The Event:
On February 15, 2024, Net Nine Nine launched its student up-liftment initiative at Mandisa Shiceka School of Specialization in Kagiso. The project’s goal is to provide students with an entertaining and engaging introduction to the value of having internet connectivity as we head into the fourth industrial revolution.
The first round:
Net Nine Nine teamed up with its supplier, Cable Feeder Systems and 450 grade 11 and 12 students attended a presentation about the internet, fiber telecommunications, and the fourth industrial revolution presented by the Net Nine Nine and CFS teams. The students then took part in a question-and-answer session about the presentation and the most attentive, enthusiastic, and observant students were selected to go into the second round.
The Second round:
The second round included 30 students selected from the 8 classes who then took part in a second presentation and physical demonstration where they were shown fibre cables and equipment, they were also shown how fibre optic cables are used to pass the signal through light across long distances. At the end of the presentation, the students again took part in a question-and-answer session and the top 12 students were selected to go into the final round.
The final round:
The final round began with a comprehensive demonstration on fibre Splicing (the method of joining the glass fibres together using an electrical arc) the students were then allowed to ask any questions before they were all asked advanced fibre-related questions.
At the end of the year, students from Mandisa Shiceka School of Specialization and three other schools will fight for an amazing reward in the Net Nine Nine 4IR game show, in which two winning students have been chosen to participate.
The Prize:
In addition to bragging rights, the students that win the Net Nine Nine 4IR game show will each be granted a fully paid, and internationally recognized fibre splicing course valued at R25 000 per student? Students will also be offered an internship to work with one of our fibre installation teams to allow them to generate active work experience as well as a certification right out of school.
Together with our partner CFS, Net Nine Nine believes that this effort will not only raise awareness of the value of the internet but also provide our future leaders with the critical skills they need.
A big thank you:
A massive thank you to the Mandisa Shiceka for hosting the day and a special thanks to the teachers, parents, SRC, and the students of grade 11 and 12 for ensuring that the roadshow went smoothly, we are unbelievably proud of the discipline of the students at Mandisa and the organised approach that the SRC and teachers implemented to move students from their classes to the various rounds of presentations.
All of us here at Net Nine Nine are super impressed and proud that Mandisa is one of the schools connected with the Net Nine Nine free fibre service, and we challenge the next schools taking part in the roadshow to show similar dedication to this program.
A special thanks to M D Skosana the principal of Mandisa, you showed the Net Nine Nine, and CFS teams how a school of specialization should be run, we humbly thank you for all that you are doing to help shape the young minds in Kagiso.
