Computer Room for Valley School

The Vula Programme at Hilton College has facilitated the donation of a computer-room-in-a-container to the Hilton Intermediate School in the Hilton Valley community.

The container had previously been donated by Datatec (also the major donor to the CFI at Hilton College) to an NGO which had positioned the container at the old bus depot at Sweetwaters. During 2006 that NGO had run out of funding, and the Vula Programme was asked by Datatec to recommend a school in the area which would make good use of the container and its contents.

In finding a suitable recipient, matters such as security and control, and the ongoing maintenance required by a computer room, were taken into account.

After considering several options, the Director of the Vula Programme, Lloyd Smuts, and the Head of IT at the college, Peter de Lisle, decided to recommend to Datatec that the container be moved to the Hilton Intermediate School, and this was agreed to by them.

On Tuesday 20 February, after several hot and dry days in the Midlands, the road down to the valley was adjudged to be hard enough to take the load of a huge crane and a long low-bed carrying the 12 metre container.

At just on 1pm the container was lowered onto its new site at the school, watched by the pupils and teachers.

The container has been electrified and alarmed, and fitted out with its computer equipment, including several brand new workstations..

The Computainer was opened on 22nd March 2007.

Wilna de Villiers of Datatec inspects the new facilities

Learners from the school get to grips with the new machines

Bheki Kunene, who assisted with setting up the lab, shows the kids how

Lloyd Smuts (Vula Director), Bheki, Prof. Falcon (Chair of Community Projects Board Sub-Committee), Lionel Falcon, James Mbanjwa (Chair of the Schools's SGB), Greg Beyrooti (set up the lab)

Excited kids at the opnening ceremony