LIMPOPO'S department of education has entered into a partnership with Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy to bridge the global digital divide in literacy and technology.

The "Bridges to the Future Initiative" is an innovative project to utilise multimedia-based information and communication technologies in local languages.

The initiative is aimed to promote literacy and other learning skills in indigenous languages at high schools and Adult Basic Education and Training (Abet) centres.

The Molteno Institute is a collaborative multi-agency partnership under the sponsorship of the national Department of Education.

Multimedia materials for literacy learning and information resources have been developed in Sepedi, Tshivenda, xi-Tsonga and English aligned with Abet levels through digital literacy skills.

It is expected that the initial prototype evaluation in Limpopo will lead to its expansion to other provinces.

Limpopo education MEC Namane Ma-semola believes the project will address the digital divide by empowering the world's poorest people to better determine their social and economic future, using literacy and technology.