As Pope Francis met with the directors of the Vodafone Foundation Wednesday, in a private audience, he gave a thumbs-up to the group’s initiative – Instant Schools For Africa. Pope Francis, however, encouraged Vodafone to consider offering Africa “digital access to the sacred texts of various religions” in local languages.
“I really like what I’ve heard [about this project] – it’s constructive – and nowadays there is a need to be constructive, to do things which promote human advancement…“ said Pope Francis.
What exactly is the Vodafone Instant schools for Africa initiative?
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, – a leading not-for-profit provider of open-source educational technology solutions – and with education partners, ministries of education and local education experts in each country. A similar initiative was launched by Vodafone’s South African subsidiary Vodacom which worked with the Department of Basic Education to develop a free education portal – Vodacom e-school – that supports the national curriculum.
The educational resources provided under the Instant Schools For Africa programme will include subjects such as maths and science, providing millions of children and young people in seven countries with access to educational materials – from primary through to advanced high school level – comparable in quality, range and depth to those available in schools in the developed world. The materials – curated to align with local standards – will also include content designed for children who do not benefit from traditional schooling: UNESCO research found that 59 million children aged six to 11 were out of school in 2013, with 30 million of those children living in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Conventional teaching materials such as textbooks, reference books, past examination papers, assessment worksheets and classroom aids are prohibitively expensive for many African schools. Digital learning materials provided via mobile networks – with basic tablets for pupils and a laptop and projector for educators – offer a cost-effective alternative and can be updated instantly to ensure pupils receive the very latest information and insights in the classroom and at home.
Children, young people, educators and others who are customers of Vodafone or its African subsidiaries will not incur any mobile data charges when accessing the Instant Schools for Africa educational resources. The Vodafone Foundation and Vodafone will engage with the other major mobile operators in the countries involved to encourage other providers to adopt a similar non-commercial approach in order to stimulate widespread adoption of what, for many young people, will be life-enhancing opportunities to learn and gain new skills.
The Instant Schools For Africa programme represents a significant expansion of the Vodafone Foundation’s ongoing mission to use digital and mobile technologies to bring critical educational resources to the people who need them most. In March 2015, the Vodafone Foundation announced the creation of the Instant Classroom ‘digital school in a box’ – a portable case containing equipment to enable tablet-based teaching in schools where electricity and internet connectivity are unreliable or non-existent. The Instant Classroom is being deployed in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) Innovation and Education units to schools in refugee settlements in Kenya, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is estimated that the Vodafone Foundation’s work in refugee settlements will benefit at least 62,000 children and young people by the end of 2016 and the Foundation is targeting up to three million children and young people in refugee settlements by 2020.
Vodafone Foundation Director Andrew Dunnett, said: “Education is a powerful antidote to poverty. Children and young people in some of the poorest countries on earth are desperate to learn but parents, teachers and other educators often lack both means and materials to teach them. Mobile and digital changes everything. Instant Schools For Africa programme will put a wide range of advanced learning materials – tailored for each local language and culture – into classrooms everywhere, from city slums to remote villages. Vodafone believes Instant Schools For Africa could transform the life chances for very large numbers of young people.”
(Vodafone Foundation)
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday greeted participants of Sport at the Service of Humanity’s First Global Conference on Sport and Faith , which is being held in the Vatican this week. The event is being organized by the Pontifical Council for Culture , the United Nations , and the International Olympic Committee .
“Sport is a human activity of great value, able to enrich people’s lives; it is enjoyed by men and women of every nation, ethnic group and religious belonging,” Pope Francis said.
“Our religious traditions share the commitment to ensure the respect for the dignity of every human being,” – the Pope continued – “So it is good to know that the world’s sporting institutions have taken so courageously to heart the value of inclusion. The Paralympic movement and other sporting associations sustaining those with disabilities, such as the Special Olympics, have had a decisive role in helping the public recognise and admire the extraordinary performances of athletes with different abilities and capacities.”
The Pope said he also wanted to point out a task and challenge for the participants of the event.
“The challenge is that of maintaining the honesty of sport, of protecting it from the manipulations and commercial abuse,” Pope Francis said.
“It would be sad for sport and for humanity if people were unable to trust in the truth of sporting results, or if cynicism and disenchantment were to drown out enthusiasm or joyful and disinterested participation,” – he continued – “In sport, as in life, competing for the result is important, but playing well and fairly is even more important!”
The full text of Pope Francis’ remarks are below
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am delighted to greet you, protagonists of the world of sport, together with the Authorities and the delegates of other religious communities, who have come to the Vatican to show, as the title of the international Conference suggests, the valuable service that sport offers to humanity . I greet you all and thank you. In particular, I greet Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture; Mr Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations; and Mr Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee.
Sport is a human activity of great value, able to enrich people’s lives; it is enjoyed by men and women of every nation, ethnic group and religious belonging. During these last few months, we have seen how the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been at the centre of attention of the whole world. The Olympic motto “ altius, citius, fortius ” is an invitation to develop the talents that God has given us. When we see athletes giving their very best, sport fills us with enthusiasm, with a sense of marvel, and it makes us almost feel proud. There is great beauty in the harmony of certain movements and in the power of teamwork. When it is like this, sport transcends the level of pure physicality and takes us into the arena of the spirit and even of mystery. And these moments are accompanied by great joy and satisfaction, which we all can share, even those not competing.
Another important characteristic of sport is that it is not just for high performance athletes. There is also sport for pleasure, for amateurs, for recreation, not aimed at competition, but allowing all to improve their health and wellbeing, to learn to be a part of a team, knowing how to win and also how to lose. This is why it is important to participate in sporting activities, and I am happy that at the centre of your reflections these days there is the commitment to ensure that sport is always more inclusive and that its benefits are truly accessible to all.
Our religious traditions share the commitment to ensure the respect for the dignity of every human being. So it is good to know that the world’s sporting institutions have taken so courageously to heart the value of inclusion . The Paralympic movement and other sporting associations sustaining those with disabilities , such as the Special Olympics , have had a decisive role in helping the public recognise and admire the extraordinary performances of athletes with different abilities and capacities. These events present us with experiences in which the greatness and purity of sporting gestures stand out clearly.
But in this moment I am also thinking about those many children and the youth who live at the edges of society. Everybody is aware of the enthusiasm with which children will play with a rugged old deflated ball in the suburbs of some great cities or the streets of small towns. I wish to encourage all of you – institutions, sporting societies, educational and social organisations, religious communities – to work together to ensure these children can take up sport in circumstances of dignity, especially those who are excluded due to poverty. I am pleased to know that present at the conference are the founders of the Homeless Cup and other foundations that, through sport, offer the most disadvantaged a possibility of integral human development.
I desire to point out also a task and a challenge for you, representatives of sport and of the businesses that sponsor sporting events. The challenge is that of maintaining the honesty of sport, of protecting it from the manipulations and commercial abuse. It would be sad for sport and for humanity if people were unable to trust in the truth of sporting results, or if cynicism and disenchantment were to drown out enthusiasm or joyful and disinterested participation. In sport, as in life, competing for the result is important, but playing well and fairly is even more important!
I thank all of you, then, for your efforts to uproot every form of corruption and manipulation. I know there is a campaign underway led by the United Nations to fight against the cancer of corruption in all areas of society. When people strive to create a society that is fairer and transparent, they collaborate with the work of God. We too, responsible for different religious communities, wish to offer our contribution for that commitment. As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, she is working in the world of sport to bring the joy of the Gospel, the inclusive and unconditional love of God for all human beings.
I trust that these days of meeting and reflection will allow you to explore further the good that sport and faith can bring to our societies. I entrust to God all that you do, every hope and expectation, and from my heart invoke his blessing on each one of you; and I ask you, please, to pray for me.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday reflected on his just ended Apostolic Visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan and spoke about the importance of Christian Unity and dialogue.
Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the General Audience , the Pope expressed his gratitude for having been able visit the neighboring Caucasian countries, both of which are celebrating 25 years of independence having been part of the Soviet Union for much of the 20th century.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni :
Pope Francis had a special thank you for the Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, and for the Sheikh of the Muslims of the Caucasus with whom he was able to push forward ecumenism and interreligious dialogue and – as he put it – promote the good of the human person.
He described the visit as complementary to his visit to Armenia last June and said that by visiting all three nations of the Caucasus which are facing many challenges, he was able to confirm the Catholic communities there and encourage all people in their journey towards peace and fraternity.
“True mission – he pointed out – is never proselytism, but attraction towards Christ, unity in prayer, in adoration and in works of charity”.
In Georgia – he said – our cooperation is naturally with our Orthodox brothers and sisters, and so – the Pope continued – “Patriarch Ilia’s presence at the airport upon my arrival was a very important sign”.
Christian unity, the Pope said, is seen in the blood of so many Christian martyrs of different Christian confessions, especially the Assyrian-Chaldean, “with whom we prayed for peace in Syria, Iraq and the whole Middle East”.
And explaining that Azerbaijan, is primarily a Muslim country, Pope Francis said he was able to participate in an interreligious meeting as well as celebrating Mass with the small Catholic community and encourage it to deepen its encounter and dialogue with all who believe in God, so that together we can build a more just and fraternal world.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is a famous sports fan, and he often meets athletes during his weekly General Audience. On 5 October, he met a different kind of athlete: Those with four legs.
The Holy Father met with members of the “Federazione Italiana Sport Cinofili,” which is the Italian Federation dealing with “dog sports,” which test a canine’s agility and obedience.
Pope Francis gave his blessing to the animals, then he petted many of the dogs – and shook the hands of their “coaches” – and gave them a special mention during his remarks in St. Peter’s Square.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday greeted former prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp during his remarks to Polish-speaking pilgrims during the General Audience.
“Today we celebrate the memory of St. Faustina Kowalska,” – Pope Francis said – “She reminded the world that God is rich in mercy and that His love is more powerful than death, sin and every evil. May this message of the Merciful Jesus, entrusted to her, bear fruit in your life with a deeper union with God and the works of mercy.”
He concluded his remarks by saying: “Entrusting to the Lord ourselves, and the difficult problems of the world, we frequently repeat: ‘Jesus, I trust in you!’. Praised be Jesus Christ.”
(from Vatican Radio)…