By Ron Chen, Bureau Chief, Asia

The Acronis Cyber Foundation Programme  has announced the completion of new school construction in Sierra Leone and Guatemala. In partnership with the company that helps entrepreneurs thrive, GoDaddy Inc. , both construction projects uphold the Programme’s mission to help and empower children with modern educational infrastructure and learning environments.

The Barbara Junior Secondary School in Sierra Leone was completed in September 2022 and included the development of three separate buildings designed to maximize natural light and fresh air. The school is located in the village of Barbara in Sierra Leone’s Port Loko district, an agricultural region where most families have an income of less than US$2 per day. Built with sustainable resources readily available in the immediate community including bamboo and interlocking brick masonry, the construction began in December 2021 with NGO partner Forikolo and is expected to be attended by over 120 pupils. The school features amenities to support disabled children, a hygiene room for girls, and the distribution of free hygiene products.

“These construction projects would not have been possible without the continued efforts of the Acronis Cyber Foundation Programme and the extreme generosity of GoDaddy Pro,” said CEO, of Acronis, Patrick Pulvermueller,. “We work with tens of thousands of partners worldwide and over the past five years, we have successfully and positively impacted thousands of children together with our partners through the determinations of the Foundation. We are so thankful to our partners who have joined our mission to help those in underserved communities.”

In 2019, the Acronis Cyber Foundation Program, Cloudfest and NGO partner Esperanza e.V. built five new classrooms to extend the existing EscuelaOficial Urbana Mixta San Antonio School in Guatemala. Prior to the Programme’s involvement, the school’s 525 students shared just 10 classrooms which led to significant overcrowding. GoDaddy Pro joined the initiative in 2021 and helped fund the latest construction project which includes remodeling and expanding three classrooms of the current facility, four additional classrooms, and proper stairs. The next goal for the school in San Antonio, Guatemala will be the development of a modern computer classroom that will allow students to optimize educational resources.

“These projects align with GoDaddy’s mission to make opportunity more inclusive for all. The successful completion of these projects provides communities with the educational resources they need and deserve,” said President of GoDaddy Partners, Paul Bindel. “We’re proud our efforts and partnership with Acronis created momentum in these communities and gave these students a chance at a formal, modern education.”

Founded in 2018, the Acronis Cyber Foundation Programme has been strongly dedicated to education by funding school construction and bringing IT skills training to communities around the globe. In addition to building 18 schools and seven computer classrooms, the Programme has engaged in educational projects with over 19,000 people participating in Acronis IT Skills Programmes worldwide. It has brought humanitarian aid to more than 5,000 persons in underserved communities.

The Acronis Cyber Foundation Programme is focused on partnering with other organizations to help make a difference. Acronis invites all businesses, large or small, to engage in joint projects. For partners wanting to develop their own community development plans, the Programme can also help in supporting other initiatives.