Flamingo Casino, located in the heart of diamond rushes’ Kimberley, has donated five Dell all-in-one computers, worth more than R100, 000 to Maths & Science Leadership Academy (MLSA), a non-profit centre that offers after school computer lessons to learners in grades 9 to 12 specifically, as well as teachers, unemployed youth and local workforce.
Speaking about the donation, Themba Marasha, Flamingo’s General Manager said, “Looking at media headlines about the low pass rate in maths and science in South Africa, as well as the low intake of these subjects to matric – especially in the Northern Cape – we feel this donation will help learners in this regard and also in a world moving more and more into the virtual realm.”
“Flamingo is always pleased to invest in skills development for the future, and MLSA plays a critical role in addressing the inequality factor in the South African education system and provides quality education to those that need it,” said Marasha.
The Academy offers afternoon classes for approximately 320 underprivileged high school learners from 19 Kimberley schools. MLSA’s aim is to help improve maths and science subjects and prepare learners, with career guidance, for tertiary institutions.
Afternoon classes take place between 15h00 and 18h00, Monday to Thursday, and learners attend one per week, with the focus being:
· Grade 9 & 10: Maths, science and virtual robotics/Minecraft coding
· Grade 11: Maths, science and online Microsoft Digital Literacy course
· Grade 12: Maths, science and career guidance
The five computers, valued at R102,878 were handed over to MLSA on Thursday, 02 March 2023.
“MSLA is grateful to Flamingo Casino for donating five Dell all-in-one computers that will assist in the implementation of the certifications at the campus. MSLA plans to offer more CERTIFICATION opportunities to Kimberley’s school-going youth, unemployed youth, teachers and the local workforce in the near future. By supporting MSLA, Flamingo Casino has shown that it truly cares about youth skills development as a way of addressing the high rate of youth unemployment,” says MLSA MD, Anne Maclean.
“It is one thing to have computers and data; it is another to make these resources count. Far too many schools have computer labs that are kept under lock and key, but through a partnership with Microsoft, MSLA has taken the first steps in becoming the flagship for smart education in the Northern Cape Province,” says Maclean.
