University Business School brings hi-tech support to Uganda – University of Reading
29 March 2004
A poor and remote African region will soon be reaping the benefits of modern technology after University of Reading Business School staff donated 21 computers to help train nurses and teach computer skills to local children. On Thursday 25 March, the computers and accessories were loaded on to a van at the University and sent on the first stage of their four-month journey by sea and land to Kisiizi, a small hospital and community in south west Uganda. The computers were paid for by donations from members of the University of Reading Business School. The transport costs were raised by donations to the Berkshire-based charity, Sponsor a Nurse. The charity exists to support the work of Kisiizi Hospital and the surrounding community by helping to fund the nurses' wages with regular food parcels and by sponsoring children through school. "This area is very rural, nearly everyone is desperately poor by UK standards, but they have a desire to learn," said Wendy Stormont, Resource Centre Manager for the Business School and a Trustee of the charity. "I visited the area last September and they loved the idea of being able to make greater use of computers. They know that Information Technology is used in the towns and businesses and the chance to be taught basic computer skills will lead to a better future for the community. This donation brings that better future a step closer." The Kisiizi area is unique due to a waterfall which provides hydro-electric power reliable enough to run computers. Six computers will go to the local primary school, where children will learn the basic skills and use appropriate software for learning Maths and English. Two more computers will be used in the school of nursing, enabling students to access on-line nursing journals and read up-to-date textbooks on CD roms. Some of the computers will be used for teaching computer skills and people will take the elementary ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence). Others will be used for hospital administration and monitoring pharmacy stocks. The computers should arrive at their destination in July, having been sent in a sealed container by sea to Mombasa, Kenya. The container will be taken overland across Kenya and Uganda – the last 30 miles along mud tracks. If you would like to offer financial assistance to the Kisiizi Project, please contact Wendy Stormont on 0118 931 7375, or email her at w.a.stormont@rdg.ac.uk Alternatively, contact Anne Goodwyn, The University of Reading Business School Marketing Manager, on 0118 378 7134, or email a.goodwyn@rdg.ac.uk End For media enquiries and photographs, please contact Craig Hillsley, the University of Reading's press officer on 0118 378 7388 or email: c.hillsley@reading.ac.uk About Sponsor a Nurse -Sponsor a Nurse is a registered charity that was set up in 2000 to help Kisiizi Hospital in Uganda. The charity was founded by Dr Helen Smith, who is currently the chair of the board of trustees. For more information visit: http://fp.eagleray.f9.co.uk/san/