Matric pupils at Ramashobohle High School in Ga-Mamabolo, a rural Makeketela village in the Capricorn District of Limpopo, had the opportunity to learn about recent transformations in higher education teaching and learning processes enabled by digital platforms courtesy of the University of Limpopo (UL)
The school was celebrating a laptop handover from its alumnus and renowned Thobela FM producer Isaac Mashila, who described the event as a moment of support in the school’s effort to realise its strategic intent and continue working towards its goal of providing a reasonable level of academic support to all learners while they continue with their academic activities during the lockdown period.
Senior Student Recruitment Practitioner at UL, Angel Mhlodi, presented the school with programmes available at the university, imploring the learners to make informed career choices. She stated that the country’s high unemployment rate inspires learners to be creative and that they should begin to take advantage of technological advances.
“These interactive technologies are empowering you to be independent information seekers,” said Mhlodi informing the pupils that as Covid-19 moves things online, they will be learning through multimodal approaches in tertiary.
Through its information and communication technology (ICT) division, the university has been involved in the rollout of digital literacy skills throughout the Limpopo Province. According to James Lentsoane, Training Coordinator at the ICT’s Limpopo CoLab programme, speaking at the event, the university is expanding access to technologies through community outreach, and several free digital literacy courses are available.
Hlozi Maluleke, Trainer at Limpopo CoLab, encouraged the pupils to take advantage of the programme as it allows them to be free thinkers and take ownership of their learning through technology.
The donation of the five brand new laptops occasioned Isaac Mashila’s golden 10th anniversary in the radio industry. The renowned radio personality said that he believed the donation would go a long way as disadvantaged children would be able to study at home during the Covid-19-related restrictions.
Mashila, who attended the school from 2005 to 2010, stated that as a learner, he had his fair share of destituteness, and having received free school meals he knows he would have been one of the families in need of assistance in getting a laptop at this stage.
“It would be shameful,” he remarked, “if a generation of children were left behind after the pandemic ended.”
Mashila joined UL as an experiential learner in public relations at the university’s Marketing and Communication division for 18 months before receiving a 16 months contract to work in the department, where he served as a writer and photographer.
His radio career began in 2011 as a presenter and producer at Radio Turf, where he was later promoted to chief producer. He was the most nominated community radio presenter in the National Community Radio Week (NCRW) awards during his time at Radio Turf, where he won the best community breakfast show. In 2018, he joined SABC’s Thobela FM as a reggae presenter before being promoted to breakfast show producer for the award-winning programme Ditlalemeso. With Ditlalemeso as producer, the show won Community Project at Liberty Radio Awards. Mashila was recently promoted to the position of Senior Producer – Mandate at the station.
Ramashobohle High School principal Nchakga Laka expressed gratitude for Mashila’s generous donation on behalf of the school. She stated that the school is delighted to receive the support, especially from an alumnus who understands the challenges that rural schools face.
N.B. Applications for 2022 enrolment at UL close on 29 October 2021.
By Moses Moreroa