Pick n Pay spends K100, 000 on building school computer lab

Pick n Pay Zambia, a chain store in Zambia, has donated a computer lab worth K100, 000 to Mahatma Gandhi Primary School in Lusaka’s Mtendere Township.

Pick n Pay General Manager Martin Vickery said the computer lab will benefit members of staff and pupils at the learning institution.

Mr. Vickery said the donation is part of Pick n Pay’s corporate social responsibility which aims at caring for the vulnerable institutions in communities.

He said Pick n Pay attaches great importance to the education sector.

He was speaking in Lusaka today when he handed over the computer lab to the school.

The computer lab was built in remembrance of the late former South African President Nelson Mandela, who died in December, 2013.

Government, through the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education has made computer studies a compulsory subject for Grade 8 and 9 pupils as well as integrated ICT subjects at primary school level.

And Munali Member of Parliament (MP) Nkandu Luo said the computer lab will help the pupils to increase their academic performance in school especially for practical computer lessons.

Professor Luo, who is also Minister of Gender and Child Development, has since thanked Pick n Pay-Zambia for the donation.

She has since urged both pupils and the teachers to guard the facility jealously.

Speaking earlier, Mahatma Ghandi School Head Teacher, Stanley Chileshe said the school was faced with a lot of challenges such as failure to implement the new revised school curriculum due to inadequate resources.

Meanwhile, Senior Education Standards Officer for Natural Resources Nyambe Sefulo has disclosed that government was would want to have computer labs in all schools.

Mr. Nyambe said by building the computer lab at Mahatma Ghandi School, Pick n Pay has demonstrated the private public partnership especially that government alone cannot manage to improve the education sector.