Airtel Zambia partners Zambia Open Community Schools to provide Internet Connectivity

Lusaka, Zambia - Airtel Networks Zambia Plc has partnered with the Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS) NGO to help connect community schools to the Internet.
Airtel Zambia Managing Director Apoorva Mehrotra yesterday handed over 40 tablets worth over K155, 000 to be distributed to Community schools across the country through the Zambia Open Community Schools digital literacy program.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Mehrotra said his company believes that education is the gateway to better opportunities as well as a success especially in today’s world where there is a fast-growing dependency on education using ICT.

“We aim to use our expertise in the telecommunications field to enrich the lives of people worldwide who still have limited access to communications more so now after the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the need to connect to the internet especially for students is increasingly becoming a necessity, “ Mr. Mehrotra said.

“Through the expansion and increased reliability of our network as well as partnerships such as this one, we are confident that together we can promote science and technology literacy and be a channel for access to education through the provision of data and mobile services underpinned by our network expansion", he added.

ZOCS Executive Director, Ms. Cleopatra Muma said: “In the wake of covid19 pandemic, the world has witnessed a serious disturbance to many activities, leading to a number of sectors like education to backslide in providing comprehensive service to learners.”
“Today, Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS) is pleased to partner with Airtel Zambia whose aim is to assist Community Schools to get connected to the internet, in particular, seeing the extension of interactive lessons in these schools and we are happy to note that for the next two years these tablets will be connected to the internet making it possible for learners to access learning material in small groups," he said.