Kalangala ‘ICT hub’ spends 12 years without Internet
Mr Joseph Zhang (sky-blue shirt), the chairperson of the China Chamber of Commerce, inspects computers which were donated to Serwanga Lwanga Memorial School in Kalangala Island. PHOTO/STEPHEN OTAGE
What you need to know:
- Gen Wamala said he would lobby the Chinese companies to build for the school a computer laboratory as well as install Internet.
Sserwanga Lwanga Memorial SSS in Kalangala District says the computers that government donated in 2010, to establish the school as a model ICT hub for the islanders, have never received Internet connection.
While receiving a donation of 10 computers from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce last month, Ms Juliet Nalunga, the head teacher, said the government school, which was started in 2001 in memory of the late Col Sserwanga Lwanga, lacks Internet.
“We have 10 functional computers but they have never had Internet for the learners to carry out research. Government aided the school with computers but we do not have a computer laboratory and even if we did, the student to computer ratio would have been one computer to 144 students,” she said.
Gen Katumba Wamala, the Transport and Works minister, who lobbied for the computers, tasked the students to embrace ICT if they are to survive in the new world.
“ICT is a must if you are going to survive in the challenging world. You must be ICT compliant. My niece was admitted to study a Master’s Degree in China during Covid pandemic but she couldn’t travel and she started online classes. She graduated this year. My daughter did digital marketing online she sits on computers and markets Canadian companies in Uganda you cannot run away from ICT,” he said.
Gen Wamala said he would lobby the Chinese companies to build for the school a computer laboratory as well as install Internet.
Mr Joseph Zhang, the chairperson of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said he would invite Chinese companies, ZTE and Huawei, to make an assessment of the school’s Internet needs and have it connected.
