Vhembe District hosts GIS Week

By: Maano Nekhavhambe

The Vhembe District Municipality in collaboration with the Limpopo Office of the Premier and the Department of Education hosted a successful Geographic Information System (GIS) Seminar over a two day period, running from 16 April to 17 April 2019.

The Promoting GIS event is an annual program whereby Vhembe District Municipality hosts in the last quarter of their municipal calendar targeting their deep rural schools.

However, the primary aim of GIS Week is to introduce learners to GIS concepts in a fun, interactive way, showing them how the spatial data industry contributes to the solving of real world problems, and giving them exposure to how GIS data and technologies are used in both government and private practice spheres. The hope is that at least some of these consider future careers in the spatial data field.

This year’s edition was held at the Tshivhase Secondary School, Thulamela Local Municipality and the second seminar was held at Makhado TVET College, Makhado Local Municipality under the theme: Teaching the world with Geographic Information System

The Department of Education has chosen Tshivhase Secondary School as the hosts due to the fact that they are always competing amongst the best in the province each year when it comes to matric results and it was also part of honoring them for their exploits.

A total of 300 pupils from 40 secondary schools across Vhembe district were part of the tremendous initiative which aimed to unlock the challenges they face on daily base in their respective classes when it comes to a Geography learning area after the GIS section was recently inserted into their syllabus.

Each school was allocated a day and starting time slot, so that as many learners can be accommodated as possible throughout a two day long programe.

The Head of GIS unit in the Vhembe District Municipality Mr Shumani Samuel Daswa said their main objective is to give initiated support to schools through the GIS unit whereby learners and educators gets educated about GIS since it has been a challenge to them.

Following this seminar, learners from participating schools would be able to understand GIS and its components and it will also guide them further as they choose their future careers.