In South Africa, children and parents who have never had access to technology before are learning to use PCs, software and the Internet at 22 Digital Villages across the country. Every day, more than 100 people visit each of these villages. Children use them in the afternoons to do their homework and explore the world on the Internet. Created through a collaboration of government, local business and the technology industry, the Digital Villages offer rural South Africans the chance to gain new skills, learn more about the world around them and a more hopeful outlook for the future. At Sunman Elementary School in Indiana, the Buddy Project has put computers into the homes of more than 6,000 students.
Parents are so supportive that they are willing to help pay leasing costs for the computer.
In addition, students at Sunman collaborate with senior citizens to complete intergenerational project via the Internet. They provide residents in nearly 900 rural, low-income communities access to the Internet and educational software. Each local community is developing its own CTC Portal with local content. These alternative community learning centers relay on multimedia technology to help children pursue higher academic achievement and help parents and other adults build job-related skills. All rights reserved.