IT students making a difference in South Africa
A group of postgraduate students from Wits University and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) have just completed an IT project for The AIDS Consortium. The students are part of the CoachLab@JCSE programme run by the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE). Annlizé Marnewick, Project Manager at the JCSE explains “The CoachLab™ programme is a partnership between The Innovation Hub (based in Pretoria), JCSE, Local Industry (Barone Budge and Dominick, Standard Bank of South Africa, Microsoft and Vodacom), UJ and Wits and is aimed at top post-graduate students studying in IT related disciplines. It is aligned with post-graduate programmes at universities and prepares a student for leadership positions in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry.”
28 June 2010
Rhulani Lehloka, Communications Manager for The AIDS Consortium in Braamfontein, says, “The CoachLab students worked with us to develop an IT application that will help The AIDS Consortium improve the management of our internal resources. The application will assist the Consortium in handling leave applications from staff. Implementing this solution will enable The AIDS Consortium staff to work more efficiently and have more time to spend on real matters such as HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention.” A fully functional prototype solution was delivered by the students in 10 weeks.
“In addition, the students also carried out an analysis on the AIDS Consortium’s website and Cyber Café. They presented practical and cost effective recommendations on possible improvements. The implementation of these recommendations will enable The AIDS Consortium to make improvements to the usefulness of HIV and AIDS information available.” Lehloka added.
Marnewick explains that the benefits to the CoachLab students are “running real-life projects that enable them to acquire practical know-how in project implementation. This makes them more employable.”
This 9 month leadership development program aims to bridge the gap between academia and business with a three pronged approach:
- Training through short courses
- On the work experience through project implementations
- Leadership development through coaching & soft skills training
The Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) has committed itself to build capacity and skills for Africa's software sector. The JCSE has created the BOOTUP programme to respond to industry’s needs where the demand for software engineers eclipses the supply. One of the programs that forms part of the BOOTUP programme is CoachLab.
The AIDS Consortium (AC) is a human rights organisation aimed at promoting a non discriminatory response to the HIV and AIDS pandemic based on people’s basic human rights as enshrined in South Africa’s constitution. The AC was established in 1992 by Justice Edwin Cameron along with other HIV and AIDS activists. The mandate of The AC is to provide unity and leadership to an otherwise uncoordinated HIV and AIDS NGO and CBO sector. This mandate is underpinned by a strong human rights approach and is guided by the goals and objectives as set out in The South African National Strategic Plan for HIV (NSP).
Today, The AC represents a constituency of more than 1000 CBOs, NGOs, and individuals fully engaged in HIV and AIDS work and currently represents the broader NGO sector on the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC).