Tigo connects more schools to internet

A new partnership between One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project and Tigo Rwanda, a telecom company, will ensure extension of wireless internet connection to several schools in the country.OLPC is a government programme aimed that distributes laptops to primary schools with the aim of ensuring that every child in primary school gets access to computers. At the launch of a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) project at Groupe Scolaire, Kimisagara, Tigo CEO Diego Cameros, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to avail opportunities to the country’s young generation. “We believe that internet provides a multitude of possibilities to young students, allowing them to receive knowledge and exposure as other students in developed countries,” he noted.“With internet connectivity, we are able to better equip our youth with information, subsequently creating the future leaders of Rwanda”.The State Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Dr. Mathias Harebamungu, hailed the initiative saying the government plans to connect each school and use solar energy in the areas where there is no electricity.He urged other internet providers to invest in the youth as their future clientele.Speaking to The New Times, the headmistress of the school, Jeaninne Mukaneza, said the connection will enable the students and teachers do more research.“With this internet and server, both students and teachers will easily get all the lessons,” she said. Mukaneza noted that teachers have been spending more time planning for lessons and writing on to blackboards which would not be the case now.The school currently has 1,303 Laptops under OLPC and more than 1200 students from P4 to P6 will benefit from the service while the whole school has a population of 3,229 including primary and those in lower secondary..The new project aims at taking Rwandan primary schools online.“The Rwanda OLPC programme welcomes TIGO’s contribution to the enhancement of education through the integration of technology in schools,” said Nkubito Bakuramutsa, the project coordinator.“We would like to see this partnership reach more schools and inspire more companies from the private sector to participate in this,” he addedThe project is between the two institutions and the Ministry of Education.

National

Tigo connects more schools to internet