VATICAN CITY OCTOBER 7, 2016 (CISA)-Pope Francis has applauded Vodafone for its Instant Schools for Africa programme noting that it will offer online access to important educational resources for the youth in Africa.
“From what I have heard, I like a lot. It is constructive, and today we need to be constructive, to do things that lead humanity ahead, and not merely look on as bombs fall on innocent people, children, the sick, entire cities. Build, do not destroy,” said Pope Francis October 5 when he met chief executive officer and representatives of the Vodafone Foundation in Vatican.
He expressed his appreciation for the project stating that it is part of the wider spectrum of public and private initiatives that promote a more inclusive and supportive world.
“In implementing such a project, care be taken to provide these young people with some orientation in methodology, so that they can learn not only how to use tools, but how to use them as tools, thus enabling them to bring out the best of these means in a free and critical way,” said Pope Francis.
He further noted that among the resources offered to youth, there may be digital access to the sacred texts of various religions, in their respective languages.
“This would be a beautiful sign of care for the religious dimension so deeply rooted among African peoples, and a sign also of encouraging interreligious dialogue,” said the pontiff.
According to Vodafone, this is the group’s largest philanthropic programme in the Foundation’s 25-year history.
The Instant Schools for Africa initiative aims at providing millions of young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique and Tanzania with free access to online learning materials developed in conjunction with Learning Equality with open-source educational technology solutions – with education partners, ministries of education and local education experts in each country.
