Vuma helps Alex gogos to be tech-savvy
Vuma and goGOGOgo have teamed up to help train Alex gogos to be tech-savvy and enable them to help their grandchildren do their homework.
ICT solutions company Vuma has teamed up with NGO goGOGOgo in an effort to accelerate a programme to close the digital divide between ogogo and the children that they raise.
The programme is being piloted in Alexandra and is so designed to ensure the grandmothers are equipped with the necessary skills to become tech-savvy so they are not left behind as they help their grandchildren to do their homework.“Ama-2000’s [as the new generation is fondly known] can be a handful and if they aren’t preoccupied with videos, you can find them experimenting with creating their own content, sometimes even pulling silly pranks on ogogo. Love it or hate it, this generation is brave and fearless.
“However, there are many things they could be learning from being online, apart from spending hours watching TikTok,” said ugogo Dudu Machete, a 70-year grandmother from Alexandra and a beneficiary of the programme.
Through access to the internet, and with smartphones and tablets being more readily available, access to educational resources and tools is a game-changer for learners which allows them to connect with their teachers and simplify complex subjects into easy-to-understand terms.
“Despite being light years ahead of their grandmothers in the adoption and use of technology, when it comes to homework and exam preparation, this is a terrain that caregivers, including grandmothers, still need to navigate and provide guidance on,” Machete added.
According to goGOGOgo founder Jane Simmonds, despite all of the grandmothers’ capabilities as highly respected advisers to the younger generation, trying to cope with the new concepts that children learn in school can become overwhelming.
“It is for this reason that Vuma saw it fit to team up with goGOGOgo as an effort to help ogogo keep up with educational trends which can be challenging for most parents, more so for South African gogos.
“However, countless easy-to-use online tools can empower these phenomenal women to help their grandchildren overcome any learning challenges they may face inside and outside the classroom, and we’re proud to be able to bridge that gap through ICT training,” said Simmonds.
Taylor Kwong, CSI manager at Vuma said, “Technology has the power to change lives, allowing both young and old to access a world of digital opportunities.
“That’s why we continue to uplift communities through fibre infrastructure – and more importantly the opportunities that this technology enables – empowering ordinary people to be extraordinary through the boundless capabilities that are unlocked with abundant connectivity.”
Machete concluded, “Thanks to the internet, teaching my grandchildren has never been easier. I’ve been able to help them with their school projects and school work by using Google to find whatever they need to know. Just like Vuma is doing, we are challenging other corporates to sponsor more gogos to participate in the programme.”
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