Driftsands, situated between Khayelitsha and Mfuleni, is an often overlooked community.
However, there were smiles galore when Apla, in partnership with GiveItBack, donated 40 Britebox tablets with teachers laptops to Mzamomtsha Primary School on Friday March 1.
The Britebox can help pupils access the internet and other educational tools easily.
The tablets were uploaded with approved educational software, internet connectivity, software from the Department of Basic Education, books, apps and self-study courses.
Apla operations manager, Zaynul Mohammed, said they understood the importance of social responsibility.
He said such educational tools can open many doors for the pupils as these days they need to be technologically advanced and be able to use such devices.
“We want to make the future of these children brighter.
“We hope to see all these pupils making wise life choices and becoming responsible citizens in the future,” he said.
Mr Mohammed said one of the main goals of the company was to build an educational centre to assist pupils in their studies.
GiveItBack development officer, Jeffrey Kuturuza, said the Britebox instantly transforms any classroom into a fully functional computer lab.
The unique thing that set the Britebox apart from other tablets, he said, was that it worked without the internet .
He said the Britebox tablets also come with anti-theft software built in, which includes GPS location of missing tablets.
But he said, most importantly, the tablets were easy to use and could be used by Grade 1 pupils.
School principal Simphiwe Kuza said the school has a computer lab, which contains only 20 laptops.
He said their classes have more than 40 pupils and it was extremely difficult for teachers to allow the pupils to use the laptops.
But he said with such donations he could at least breathe a sigh of relief knowing that every child would have a chance and opportunity to use techonology
He said the harsh reality was that the school was situated in one of the most disadvantaged communities and many people were not even aware that there was a school in the community. “I’m overwhelmed with the donation.
“I welcome any thing that would be beneficial to the school. But the reality is that we are in need of more donations from the private sector,” he said.