Visit the WCG eCentre in Hornlee

Knysna is one of the Garden Route’s best-known travel locations. People from all over the world visit the picturesque town for its famous oysters and to enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking in the Outeniqua mountains or sailing in the Knysna lagoon.

Just outside of the tourist areas of Knysna is the suburb of Hornlee. Hornlee is a suburb on the eastern outskirts of Knysna and is home to roughly 7 000 people, and 12 000 in Nekkies and Sunridge which are next to Hornlee. Youth unemployment and access to housing are some of the main problems facing the community.

The Hornlee WCG eCentre is a beacon of hope that strives to help those in the communities. The e-Centre is part of the WCG eCentre Programme which is an initiative that provides free internet access for rural and underprivileged communities.

The e-Centres eCentres functions similarly to an internet café, where citizens can visit and use the computers, access the internet, receive basic computer training, access government information and services, as well as type their CVs and print documents for free.

The Hornlee WCG eCentre is in the Hornlee Library, and it overlooks the famous Knysna Heads. The central location makes it easy for people from different suburbs in Knysna and its surrounds to visit.

Before the establishment of the Hornlee WCG eCentre in 2017, people had to pay to go to town and to get access to these services. In addition, they had to pay for these services that the eCentre provides free of charge.

The Hornlee WCG eCentre has over 4 000 registered eCentre users, most users are either unemployed, general workers or small business owners.

According to the eCentre manager, Joshwill Lewis, “Giving free access to the needed resources such as the internet and free printing, makes it slightly better. This allows unemployed youth to develop CVs that will show them as employable and, by so doing, decrease the unemployment statistics in the area.”

Lewis also says, “On a good day, around 50 people would visit the eCentre. This number decreased as the stages of load shedding increased. Our average number of users visiting the centre per month is around 1000.”

According to Lewis, some of the needs in the community are youth employment, shelter for the homeless, access to housing, developmental opportunities, and access to free resources. He says, “At the eCentre [the staff] aim to alleviate as many of the challenges and needs of our community as possible.”

Apart from computer and internet access, users can also get free computer training which upskills them for the modern job market.

One specific person that upskilled themselves that comes to Lewis’ mind is one of the eCentre interns. “He started as an intern and aimed to become an HR official at either a public or private company. He is now completing his degree this year and already made a huge name for himself among many of the local businesses” says Lewis.

Another success story is of a lady that made use of the eCentre to type her CV. “We assisted her to complete a comprehensive, yet impactful, CV that she used to apply at many of the local businesses. Weeks later she came to the centre on her day off to inform us that she has been successful in her hunt and that she started working as an assistant at one of the local clothing stores.”

Services offered by the Hornlee WCG eCentre

• Free Internet Access
• Email Access and assistance to create emails
• Online Job searches and applications
• Online University Applications
• Free Printing of maximum 10 pages per day
• Basic Informal Computer Course Training
• E-learner Online Computer Course Training
• International Computer Digital Literacy (ICDL) Computer Course Training

Contact Us

Telephone:

061 244 2004

Email:

Hornlee.ecentre@gmail.com

Address:
01 Vigilance Drive
Knysna
6570

Operating Hours:
Monday - Friday 08:00 - 17:00