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EngenderHealth: Equipment from Ashes

Posted April 22nd, 2008 by matthew
Bheki: Technical Support Specialist for the Johannesburg branch
Description: 

The Engender Health office located in Johannesburg purchased Cisco hardware from SANGOTeCH in 2007at a cost of around R5,500, a saving of over R60 000 rand over the retail price. The Cisco Pix506E Security appliance allows the Johannesburg branch of Engender Health to have high speed internet connectivity through the use of its firewall which means they are able to access their e-mail and other documented information directly from the New York Headquarters. Instalment of a Cisco Wireless Access Point makes the office more welcoming to Engender Health Visitors who mainly have wireless laptops. Engender Health Global Technical Support Specialist, Dennis Omwenga said, “We were able to set up our office quickly thanks to the assistance of Cisco and SANGOTeCH. We are very grateful to them for providing us with very reasonable prices for the hardware we needed. We look forward to making additional software and hardware purchases from Cisco through SANGOTeCH in the future.”

As an international non-governmental organisation, Information and Communication technologies (ICTs) play a key role in integrating the global offices of Engender Health. The value of such technology was graphically demonstrated at the Johannesburg offices of Engender Health in Newtown, when an office fire destroyed all their network and equipment. It was immediately after this incident purchased Cisco hardware from SANGOTeCH, and within a month they were “more connected to the New York Headquarters than they were before the fire” said Dennis Omwenga. The Johannesburg branch is now established as a full satellite office along with Kenya.

“We were able to set up our office quickly thanks to the assistance of Cisco and SANGOTeCH for providing us with very reasonable prices for the hardware we needed. We look forward to making additional purchases from Cisco through SANGOTeCH in the future.”
Technical Support Specialist, Dennis Omwenga

About The Organisation: 
For 65 years Engender Health has improved the lives of men and women through family planning, maternal health, HIV/AIDS and gender equity in a variety of countries around the world. Engender Health has proven that, in the many developing countries where resources and money are scarce, strategies on behalf of all these issues can be addressed in an affordable manner. They practice advocacy for national and international policies in order to respond to the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. EH trains health providers and gives health facilities the appropriate medical supplies to ensure a healthy well being for developing nation’s present and future generations. Gender based equity is carried out in their Men as Partners program which raises a conscious mentality among men to support their reproductive partners through maternal support and reduced gender based violence. Engender Health believes that youth oriented programs carry special importance in the 21st century as more than one billion young people between the age of 15-24 are entering their reproductive years. Eighty percent of those young people live in the developing world and will contribute greatly to future population growth which is why sexual and reproductive education and awareness is of vital importance.