Mario Gardner (19) – The Teach-A-Senior Citizens Digital Skills Competition winner
The campaign is aimed at promoting social cohesion, digital skills, and bridging the digital divide among families, especially during the Covid-19 crisis.
Mario Gardner (19) from Kliptown Secondary School was announced as one of the winners of Teach-A-Senior Citizens Digital Skills Competition.
The campaign is aimed at promoting social cohesion, digital skills, and bridging the digital divide among families, especially during the Covid-19 crisis.
“The competition was from the City of Johannesburg (COJ) it was about us as the youth showing our elderly how to use modern-day technology, and how to communicate on social media.
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“We had to make a 2 to 3-minute-long video with us explaining to our elders on how to use social media,” explained Gardner.
When asked what made his video different, Gardner said: “I really don’t know, I think it was because I was enthusiastic and I think that its good for us all to learn about new technology.
“We need to focus on moving into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In my video, I showed my grandmother how to use Whatsapp, its common for us as the youth because many of us use it to communicate but it’s not common to my grandmother.”
Gardner entered his video into the competition on July 6, a few weeks later he received a message stating that he was one of the winners of the competition.
The prize was a tablet. “I was so excited, I never thought that I would win but I guess my hard work paid off.
“The MMC of Community Development Margaret Arnolds and MTN, who are the sponsors of the tablet wanted to address us winners so we all went last Saturday to receive the tablets.
“The tablet will help me with my studies as well as with applying at the University.
“I will be able to also stay informed on what’s happening in the City.
“I am the only one with a tablet at home and my little brother is very excited about it for games but he will learn to understand that it is for my studies,” shared Gardner.
Gardner would like to become an entrepreneur when he is finished with school.
He shared that he does not see himself working for someone, he feels that South Africans need to start focusing on entrepreneurship and creating jobs.
The winner concluded with a message to the community: “Personally, I would like to say to the people from Eldorado Park that they shouldn’t let their surroundings limit them.
“Good can come from our community.
“If you have a goal go for it, it doesn’t matter where you are from.
“There are many opportunities but people let their surroundings affect them. I am a go-getter and I won’t let anything stop me.”
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