DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, Aug. 27, 2024 -- Huawei and Vodacom Tanzania have joined forces to launch the DigiTruck initiative to provide digital education and skills for people in Tanzania.
The initiative will complement the government of Tanzania's vision of fostering innovation, inclusion, and sustainable development through the use of digital technologies.
The launch was officiated by Hon. Doto Mashaka Biteko, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, who was joined by Hon. Jerry William Silaa, Minister of Information Communication and Information Technology; H.E. Amb. Chen Mingjian, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Tanzania; and other distinguished guests from both the public and private sectors.
"I am honored to be here representing the President of the United Republic of Tanzania on this monumental occasion. I congratulate Huawei and Vodacom for this profound initiative that will greatly complement the government's digitization efforts. Data clearly indicates that as a nation we have work to do in bridging the digital divide and improving digital literacy levels. It is evident that both the government and private sector players have to come together to address this challenge. Ours is a big country, therefore I invite Huawei and its partners to consider adding more DigiTrucks so as to reach more people and expedite the digital revolution in Tanzania," said Hon. Doto Mashaka Biteko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy in Tanzania.
The Hon. Jerry William Silaa, Minister of Information Communication and Information Technology, reiterated the urgent need for digital and financial literacy in Tanzania to allow the nation to catch up with the ongoing digital revolution.
"The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has placed significant emphasis on the use of ICT, including digital skills, as the foundation for the nation's development. We believe that the future of Tanzania lies in the hands of our youth, and providing them with the necessary digital skills is our top priority. In line with this, the government has initiated various programs, including policy interventions such as the 5 years National Digital Economy Strategy of 2024, aimed at enhancing digital skills across the country. The launch of this DigiTruck project, funded by Huawei and Vodacom, will help boost our national digital capacity and enable Tanzania to rise in global rankings," said Hon. Silaa.
The Tanzania DigiTruck program is designed to extend digital skills training to Tanzania's remote regions, especially youth and women. The initiative is part of Huawei's commitment to digital inclusion through the TECH4ALL program, which aims to drive equity and quality in education to benefit Tanzania's remote communities and underserved groups.
"Huawei and Vodacom's DigiTruck Project is not only a key initiative to continuously deepen the friendship and trust between the peoples of the two countries, but also a practical cooperation of promoting digital inclusion and sustainable development cooperation in the digital technologies domain, to realize the vision of Tanzania's digital transformation," said H.E. Amb. Chen Mingjian, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Tanzania.
The DigiTruck will drive across Tanzania, covering ten regions in the first year. It will leverage innovative ICT solutions to make quality education accessible to more people, especially students in remote areas. By the end of the second year, the aim is to cover the whole country and bring the benefits of digital education to thousands of Tanzanians. Both the Vodacom Tanzania and Huawei CEOs pledged to work together to make the project a real success story in Tanzania.
This launch follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on February 15, 2024 between the two companies, which paves the way to exploring opportunities for collaboration in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), engagement for startup acceleration, and digital skills.
As well as Tanzania, Huawei has run DigiTruck initiatives in 18 countries, benefiting more than 93,000 people across the world.
About Huawei TECH4ALL
TECH4ALL is Huawei's long-term digital inclusion initiative and action plan. Enabled by innovative technologies and partnerships, TECH4ALL is designed to help promote inclusion and sustainability in the digital world.
For more information, please visit Huawei TECH4ALL website at
https://www.huawei.com/en/tech4all
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