Training

An important principle underlying the CSIR's provision of ICTs (or any other technology) to the communities, was that no infrastructure was be provided without the necessary training to use it.

Throughout the project all the training sessions were focused on equipping and empowering the Tsilitwa MPCC members, teachers, the Tsilitwa Clinic Sister and people from the agricultural side (food gardens) in the Tsilitwa area to build up the necessary computer and business skills to be able to integrate the use of computers into learning and business opportunities. The training emphasis therefore was on the following areas:

• Basic computer skills
  
• Principles of computer-aided learning
  
• Expanding business planning skills
  
• Applying these skills to practical situations affecting the region
  
• Being exposed to higher-level business planning tools
  
• Developing relevant information collection, storage and application skills

The training in 2001 involved the following type of trainees:

• Tsilitwa MPCC members
  
• Teachers
  
• Tsilitwa Clinic Sister
  
• Food Garden Foundation Coordinator

Before any training was undertaken, interviews were held in February 2001 in order to ensure that only suitable candidates underwent the training. For each prospective trainee, whether for the teachers' computer training or the MPCC computer and business training, the following details were recorded on a data sheet:

Personal information (including name, age, address, telephone/fax numbers, educational qualification, and work experience), as well as answers to the following questions:

• What community projects have you been involved in?
  
• Who told you about the interview?
  
• What work do you think you are going to do?
  
• Why are you interested in this work?
  
• What income do you expect to earn?
  
• How will you start your own business?

About thirty people were interviewed for the MPCC training, and the first training session in February involved at least six residents for Tsilitwa and six from Sulenkama (a nearby village). In each case two people were selected who were likely to specialise in the business advisor function, two for content creation, and two for technical support. Here too, refresher training courses were thereafter presented on a monthly basis.

Besides the training in computer and business skills, some training has also been give to Tsilitwa residents in building skills, more specifically how to make mud building blocks. This took place in May and June as part of a novel CSIR initiative to build a guest house at Tsilitwa that could not only be used to house (on a commercial basis) consortium member visiting Tsilitwa for training or other purposes, but also other guests on an on-going basis.

The following is a list of all the courses and actions involved in the CSIR training in the Tsilitwa area:

Basic Business Planning:

• Your Approach to Business
  
• Marketing
  
• Pricing and Costing
  
• Business Plan
  
• Business Planning:
  
• Viability Studies of Business Opportunities
  
• Business Plans for these opportunities
  
• Funding and Financing Proposals
  
• Financial Management
  
• Mentoring and Support
  

PC Literacy:

• Computer Hardware Overview
  
• Computer Applications Overview
  
• Microsoft Windows Operating Systems
  
• Finding your way around the Computer
  
• Word Processing Usage (Introduction and Intermediate)
  
• Spreadsheet Usage (Introduction and Intermediate)
  
• Testing of the above
  
• Microsoft Publisher for Desk Top Publishing and Web Content Creation
  
• Microsoft FrontPage for Web Content Creation and Publishing
  
• PC Maintenance

Computer Based Training - CBT:

• Individual Instruction
  
• Learner work at:
  • Own Time
    
  • Own Level
    
  • Own Pace
    
  • Own Problems
    
• Built in Marking and Feedback
  
• Record of Results
  
• Identification of Problems
  
• Information for Remediation
  
• Preparation for outcome based education
  
• Creates new career opportunities for educators
  
• Own Content Creation

E-mail Usage:

• What is e-mail?
  
• What is a Web Browser?
  
• Open Web Browser
  
• Open E-mail System
  
• Understand e-mail addresses
  
• Create own e-mail addresses
  
• Compose a Message
  
• Send a Message
  
• Receive a Message
  
• Open a Received Message
  
• Add an attachment to a Composed Message
  
• Save and Open an attachment from a Received Message
  
• Printing

Internet Usage:

• What is the Internet?
  
• What is a Web Browser?
  
• Open Web Browser
  
• Web Browser Usage
  
• Home Pages
  
• Universal Resource Locators
  
• Internet Terminologies (e.g. FTP)
  
• Search Engines
  
• Web Content
  
• Electronic Trading (e-commerce)
  
• Printing

Computer Aided Mathematical Instructions - CAMI

• Register Student
  
• Mathematics
  
• Language
  
• Perceptual
  
• Let the Student Work
  
• Check and Print Student Progress
  
• Decide on Remuneration
  
• Write a Remuneration Report for the Educator
  
• Do the Remuneration
  
• Student back on the System
  
• Check Changes
  

Tsilitwa business plans

An important output of the training is for the trainees to demonstrate their PC skills and take ownership of the development of community based business plans. The intention was for the trainees to make a presentation of their business plans to funders and submit their plans as a professional document. The following business plans were created:

• MPCC as a business addressing the PC training, business skills, desk-top publishing and content creation needs.
  
• Using a digital camera, laminator, guillotine and binding machine for extending the services of the MPCC to cater for the communities needs.
  
• Tsilitwa accommodation business plan to streamline the operations of the centre.
  
• A number of other business plans were written, but only those mentioned above were implemented.
  
• A number of case studies were done.
  

The following web sites were created by the various delegates attending the content creation training sessions:

• Personal Websites
  
• Tsilitwa MPCC Website
  
• Schools Websites
  
• Tsilitwa Community Website
  
• Food Gardens Website
  
• Guest House Website

• 3 x Pentuim III's, various software and combined printer, fax, scanner and copier were provided to the Tsilitwa MPCC. All the PC's were networked in the MPCC. Start-up stationary and MPCC clothing was also provided.
• In addition, a digital camera, laminator, guillotine, ring binder was provided in 2001, plus all stationary associated with the mentioned equipment.
  
• 5 x Pentuim III's, various software and printer, was provided to the Tsilitwa Computer room. All the PC's were networked with additional PC's donated by Eskom.
• 1 x Pentium III, various software and printer was provided to the Tsilitwa Clinic. A digital camera was also provided to the clinic sister.
• 2 x Pentium III's, various software and printer was provided to Kimbili JSS as part of a program to roll out PC's to a school.

The Tsilitwa community now has their own customized Internet and e-mail addresses, namely:

• www.tsilitwa.cda.co.za which will be accessible at the end of January 2002
  
• mail@tsilitwa.cda.co.za making use of GSM technologies to provide e-mail services to the Tsilitwa Communities.
  
• mail@kimbili.cda.co.za making use of GSM technologies to provide e-mail services to the school.
  
• Connecting the Tsilitwa MPCC, Computer Room at the school, the Tsilitwa clinic, Sulenkama hospital and police station.
  
• ESKOM have electrified the Tsilitwa clinic and are investigating electrifying schools participating in this project.

05 February 2001 to 09 February 2001

05 March 2001 to 09 March 2001

02 April 2001 to 06 April 2001

22 May 2001 to 24 May 2001

17 September 2001 to 21 September 2001

05 November 2001 to 06 November 2001