Virtual celebration for Mpumalanga ICT Club

The current lockdown situation has seen big get-togethers, parties and real-life contact, being “things of the past,” however most big milestones can not be put on hold, as virtual video chats took its hold.

This was the same with Mpumalanga ICT Club, which was formally launched in October 2014 at Edward Matyeka Primary School by its founder Ms Nomusa Keninda, who was attached to the Anglo American Science Centre at Landau in eMalahleni as a Career Guidance Coordinator appointed by the Mpumalanga Department of Education.

Nomusas’ great milestones began when her hard work earned her trip to Belgium to attend and present an international paper in the Science Centre World Summit in 2014.

“The paper was co-authored by Prof. Collence T Chisita of Zimbabwe who unfortunately couldn’t go to Belgium, titled ‘Revitalizing Science Centres in Africa in the Age of ICT: Case of Zimbabwe and South Africa”

The birth of Mpumalanga ICT Club according to Nomusa was conceptualised shortly after her trip to Belgium, of which she described as a not smoothly ride.

“Alongside were the executive members of the club, Karabo Mashabela, Bheki Mbatha, Phumzile Ndhlovu, and Ntombizodwa Gininda. It was not as easy as that but it was worthier when I look back from today,” Nomusa explained.

Under her stewardship, the club hosted numerous initiatives that introduced teachers, learners and youth of eMalahleni into ICT skills.

“Our remarkable appearance was in 2016 on the SABC News Channel when they broadcasted our training event at Maloma Primary School. Again, last year when I was in Paris, France attending the Microsoft Education Exchange Global Summit, SABC MorningLive news invited me for an interview,” said Nomusa.

Nomusa presented workshops in and outside the country putting the club on the international map. “last year, in Pretoria, during the Africa Play Conference, I presented a paper based on the initiative adopted by the club ‘DigiGirlz is everywhere’ aimed at empowering young girls into Coding skills and Career Guidance, Africa Play Conference was the first conference to be hosted in Africa and I did it with passion.” Nomusa continued to rub shoulders with professional technological science experts throughout her journey.

“I had an opportunity to meet the father and the founder of Scratch Team Mitchel Resnick. Scratch is programming software that the club is using to introduce learners into Coding skills; I was also called to present a motivational speech and Coding training to teachers in the 365Edu Events Conference under the theme ‘Mpumalanga ICT Club on Spotlight’ by the founder of the 365Edu Event organisation, the late Mark Duncan based in Dubai in 2018 in Durban and Cape Town,” Nomusa related.

The club could not have survived without the strong network that Nomusa has built. She has been a member of the South African Association of Science and Technology Centres and SchoolnetSA where she met mentors who helped her to grow the club’s brand. Like she says, “It’s what you overcome that defines your success.”

The impact of the club has gone unnoticed as many teachers and learners in Nkangala district who continue to attend ICT training offered by the club are using the skills personally and in their classrooms. Last year Bheki Mbatha of Zacheus Malaza Secondary competed provincially after scooping a District Award for using technology in the classroom from the National Teaching Award Scheme.

“My wishes are to see the club standing the test of times from the shift presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, and seeing it tapping from the online remote training agenda. I know, it would demand a lot of creativity, innovations, collaboration and funding to keep the club for the next generation. The club offers digital learning skills for teachers, learners and the youth in and around Mpumalanga province.

“We want to support students studying online and to take away fears from those who have intentions to study online in future. The Covid-19 has stretched our thinking and we see universities and other institutions offering dual programmes (offline or online remote courses) as open options for students,” she added.

Despite the harsh reality of the national lockdown the club on Tuesday, May 12 marked its six years of patience, resilience, networking to keep the Mpumalanga ICT Club enduring on a virtual video chat, Zoom Cloud anniversary.