COMPUTAINER

"Participation Builds Unity"

"MADE IN AFRICA - FOR AFRICA"

A 'SPECIAL PROJECT' SERVING AFRICA

CompuTainer
For the Community, In the Community, By the Community

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CompuTainer is a South African based company that works with companies, governments and donor organisations in Africa that wish to provide the means to raise the levels of awareness of their local communities on HIV, AIDS and TB.

CompuTainer was inspired by the reduction in new HIV infections in Uganda. CompuTainer studied the model used and discovered that the majority of reduction was caused by the high levels of awareness to HIV and AIDs. These levels of awareness were based on raised levels of education with the emphasis on ABC methodologies (Abstinence, Being faithful and use of Condoms).

CompuTainer uses the latest state of the art technology to communicate the much needed messages and to ensure that the recipient gains the highest level of understanding of HIV and AIDs.

The CompuTainer Kiosk is made from rugged steel and manufactured locally in South Africa. The kiosks can be powder-coated in any colour combinations and may be branded in any way desired. They can be shipped via container to any country in the fully assembled form or in broken down form for fitment of local PC technology. CompuTainer works with international computer manufactures to ensure that specifications and screen sizes are compatible with the kiosks. Kiosks can additionally be fitted with condom dispensing devices if required.

The CompuTainer deployment and maintenance model works by employing unemployed youth to setup and maintain the kiosks. After intensive training the teams of two individuals are tasked to deploy and maintain up to 50 kiosks each in predefined geographical regions. The model allows for the teams to be funded with transport and tools-of-the-trade to provide Level 1 support in the field. The teams also have the ability to swap out damaged units and bring them back to centralised centres for Level 2 support.

CompuTainer uses the best of breed hardware and software produced by local South African and International companies. In setting the criteria, CompuTainer not only looks at the intended audience but also at the standards adhered to by the local manufacturers. CompuTainer strives to use suppliers that have clear track records in this industry.

CompuTainer insists that all training software needs to run on the latest mass supported platforms. To this we have decided that the Microsoft platform will be used on all PCs deployed on kiosks. In addition to running on the Microsoft Windows platform, CompuTainer stipulates that all training software needs to comply with the standards set down by the South African Qualifications Authority and South African National Qualifications Framework with regards to HIV and AIDS education.

CompuTainer works with local authorities to identify suitable placement sites for the kiosks. These sites are normally selected for the corporate companies within their work environment however CompuTainer will also work with local government agencies to find suitable placement zones for kiosks that are deployed in the local communities. Due to the secure design of the kiosk they can be placed in open areas.

CompuTainer works with local community leaders to ensure the ongoing commitment from the community to support the facilities. To ensure the ongoing sustainability of those facilities CompuTainer retains the sole rights to advertising on the facilities. All monies collected from advertising rights are utilised, in full, to support and maintain the facilities. Should a corporate company decide to maintain the kiosk on an ongoing basis, CompuTainer will transfer the advertising rights to that corporate.

CompuTainer at all times maintains the highest levels of professional ethics. CompuTainer works via a network of authorised resellers that have be approved by CompuTainer and its suppliers. All companies that CompuTainer deals with need to be fully registered companies that require full auditing by local revenue services.

CompuTainer currently uses HIV, AIDs and TB training developed by LearnScapes.
Topics covered by the kiosk version of LearnScapes are as follows:
What is HIV/AIDS?
How HIV Infects
How HIV doesn’t infect
Condoms
Safer Relationships
HIV/AIDs and Nutrition
Antiretrovirals
Tuberculosis

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Here is an extract from a letter I have just received from the South African Department of Health.

"On behalf of the Deputy Minister of Health, Mrs N.C. Madlala-Routledge,
I wish to thank you for your time and informative talk which the Deputy Minister
and myself had with you at the African Defence Summit on 13 July 2004.

The Deputy Minister fully endorses “CompuTainer” and would like some more
information from you in this regard.
Detailed background information regarding the concept, the implementation and the sustainability thereof
will help her in deciding where to lobby for further support and to bring you into contact with relevant role players."

Soul Beat Africa Recognition
Soul Beat Africa

PRESS RELEASE
15 October 2004

CompuTainer, founding company of the CompuTainer HIV, AIDS and TB Awareness Training Kiosk, today announced plans to expand to a full service around HIV, AIDS and TB. CompuTainer today offers HIV, AIDS and TB awareness training via kiosks to mass audiences. Mark Van der Merwe, Managing Director of CompuTainer, said “We looked at the peer education model in South Africa and with a target audience of about 24 million in the 15-49 age groups that needs to be trained, we were looking at 200 years at today’s peer education capacity to train everyone. At CompuTainer we turned to technology to create a mass audience interactive training kiosk that is capable of training over 1,000 people per year at affordable prices.” We believe we have the ability to drop prices of training down by at least 80% based on today’s current prices. We further looked at the area around testing and patient care.

With prices being high on the testing area, few smaller to medium companies are affording these. We also looked at rapid test kits available world wide and have chosen the best kits available as tested by the WHO and UNAIDS. We have successfully negotiated on pricing so as to bring the kits to market at affordable prices for smaller and medium companies. Clearly these kits can not be supplied direct to companies that do not have counselling facilities but we are negotiating with several private clinics and hospitals to provide those services for smaller and medium clients. Clearly with the larger companies we can work at supplying direct to their medical clinics in-house. We believe we can reduce the impact to companies by as much as 70% with regards to testing status for their staff.

Finally, the area of nutritional supplements seems to be filled with every medicine man and his dog. As an outsider to the market we have evaluated proven nutritional supplements as used by existing patients, supplements that have proven tests and supplements that have clear capacity to supply quantities that we believe are required in today’s world. I recently did an unsolicited call on a local pharmacy that seems to be promoting various packs and the going price was incredible based on what we found available in the market. With lesser proven nutritional ingredients we find the price in retail being almost 300% higher than the manufacturers sell at. We have once again successfully negotiated a full Food Supplement, Energy Booster, Antioxidant & Detoxifier and Immune System Modulator for prices that are affordable to the medium and small companies. We believe that we can negotiate further and bring these to market at about a 66% saving to companies.

At CompuTainer our aim is to reduce the new infection rate of HIV to as close to 0% by 2020 by affordably providing Awareness Training, Status Checking and Nutritional Care to all Governments and Companies in Africa. Clearly the emphasis is on affordable as with the numbers we have today of HIV infections we can not allow astronomical prices to put the much needed care out of reach from the small and medium companies and countries.

For more Information contact:
Mark VAN DER MERWE
markvdm@telkomsa.net

COMPUTAINER
FDA AFRICA PARTNER
LIFELONG HONORARY

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THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA
is a private, 'not-for-profit', non-membership, organisation actively serving Africa by promoting processes conducive to sustainable development
......throughout Africa - with the emphasis on sustainability!
This organisation is currently rated as one of the most proactive Sustainable Business Development Organisations in Africa!
Serving Africa since 1999.

We are actively involved with promoting the
AFRICAN RENEWAL PROGRAMME

However -
We firmly believe that sustainable development is a process that must start from within - Africa needs to "partner" with herself first!
We also prefer the phrase: "Lets create wealth" rather than "Lets alleviate poverty"
Our initiatives include enabler 'showcasing'; networking opportunities; business opportunities; investment opportunities; promotion of special projects; dissemination of business information; joint venture initiatives and a range of value added services - all to serve
AFRICA!

All our efforts are privately funded.

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AFRICA?

THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA
is proud to be able to present you with SPECIAL PROJECTS AFRICA

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