS - The Knysna Initiative for Learning and Teaching (KILT) says members of the public have generously dropped off a good number of items during its inaugural Digital Tech Drive.
Recognising that not all schools and learners have access to digital devices, KILT is actively building a bank of reconditioned technology to support education in innovative ways.
Stages of the drive were held at the Knysna Mall on 28 February and 28 March, while some of the items were dropped off at the KILT headquarters in Queen Street.
KILT said it had received two laptops, three phones, four tablets, four monitors, three keyboards, four cables, one mouse, three routers, two signal extenders, one card, and five point switches, as well as cash donations totalling R790.
More tech sought
Members of the public are urged to continue donating "previously loved but working devices", including cellphones, tablets, laptops and earphones, at the headquarters or the following locations:
- Incredible Connection - Knysna Mall (look out for the KILT donation box)
- Île de Pain - Thesen Island, Knysna (look out for the KILT donation box).
Engaging lessons
With the help of a dedicated tech team, donated devices are serviced and distributed to KILT-supported schools, empowering teachers to deliver engaging lessons in coding, robotics, and integrated learning.
KILT has assured members of the public wishing to donate items that KILT's tech team "will help you back up your files or reset your device to factory settings, so your personal information stays private".
Promising pledge
"The two events (at Knysna Mall) made a great impact in terms of creating awareness and growing KILT into a household name, and members of the public generously dropped off a good number of items, both at the Knysna Mall and at our KILT headquarters," KILT said.
"We also have a promising pledge from a PE (Gqeberha) company who are busy doing a tech audit in their offices. They have said that they will be happy to send any items collected to us here in Knysna.
"Many passers-by expressed their intention to drop off items in the near future and were reassured by the idea that their devices could be restored to factory settings."
Donor urged to make contact
KILT said it is delighted at the response to its first events and can't wait to start distributing the tech to classrooms in local government schools, where teachers will use them to give exciting tech-enriched lessons.
"They will also be used by our busy Lego robotics team who teach coding to learners in the high schools."
It also called on an anonymous donor whose R500-donation failed to go through, to contact them.
"We had two wonderful anonymous card donations of R500 but something went wrong with the second transaction and it failed to go through," it said. "Both were from males and they both seemed to be local. Our colleagues tried to catch up with the gentleman in question but lost him in the Friday crowds.
"If someone made a donation and it hasn't gone out of their account, please could they get in touch? R500 could make a big impact."
The public can still donate either items or cash towards the drive. Cash will be used towards the servicing of the donated tech.
nThose who want to donate to this worthy cause, can phone KILT on 044 382 7508 for more details.
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