Summary

We are practical idealists:

eKhaya ICT is a pro-poor company which is working towards a goal of a transparent and democratic society based on truly free markets and equal opportunity for all. One step at a time: our vision, though global in nature, is limited by our current mission, which focuses our activities on the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

Attaining our Vision

eKhaya ICT is a commercial IT enterprise with a variety of clients in Africa and Europe. Our core business is providing professional services and developing software for non-profit organisations that share our ideals – namely that Internet access can play and is playing an important role in the peaceful, democratic development of impoverished and marginalised rural areas (MRAs).

We believe that the Internet holds far greater development potential than classical infrastructure development projects: it offers real participation and self-help possibilities.

In MRAs, schools fulfill an important role bringing ideas from outside into village life and exchanging ideas within the classroom environment, merging them with the established culture.  That is why schools are the location of choice when introducing computer technologies to MRAs and why our plans for ICT related autonomous development are also centred on schools. In later phases of our operations ICT centres will also be own privately by autonomous but networked businesses.

Together with our regional and international partners, we have adopted and are striving towards the following vision: In the future, all villages in MRAs should have use of ICT centres located at schools that allow all members of the community, children and adults, access to the Internet. Simple equipment, powered by renewable energy sources (solar) and connected to the Internet via wireless relays and/or satellite connections should be installed and handed over to hand-picked, responsible entrepreneurs, who will be the operators of the centres. The first prototype of this concept is operating in Nkwalini rural area at Zwelenqaba SSS, Elliotdale, since September 2008 and we are working on multiplying the pilot. The effort there is lead by Siphiwo Msindwana.

Educational access to the facilities are secured, since children are our future and their education and social competencies are paramount for the well-being of our planet – the assistance of teachers is of outmost importance and they are supported through basic and advanced training. The learners themselves have already started organising themselves to assist each other and beginners. After school hours, the ICT centre is open for public use and it offers a set of practically useful electronic services to the community: a training programme and immediate assistance from the owner and registered teacher of the centre is available to those who have no computing experience and members of the community with low or no literacy skills. This is a fantastic opportunity to boost self-confidence in the community and to familiarise them with new technologies that enable a knowledge society

The next step we are currently working on, is to create further jobs and provide crucial digital services through digital tools, such as eCommerce, eGovernment and eLearning. Our partners in this mission are several South African and German Universities, e.g. Rhodes University, University of Fort Hare, the Free University of Berlin and The University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, as well as local institutions and governments. Primarily we are active in the rural areas through the Siyakhula Living Lab framework. Through this action we are coming closer to improving the lives of the members of impoverished rural communities sustainably and making our vision reality.

How we work

Innovation, new ideas that work and move the world are ever increasingly the products of teams that work closely together and are allowed the freedom to experiment in an autonomous way. Freedom also implies responsibility. At eKhaya ICT we cultivate an atmosphere where teams are able to develop responsible working ethics in response to the freedom they gain.

We also motivate our teams by supplying plentiful opportunity to identify with the goals of the projects, including on site experience, a pleasant working atmosphere and support in growth on a personal level, through continuing education.

Freedom and responsibility are important for innovation, but in order to deliver one does need a level of accountability. We apply the latest management methods in the form of SCRUM to provide this.

Who We Are

Ron Wertlen: Ron is CEO and CTO of the company. His responsibilities include providing the company with a clear vision which everyone can work toward, and selling that vision to customers and funders.

A son of the Eastern Cape, Ron graduated at Rhodes  University in several disciplines, most notably in Computer Science, with distinction (Honours level). He was involved in producing crafts while at University and was struck by the plight of the uneducated, who had very little scope for employment. While gathering experience in the IT field in the USA and in Germany where he headed multi-million Euro research projects, Ron searched for a way to link back to his South African roots and to give something back to Africa for all that he had received.

Anna Wertlen: Anna is COO of the company. Her responsibilities include organisation of the company and controlling of progress.

Thozamile Ngeju: Thozi is community coordinator for awareNet in Grahamstown East and is an employee of the Village Scribe Association.

Siphiwo Msindwana: Siphiwo is community coordinator for awareNet in Nkwalini rural area in the Mbashe District and works within the Siyakhula Living Lab (SiLLMU).

Richard Strickland: Strix is a freelance programmer and the inventor of Kapenta and the developer of awareNet.

Kagiso Komane: Kagiso is our student programmer. He was awarded a bursary to continue his studies in Information Systems at Rhodes University in 2009.

Nimi Hoffman: Nimi is a freelance translator into German and works at the NELM.

Where We Are, and Why We’re Here

The Eastern Cape region of South Africa is a place where African and European culture, as well as impoverished and developed areas meet to create an amazing societal cocktail that sizzles with energy. In its beautiful natural heritage the Eastern Cape (one of the poorest areas of South Africa) inspires us to find our common humanity and to strive to find solutions to pressing practical problems.

The proximity of developed and developing areas eases the engineering and testing of new solutions. The reward of practicable solutions is immediately visible and very welcome.

And, besides all of that, we are at home here.

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