PRETORIA - Over the past decade, free computer literacy courses have become a staple of the community  engagement programme at the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Mamelodi Campus. Courses on basic computer usage,  drawing up spreadsheets and CVs, and the use of LinkedIn and creative programmes such as Canva, WeVideo and  StoryMaps have helped hundreds of young people, job seekers and budding social entrepreneurs become digitally  savvy.  

Now, Dr Martina Jordaan, Head of Community-Based Research at the Mamelodi Campus, is calling on volunteers  willing to help broaden the reach of these free digital literacy initiatives to as many Mamelodi community members as possible. The volunteers would help present basic to advanced computer literacy courses on an array  of software programmes and applications.  

“This is a great opportunity for companies wanting to involve their staff in community projects, or for social media  influencers who want to pay it forward by teaching others the finer points about specific digital tools,” she says.  

“This year we have been able to provide digital training to around 90 people per week, many of whom are job  seekers hoping to improve their skills base. While our typical attendee is female and on average 28 years old,  there are no age limits to our courses. We have had gentlemen over the age of 80 attending too,” Dr Jordaan  adds.  

“Digital skills are increasingly important these days, and they empower our youth to take control of their futures.  Our purpose is to provide participants with new skills with which they can find better jobs. Many of the social  entrepreneurs that attend put their newfound knowledge to good use by updating and improving upon their social  media profiles or websites.” 

Most of the courses are presented by UP staff or students from faculties such as Health Sciences or Engineering,  Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT) who have a community engagement component to their  course work. In recent years, American institutions such as Fordham University in New York have also supported  the Mamelodi Campus programme by providing training sessions, and Germany’s University of Konstanz provides  virtual training. 

“In July, students enrolled for the Community-Based Project Module from EBIT will over the course of three weeks  teach IT skills to groups of community members. More than 600 people have already signed up via our WhatsApp  groups to attend these sessions,” Dr Jordaan says.  

“It is heartening to see how often participants who have previously benefited from the training return to mentor  and support others when courses are presented,” she adds.  

More presenters wanted  

Her goal for 2025 is to use the Mamelodi Campus’s computer centres daily to upskill youth and the unemployed.  However, training sessions that involve UP students as facilitators are generally limited to university holidays. Dr  Jordaan is therefore calling on volunteers to offer some of their time and expertise.  

“An hour or two of showing someone else how to start using Excel or a word-processing programme, or how to  better create an invite on a computer, could make a world of difference in their lives, and make them more  employable,” she says.  

Job seeker Mpho Maringa says the free introductory course on computer usage opened up a new world for her,  and it is another skill that she can add to the CV that she learnt how to draw up in the process.  

“I really appreciate the people who trained us. They were so patient, and we could see how truly passionate they  are about what they are doing,” she added.  

Aspiring writer Rhulani Khoza (19) says the digital literacy skills in word processing, desktop research and more  that she acquired while attending courses at the Mamelodi Campus have boosted her confidence and will help  her write her novels. 

Tshepo Ramoncha and other members of the Tsalanang NPO have been among the community members receiving  training in recent weeks, learning more about Microsoft Excel, LinkedIn, desktop operations, and more. “Our  heartfelt gratitude to the University of Pretoria for such a meaningful and useful initiative,” Ramoncha says. “We  truly appreciate the skills, knowledge and empowerment this training has brought into our lives and our organisation.”