Free mobile data for students protesting for #FeesMustFall
A new service is offering students who are involved in #FeesMustFall protests the ability to request free data bundles from Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, and Telkom.
The system is a donation-based service, where people can fund airtime for students who are requesting free data.
The initiative, started by Ruark Ferreira from Ekaya, states: “The students on the ground need to document this movement to the world”.
It added that the high cost of mobile data is a constraint to many students, which may limit their ability to use media to show the world what is happening.
A call for free data also came from the Minister of Sport and Recreation Fikile Mbalula, who tweeted: “Dear MTN, Vodacom, and Cell C, today would be a good day for FREE DATA to help students document the history they’re writing”.
Safe for donors to give airtime to students
Donors are requested to complete a basic Google form, after which they can see data requests from students.
“You then login to your Internet banking or mobile banking app and buy a 100MB data bundle for one (or more if you can) student. Once you’re done, you add a “Yes” next to their entry so we don’t double donate to one student.”
Ferreira said the system is safe, as no money is paid to a third party. “Donors manually use online banking to buy airtime for the students,” he said.
He said the system, which was launched on 22 October, has resulted in around 2,000 mobile data donations. Requests for data are also rapidly flowing in.
The student request form is available here, while the donor application form is available here.
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