"Streetwise does not require broadband, good access to power, decent infrastructure nor significant technical support to work and keep working. The devices have been designed to operate under the worst of conditions and because they communicate via GPRS, they work everywhere", said Ian Harrison, CEO of The Content Company. 

The usage statistics of the schools where it has been implemented clearly show that the user-friendly Streetwise devices are a valuable research and communication tool. Since March last year for example, close to 30 000 Wikipedia and South African Encyclopedia articles were downloaded using just 150 Streetwise units distributed to five schools across South Africa, thanks to a sponsorship by Nashua Mobile.

Sigcawu Primary in Crossroads, which is part of Cape Town's biggest township, Khayelitsha, is one of the schools which received 30 Streetwise terminals as part of this sponsorship. Also included was the salary paid to a member of the community who was appointed for one year as the Streetwise Champion responsible for looking after the Streetwise terminals.

Nosiphe Sweli is the Streetwise Champion at Sigcawu Primary. She received training on how to search, create email, teach learners how to use the Streetwise units, how to load assignments and how to use the career portal. She mans the library with the Streetwise terminals which grade 4 to 7 learners can visit during study periods allowed for in the school's timetable.

Ms Nonkululeko Masethi, a Natural and Social Sciences teacher who has been teaching at Sigcawu Primary for the past ten years is also visiting the library regularly now. She described what a difference the access to information has made to her life: "We have very few books to help us in our preparation for lessons. Before we had Streetwise, I had to go to the library in Cape Town, spending my own time and money to do research. Now it is much easier."

Online encyclopedias and a dictionary in multiple languages, email, the latest news, curriculum based worksheets and a host of other teaching and learning tools are all available through Streetwise and The Content Company is constantly adding more content to the Streetwise server.

One of the latest editions is the content that loveLife - SA's largest HIV-prevention programme for young people - is sharing with Streetwise. It has been designed to not only provide users with practical information on anything from HIV testing to knowing their sexual health rights, but also focuses on issues of self-esteem and resilience.

"Young people who feel that they can really be someone and recognise their worth, are less likely to put themselves at risk for HIV", said Esther Etkin, Communications Manager of loveLife.

"This new channel of communication with learners through Streetwise will enable us to share information with them on learnerships, bursaries, tips on CV writing and interview skills to help them deal with the pressures of life after school in an effort to build a generation of complete, creative and connected individuals."

Confident that the technology has been developed to allow rural and disadvantaged communities without access to online information to take their first step towards joining the digital age, Harrison has set his target high: "We hope to reach half of the estimated 18 000 schools without access to the internet over the next two years, with the support of private companies and government departments of course".