THE BUILDING WORK FOR THE NEW INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE IN MBALE IS COMPLETE

The Centre is the first purpose-built technology training academy in Uganda.

LONDON, Sept. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nick Maughan Foundation (NMF) is pleased to announce the completion of the first purpose-built technology training academy in Uganda.

NMF and Spotlight on Africa have come together to create the first ICT centre of its kind in Uganda. Not only will it teach IT skills to the 1,000+ children who attend the Spotlight on Africa schools, but it will also have the capacity and capabilities to teach ICT skills to adults in order to help them with their own economic and technological development and empowerment. 

The centre is set to provide seven different levels of courses - from basic ICT skills up to coding - all of which will be fully accredited with qualifications. The teaching staff will all come from the IT Department at Livingstone University, with whom the project is partnering with, to ensure the teaching delivered is of the highest quality.

The centre has purchased high quality computers, all of which have been set-up for a productive and efficient teaching environment.  Using the first StarLink in Uganda, a satellite internet service providing internet connection to remote locations, the centre has attained internet speeds that are 30 times faster than the average internet speed in Mbale. 

The centre has also been created with environmental features in mind. It will be using all energy from its very own solar panels which have been fitted on the roof. This is the first project of this kind in Mbale. The panels will provide a reliable source of energy in a country where power cuts are frequent.

Spotlight of Africa Chairman, Hefin Rees KC, says:

"This is such an exciting new project, which will make a huge transformative difference to the people of Mbale.  Not only will the 1,000+ children in our schools learn essential IT skills, but we will also teach the local adult community. This will empower them to get the modern skills they need to compete for good-quality jobs. We are so grateful to the Nick Maughan Foundation for supporting this new project and look forward to building many more of these ICT Centres throughout Uganda over the next few years."

Nick Maughan says:

"I am grateful to have the opportunity to support this wonderful community further in its mission to boost the lives of local children and adults. The ICT Centre will provide opportunities to those who have hitherto been unable to develop technology skills. This centre is just the start, I hope that we can build on the success of this project to create further such centres in the years to come as the country evolves to build the capability that it deserves to become an economic force in the global digital economy. I offer my sincere thanks to and admiration for Hefin Rees for his extraordinary leadership in bringing this project to fruition."

Nick Maughan is a British philanthropist, investor, and founder of the Nick Maughan Foundation. He supports a number of charity and business enterprises across sports, environment and technological innovation.  

The Nick Maughan Foundation was established in 2020 to further a range of philanthropic initiatives in the spheres of education, the environment and community. The Foundation supports community projects both in the United Kingdom and worldwide.  

Spotlight on Africa is committed to creating links between communities in the UK and Africa through charitable projects relating to education, health, clean water, and economic development. The organisation works closely with an experienced team in Uganda to deliver lasting change to the lives of people in desperate need, many of whom have been displaced by generations of conflict.  

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