The Department of Science and Technology and the Square Kilometre Array South Africa (SKA SA) on Tuesday launched two community initiatives, which would provide new information and communications technology and learning resources to Carnarvon, in the Northern Cape.

The initiatives, which were made possible by donations and corporate social investments by SKA SA’s industry partners, comprised a R2.5-million e-Schools initiative and a community knowledge centre.

"We are deeply grateful for and appreciative of the generous support we have received from the private sector. This support will enable the community to participate in the SKA initiative and will certainly bring about improvements in the lives of the local people. We look forward to seeing more and more learners benefit from this initiative and, in future, work on the SKA project itself as engineers, technicians and scientists," Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom said.

The SKA SA e-Schools initiative would deliver ClassMate laptops, connectivity and training to five schools near the SKA SA project.

The laptops would be preloaded with innovative learning materials, lesson plans and tutorials focused on mathematics, physical science, life science and astronomy.

SKA SA said it was confident that this kind of support for "feeder" schools in the local area around the SKA project would help to interest students in pursuing maths, science and technology at tertiary level and possibly join the SKA project in future.

"Developing a sustainable educational ecosystem around the SKA project will not only benefit the community, schools, teachers and learners but, in the longer term, the SKA project as a workplace and South Africa as a nation," SKA SA site operations and infrastructure GM Tracy Cheetham explained.

The investment was also in line with the SKA SA’s human-capital development programme's concept of creating a pipeline of skills required for the project in conjunction with the project's local social upliftment plan.

Meanwhile, the new community centre, located at the Bonteheuwel Library, in Carnarvon, would give the community access to computers, the Internet and other digital technologies that would enable them to gather information, create, learn and communicate while they develop digital skills.