By Mark Kawalya
Airtel Uganda, a telecom company, has recently provided internet connectivity to 60 schools with the aim of increasing access to digital learning among underserved schools and improving education quality in Uganda. The initiative was part of Airtel Uganda’s celebration of Uganda’s 60 years of independence and was launched at Bulamu Seed Secondary School in Mpigi District.
To identify schools in need, Airtel Uganda invited public nominations for underserved rural schools in the country. The company is extending the internet connection to schools in the eastern, central, western, and northern parts of Uganda, and some of the schools that will benefit from this initiative include Kisaana Secondary School in Kalungu District, Adjumani Model Secondary School in Adjumani District, Otuke Secondary School in Otuke District, Kapchorwa Muslim High School in Kapchorwa District, and Kagamba S.S. School in Ntungamo District, among others.
Faith Bugonzi, the Brand Strategy Manager for Airtel Uganda, said that the initiative aligns with Airtel Uganda’s transforming lives agenda under the Airtel Cares program in education, health, and agriculture. She believes that access to the internet should be extended to underserved communities to increase channels through which learners acquire information and knowledge, inspiring their success and growth and stimulating the development of the communities around them.
Nantege Florence, the head teacher at Bulamu Seed Secondary School, commended Airtel for championing the penetration of internet access in different regions across the country, and noted that the support provided to the schools will go a long way in helping learners have access to e-learning, which is advanced and offers a competitive advantage for the learners and the school.
Bugonzi concluded by emphasizing the importance of integrating e-learning into the curriculum to enable learners to compete effectively with those from across the globe, as information and communication technologies are becoming a major driving force in transforming education worldwide. Airtel remains committed to supporting people and communities in which it operates through its Corporate Social Responsibility agenda under the Airtel Cares program, whose three pillars of education, agriculture, and health are designed to improve people’s livelihoods.
