_ INFOHUT is a Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa (LUCSA) initiated program which was envisioned by a team of young IT professionals. The program equips the youth with computer skills as well as educates them on HIV-AIDS prevention, care, and treatment as well as equip the youth with life skills. The first INFOHUT pilot project was set up in a rural school in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in 2006/2008; where LUCSA bought equipment, networked and trained the locals to run the project. The local authorities and teachers were the key stakeholders. The project was well received by the young and elderly in this remote community. Following its success, the project was handed over to the school and community to run it. Subsequently, the local authority, the chief, saw it fit to have another one of its kind in his community. He mobilized resources and set up a similar project in the area. LUCSA intends to set up as many INFOHUT as possible in marginalized communities in Southern Africa. INFOHUT ELCZ Njube Bulawayo program was the second pilot program and has been viewed as one of its own kind in Zimbabwe.
The primary objectives of INFOHUT is to create an HIV-AIDS free generation using computers as a platform to disseminate vital information on life skills and simultaneously imparting IT skills to young people. The program is achieving its purpose as evidenced by: more youths who have been empowered to protect themselves against HIV-AIDS; female students who have gone through our program testify they are now empowered to say no to sex and to negotiate for safer sex; some of our students have been absorbed in the job market using the certificates from INFOHUT; students confess that they came to the centre not knowing anything about Information technology but now they are confident to go out and make use of the computer skills they got from the INFOHUT centre; some of the students have since joined colleges and universities with the majority pursuing Information Technology.
The objectives of INFOHUT will always be relevant to the youth in any societies especially in Southern Africa. This is due to the fact that the youths are the most vulnerable group in our society compounded by the effects of HIV-AIDS. With this in mind, more training and empowering has to be done. The project is more relevant to the youths who are coming from the marginalized communities like rural areas and some of the high density suburbs in the urban setup. The measurable outcomes that have been achieved so far are: general behavior change has been observed when comparing the way young people carried themselves when they are starting the program and the way they do carry themselves after going through the program; students became more focused and aim at self actualization.
MANAMA HIGH AND BURURE SECONDARY SCHOOLS’ INFOHUT COMPUTERS ARE RECEIVED
The majority of the long awaited computers for Manama High and Burure Primary and Secondary Schools were delivered at the ELCZ Head Office in Bulawayo by the suppliers on Tuesday, 26 February 2013, bringing to an end what had been a long and at times worrying wait. This latest delivery had 27 computers to augment to the 10 computers that had been received earlier bringing the total computers received to 37, leaving a balance of 3 computers.
The receipt of the computers should see the prompt set up of Infohut at the two sites to bring much needed HIV and AIDS awareness and Life Skills to the two schools. For Burure Secondary School, the setup of Infohut will end a long wait whose last action was when the haulage truck ferrying the 40 foot container Infohut classroom was stuck for at the dry Burure River crossing in November 2012.