SOUTH AFRICA’S TOP 300 COMPANIES

Internet Solutions is very proud to have been nominated on three occasions as one of South Africa’s leading Corporate Social Investment companies, and to be included in the CSI Category of the 2002, 2003 and 2004 “Impumelelo – South Africa’s Top 300 Empowerment Companies”. This nomination follows extensive research of over 5,000 South Africa’s leading companies in the 150 sectors of the economy, including both listed and unlisted companies.

PROJECTS

Community Based Projects

Skills and Training Centre in the Groendal Township near Franschhoek

This project involved building an IT Skills and Training centre in the Groendal Township near Franschhoek, and is being run by the Franschhoek Belgium Development Trust. The trust was set up in conjunction with the Belgian government a few years ago. Projects undertaken by the trust are implemented within the disadvantaged community in Franschhoek, and are for their benefit. IS provides a 64K leased line to the centre.

Kathlehong Community Centre

The Katlehong Community Centre, which was once part of the Schoolnet project, became an independent operation providing skills training to individuals within the community.

IS provides local and international Internet access and hosts the Katlehong Community Centre web site.

Osizweni Community Development Centre/IT Programme Sponsorship

The Osizweni Community Development centre offers a range of services and products supplementing the existing formal education structure for previously disadvantaged candidates. Osizweni’s primary role is to help individuals to become skilled and productive economic participants, whether as employees or as self-employed entrepreneurs. The core focus of the centre is early childhood development, education support and adult education and training.

IS sponsors connectivity for the centre.

Mpophomeni Computer Centre

The Zenzeleni Community Centre, situated within Mphophomeni, is a computer centre and situated in a township which is run by two Mphophomeni residents and has been operating for seven years.

This centre provides computer facilities and internet connectivity to the community who would not normally have access to such opportunities.

IS sponsors connectivity for this centre.

Kwa-Dukuza Resource Centre

The Kwa-Dukuza Centre in Stanger, Natal, is an educational project committed to supporting education initiatives in the local community. The centre has been designed to cater for a need within the community for basic educational facilities as well as teacher and student development. The Kwa-Dukuza Resource Centre incorporates basic services coupled with advanced technology making it one of a kind in South Africa.

IS sponsors and supports the “Digital Village” at Kwa-Dukuza, pertaining to all connectivity requirements to the World Wide Web, locally and internationally. Since information and communications technology are increasingly becoming a foundation of our societies and economies, the “information have-nots” are denied the option to participate in new ICT jobs, in e-government, in ICT’s improved healthcare and in ICT enhanced education. The objective behind the sponsorship is to expose the youth from rural communities to technology, develop skills required for employment and demonstrate how easy technology and access to information is. In addition IS staff in Durban regularly visits the centre as well as give lectures to students.

In 2006 we upgraded the service to a Business ADSL with firewall.

Raiders Rugby Football Club

The Bill Jardine Rugby Stadium (formerly known as the Longdale Stadium) has been used as a rugby stadium for approximately two decades. As the home of non-racial rugby in the old Transvaal, the stadium was the headquarters of the Transvaal Independent Rugby Football Union (TIRFU), which was one of the twenty-two affiliated of the South African Rugby Union (SARU).

The ground of Raiders is the Bill Jardine Stadium which is located in the South West of Johannesburg on Commando Road in Industria West between the Highgate shopping centre and the Metro Rail line from Johannesburg to Soweto.

IS sponsors and supports this club in terms of monetary donation which will run for a period of 12 months. The objective of this sponsorship is to upkeep the maintenance of the sports ground, will be used for transport for players from school to the rugby ground and for player development .

IAHV Computer Literacy Training Centres in SA

The International Association for Human Values is an organisation that is affiliated to to the United Nations. The IAHV have undertaken to set up Computer Centres in previously disadvantaged around South Africa. The primary purpose of the project is to promote pc literacy in these communities. The IAHV have ear marked 9 sites for these centres, of which 3 will be going live in immediately.

IS provides a Business ADSL service to these centres.

Business Against Crime

Business Against Crime is a not-for-profit organisation that works closely with various government departments, as well as local businesses, in the country's fight against crime. Fully funded by sponsorships and donations, BAC uses its website to not only attract sponsorship, but to inform and communicate with its stakeholders.

IS is providing hosting for the BAC web site and a 64k internet access line.

Operation Fudumeza

The Corporate Social Investment team and staff members of Internet Solutions (IS) donated 400 blankets to the non profit organisation One In |One Out. The project, known as Operation Fudumeza, aims to provide needy people with blankets for the winter season.

“We are thankful to all IS staff at head office including the various branches for extending themselves to such a worthy course,” says founder and CEO of One In |One Out, Stephen Thomas. “Due to their kind and warm heartedness, 400 lives are touched.” he adds.

“IS believes in helping deserving South Africans who will benefit from a little extra.” “We are extremely glad that we could assist the Fudumeza project in this way.”

The thoughtfulness of the IS team and staff members will be remembered by the many families who are warm during this nippy winter season.

Eastern Cape Information Technology Initiative

ECITI is an independent, not-for-profit company promoting the development of the knowledge economy in the Eastern Cape. Its primary mission, in fostering a vision of the Eastern Cape as a gateway to Africa's New Economy, is to stimulate and promote the IT and Communication Industries in the Eastern Cape and in South Africa, and in so doing create jobs and economic growth

IS sponsors a Business ADSL

EDUCATION BASED PROJECTS

ISPA Program

In order to create wider skills that can be passed on, over 150 teachers were trained on basic Internet skills last year through an initiative created by the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA). Internet Solutions (IS) is providing funds to sponsor two teachers to take the “Beginners” Course.

“As members of ISPA as well as one of the country’s large Converged Communications Service Providers, IS is pleased to actively support this initiative. The “train the teachers” programme is having a very positive effect on producing internet savvy teachers and learners. Teachers go back into their communities and transfer the skills learned on the course that have a direct effect on the development of Internet know-how in children under all ages.

ISPA’s social development programme enabled 176 teachers to attend the week-long computer courses during 2004. In many cases, the teachers run after-hours classes for other teachers and students at their schools, as well as for their local communities, passing on the kills they have acquired.

Under the joint programme between UniForum and ISPA, at least 150 teachers will be trained this year. According to ISPA, if each of its member sponsors just one teacher, this will enable more than 60 additional teachers to be trained.

CIDA Initiative

CIDA – Community Individual Development Association is a city campus – a university, for disadvantaged students with potential (i.e. hard workers who want to lead and become leaders) are selected from schools across South Africa to participate in what can be described as kibbutz style learning institution. Everyone helps to run and maintain the campus. This ongoing project presents IS and its staff with an incredible opportunity to give back to our community, and to ensure that others benefit from the privileges that we have all been given.

IS’ role in CIDA includes the following:

• Providing infrastructure to enable CIDA to achieve their objectives in education and training.
• Assisting with the day to day administration of the university IT infrastructure and we are helping with student services such as internet access and e-mail.

A number of IS staff members voluntarily lecture to the CIDA students on the IT 2 Internet Literacy course.

A number of IS staff have given their time, expertise and energy to the design of an IT curriculum and the development of course material and lecturing.

Tlakula High School

Tlakula High School is situated in an informal settlement in Springs and has been adopted by The Landbank.

IS provides the School with a 64k diginet line plus 37 hosted exchange e-mail boxes.

Peryn College (Penreach)

Penreach was started as an outreach project in 1994, and has grown from 40 teachers and 10 schools per year to more than 1900 teachers and over 600 schools to date. This has an impact on an estimated 200,000 school children in Mpumalanga. Penreach runs workshops for Principals, Student Governing Bodies, Pre-school, Primary School and High School teachers. Within this structure, they have specialist advisors for Science, Maths, Department of Education and of informing those departments of their work.

IS have provided Penreach with vehicles to promote themselves and the initiative, with the aid of founding member, Ronnie Apteker.

MASAM

MASAM (Maths and Science A Must), is an outreach programme to promote awareness of maths, science and technology in communities. It is envisaged that this can be attained through reaching out to underprivledged schools and other educational institutions. The pilot project was undertaken at the Phumulela Primary School in Katlehong in 2003. Internet Solutions contributed to this initiative by donating PC’s and other hardware.

Department of Educations

In conjunction with the Department of Education, IS sponsored a new laptop for the Annual Teachers Awards held on 5 October 2003.

Thabo Mbeki Education Trust

The Thabo Mbeki Education Trust supports all needy students, both black and white. The fund pays for the tuition, books, and lodging costs of each student. A selection team made of Trustees, community and business leaders scrutinize thousands of applications from school leavers and select those students who will benefit the most from the support given by the Thabo Mbeki Crossroads Fund.

IS provides IS Fax Solutions to the trust.

Bayside High School - Hout Bay

Bayside High is situated in the grounds of the YMCA premises near the Imizamu Yethu township. The school provides facilities to all the communities of Hout Bay. The school offers many disadvantaged children from the township sponsorship in the form of wavering of school fees. The 90 or so kids operate out of shipping containers situated on the premises. For the teachers, it is a labour of love as their remuneration is far less than can be found in private or government schools.

IS has provided a 3GIG ADSL service to the school.

HIV/AIDS Based initiatives

Cell Life

Cell Life is a not-for-profit organisation that researches and develops ICT based solutions to deal with the local challenges of HIV treatment. Cell-Life utilises a combination of Open-Source Software, the internet and GSM cellular network connectivity as a base for system development. A central database server, housed and maintained by Cell-Life is used by all of the supported clinics in their programme. All clinic admin staff are able to interact with the system through a secure HTTPS login and use GSM cellphone applications for data collection and general communication with patients, home-based carers and clinic staff. This system enables the clinics to track the progress of patients on ARV treatment and helps to ensure that they are continuously monitored. This is particularly applicable to rural communities.

IS provides a Business ADSL.

P.E.A.C.E

The P.E.A.C.E. Foundation was established in 1993 as an NPO and Trust dedicated to the eradication of rural poverty. The Foundation works with government, the private sector and local community based structures to nurture integrated, sustainable development programmes.

IS provides a Business ADSL.

South African Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS

The aim of the South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (SABCOHA) is to establish a network of expertise and to create a resource centre that will assist the private sector to develop the appropriate infrastructure to address HIV/AIDS in the work place and society at large.

SABCOHA offers enormous potential for collaboration with companies and other initiatives that are concerned with similar issues, many of which are currently being explored. IS sponsored a router and 64k/16k Internet access.

Internet Solutions also provides local and international connectivity and hosting of the SABCOHA (South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS) website.

National AIDS Week Business Bannerthon

The Business Bannerthon concept was developed to promote that the business community visibly show their solidarity and support in the war against AIDS whilst simultaneously raising money for AIDS orphans. The AIDS week Business Bannerthon idea has appealed to the concerned yet competitive spirit of South African business. Thus evoking their need to be involved in a meaningful challenge to address the real threat that AIDS is to our businesses and our country.

Internet Solutions have contributed to this worthy cause, and were awarded a Bronze certificate for our participation.

Right To Care (RTC)

RTC is a non-profit (section 21) company that provides specialised HIV/AIDS disease management services to healthcare sites and professionals administering and prescribing antiretroviral drugs to HIV positive patients. RTC’s vision is to “implement an innovative chronic HIV care service that builds public and private sector capacity to deliver safe, effective and affordable antiretroviral therapy, so that thousands more people living with HIV/AIDS can access treatment to improve their quality of life, productivity and survival”.

IS assists RTC by providing hosting, email and connectivity.

HOPE worldwide South Africa

HOPE worldwide was established in 1991 and since its inception have been involved in community-based HIV/Aids care, support and prevention efforts initially in Côte d’ Ivoire, then South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. Today, HOPE worldwide Africa has representation in 25 African countries, with over 12 000 HOPE worldwide volunteers in more than 40 Sub-Saharan cities from Adis Ababa to Freetown to Gabarone.

Internet Solutions have provide a 64k Access Plus Solution, a 1024k ADSL line and a 805 Router for a period of 3 years.

ADHOC SPONSORSHIPS

Laugh Out Loud

IS together with SABC 3 staged a high profile, up market stand up comedy event over 2 nights in November 2002 at the Sandton Convention Centre. SABC 3 filmed and packaged this event for TV, with the comedy special profiling the best of South African artists, which culminated in a wonderful opportunity for laughter, branding and sharing.

The event was hugely successful, and enabled IS to hand over a cheque of R500, 000 to a very compelling cause in Reach for a Dream. Internet Solutions was also nominated in two categories, namely ‘the best use of a commission of new art’ and ‘first time sponsor’ for the 2002 BASA Awards for this event.

IEC – 2004 Elections

IS played an integral part of the e-Business requirements over the election period (01 - 21 April) proving a fibre link into their main Call Centre, situated in Sandton. The IEC website was hosted in the Bryanston IDC, which received in excess of 24 million hits over this period. This site was monitored 24/7 by IS technical engineers.

In addition IS provided IEC with the fax solutions ensuring fast and accurate information between all voting stations.

Lastly IS provided the IEC with a fully equipped and operational wireless internet café at the Election Centre, located at the Tshwane Showground, Pretoria.

All the above mentioned solutions were supplied to the IEC at no charge.

Africa Heritage

Africa Heritage Society (AHS) is a South Africa headquartered Non-Profit Organisation that provides a platform to connect and promote business, social and cultural activities in Africa, operating through chapters across the continent.

The Society is a public, non-profit organisation established to provide enterprising individuals, corporates', scholars, and business organisations with a platform for dialogue and mutual aid to help push back the frontiers of poverty, ignorance and underdevelopment in Africa.

Through the aid of Internet Solutions Africa Heritage is able to gain world wide access to the website as well as open communications via email.

Reach for a Dream

Internet Solutions sponsored celebrity cyclists in the 94.7 cycle race. Sponsorship amounted to R5, 000.

Cape Town City Council

Three business centres (Khayelitsha, Guguletu and Langa) have been erected to provide ICT infrastructure to Community Centres, in the surrounding areas, to support the local entrepreneurs and emerging SMME’s in these previously disadvantaged areas.

IS sponsors a 64K local and international access line to each of these centres.

Bridges.org

Bridges.org is a non-profit research and consulting organisation focussed on assessing and developing policies in bridging the Digital Divide in Africa. They have consulted to NEPAD, Cape Town City Council and several African Research Institutions with work including “Inventory and analysis of South African ICT initiatives, government, private sector and civil society”.

IS sponsors all connectivity requirements to the organisation.

As can be seen from the above mentioned initiatives IS is committed to the upliftment of society through education and development. IS has committed in excess of R1.5 million of funding to these projects, over the last year.

IS Xmas Card Campaign 2005

In 2005, we decided that we were not going to give our clients Xmas gifts. Instead we decided that we would donate money to a charity on their behalf. We chose 3 charities that would benefit from this drive:

• Age-In-Action
• People Opposing Women and Children Abuse
• Animal Anti Cruelty League

Each of these charities received an amount of R10 000.00 from Internet Solutions.

Florida Albion Football Club

The Florida Albion Football Club U-11 group will be participating in the Brazil Cup Tournament to be held in Teresopolis – Brazil. IS have sponsored a soccer kit for their trip.