The Atlas DigiBus is supporting the children in Langa, Cape Town

Like any pioneering project, there have been a few bumps in the road in the development of the Atlas DigiBus.  Thanks to the commitment and hard work of our partners and supporters, the DigiBus is now serving the children and families of Langa, Cape Town. 

South Africa has an unequal education system with many schools struggling with overcrowding, staff and pupil absenteeism and poor educational attainment, as well as high drop rates that are perpetuating cycles of poverty. The Atlas DigiBus is changing this. Converted from an old Scania bus and fitted with 40 laptops and 2 teaching stations, it is helping children in the Langa community with English, Numeracy and digital skills. 

Since children learn in their mother tongue until Grade 4 and then transition to English, they are left unable to understand the content and fall behind. There is a staggering drop-out rate of 40% in Langa, with 17% of these children stating poor educational attainment being their biggest de-motivator for school. With constant support on hand, the DigiBus is transformative for these children in transitioning between English and their mother tongue. 

As the Atlas DigiBus continues to support the children, it is hopeful that fewer children will drop out and cycles of low attainment as a cause of poverty will begin to fade out. Atlas and our partners recognise the value of education for every child we work with and are proud of the confidence, skills and performance our DigiBus will bring to each child in Langa.