Every year, Studio Brussel, a Flemish radio station, organises Music for Life, a charity event that runs for more than a month and ends with De Warmste Week, the week before Christmas. For this event, people, organisations and companies can set up actions to support a non-profit or charity organisation of their choice. We are very grateful that Co-Vibes, Lineas-IT, FOD BOSA, Capgemini and Documentatiecentrum Atlas decided to support Close the Gap this year.

Together, through various actions, these organisations raised more than 6000 euros. With €2,000 collected, we can furnish and install one computer room in a secondary school in for example Tanzania, Zambia or Kenya. This would include a set of 15 computers with appropriate software installed, teacher training, technical support and e-waste contribution. Each class of 15 computers reaches about 300 children. 

This year, the raised funds will go to our service partner Glice in Burundi, who will install the computers in secondary schools and universities in the country. Glice has been a service partner of Close the Gap for many years, and they are committed to promoting digital inclusion in the African Great Lakes Region by facilitating access to IT equipment and training.

In 2018, Glice had several programmes and initiatives in Burundi. The first is the ICT4Education project to build capacity in the educational sector through ICT. Glice and Close the Gap provided 300 laptops for the Polytechnical university of Gitega, the Lake Tanganyika University and the High Paramedical Institute of Gitega.

The second initiative is the ICT4Women project: a programme for women and girls who want to learn to code and start entrepreneurship.15 women benefited form this programme in 2018. Another noteworthy initiative is the Robotics programme, which encourages youth to take an interest in science and technology. Last but not least, Glice is also the motor behind the Burundi WEEE Center, turning e-waste into sustainable, human and economic resources.

The beneficiaries of the De Warmste Week funds are the following schools:

1. Independant School of Bujumbura
2. The Holy Spirit High School
3. Burundi Center for Sustainable development
4. Bujumbura international university
5. ATADC asbl Bukavu (DRC)
6. Great Lakes University
7. Lake Tanganyika University

Thank you once again for all of your support through these various actions. Actions included among others:

A cookie sale by Capgemini.

A tombola by Documentatiecentrum Atlas

A speaking event with the CEO of VRT (Flemish broadcasting station) at FOD BOSA.