Chinese automobile Chery International on Thursday pledged to help South African youth acquire skills essential for the 21st century.
Chen Chunqing, executive vice president of Chery International, made the remarks in Johannesburg during the Chery Africa educational dialogue.
Chery has partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and South Africa’s Department of Basic Education to enhance education in the country, with a focus on robotics and coding.
“We will continue to support education in South Africa and Africa to acquire skills of the 21st century. We are supporting the children’s rights in other parts of the continent to fight drug abuse,” said Chen.
Last year, Chery donated 6 million U.S. dollars to improve education in different parts of the world.
Cheryl Weston, director at the Department of Basic Education, welcomed the partnership with Chery, emphasizing that Chery’s vision aligns closely with South Africa’s goals for basic education.
The government cannot afford to develop education alone and requires partners like Chery and UNICEF, she said, noting that South Africa is updating its curriculum to include the skills required by the labor market, including coding and robotics.
“Chery has not only invested in the future of the young people but has given future chances to those willing to learn. We will be accountable to our partners to ensure that funding is used transparently and there are measurable outcomes. With the investment, there would be some impact in the classroom,” she said.
Jeremy Hopkins, deputy regional director for UNICEF in Eastern and Southern Africa, said the partnership with Chery and others will help equip youth in the region with new skills, adding that private sector support is essential for governments to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Panyaza Lesufi, premier of Gauteng Province, invited Chery to establish a manufacturing and car assembly plant in South Africa. He said local production would create jobs, improve education, and contribute to national development and economic growth. Enditem
Source: Xinhua
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