Upskilling South Africa’s youth is key to future success, and an area that requires urgent input is digital transformation. As part of a joint commitment to growing an inclusive economy, Webhelp South Africa, Think Human Foundation, and Save the Children have partnered on a ground-breaking digital transformation initiative which launched in Umlazi on Thursday, 9th February 2023.

Unfortunately, many children do not have access to the necessary training required to keep up with this shift. As a result, this three-year philanthropic project will equip 550 students and 10 teachers from Zwelihle Secondary School in Umlazi with digital literacy skills that are aligned with the school curriculum.

Beyond this, Webhelp and Save the Children will also develop students’ social and emotional skills through study and revision sessions, to support them to be more marketable to the world of work. Financial literacy guidance and assistance with tertiary applications will be provided, as well as connections made with tertiary and vocational training, bursary platforms, career exhibitions and other job opportunities.

Cathy Kalamaras, Webhelp’s People Director in South Africa, commented:

“We’re pleased to be able to offer support to Save the Children South Africa, alongside Think Human Foundation and Share Think Human. We believe that the partnership we’re embarking on to deliver digital literacy, and social and emotional training to township school children in KZN is critically important to positively impact the education and future of these young learners. We are incredibly excited about what we can achieve together, which we hope will have a profound effect on every learner we touch having a brighter future.”

The school will be assigned a dedicated facilitator and project manager to oversee stakeholder engagement and support, including social and emotional learning, resilience training, CV writing assistance and interview tips, as well as project implementation and reporting.

Principal of Zwelihle Secondary School, Mr WB Zungu, said:

“We are so happy to be part of the Save the Children project and are looking forward to working with the organisation from this year. I’m sure that this is going to be a beneficial partnership that helps our learners, our teachers, and our community at large. We are so looking forward to the launch of the project this year.”

As part of Save the Children’s education focus, the organisation believes this collaboration will advance their aims of improving skills-based education for primary and high school learners by bridging the digital divide and creating opportunities for learners in disadvantaged township schools.

We’re delighted to play our part in making a positive impact to young people’s lives through giving our time and skills. This partnership aligns with the philanthropic pillar of our More Movement mission, to make business more human. As part of our #MoreMovement programme, we intend to foster more inclusion in the workforce and do more for our local communities.