 GroupWiseR supports Viafrica and this interview by Liesbeth Hofs (April 2007) shows one of the reasons why.
Today I visit Kibosho Girls Secondary School, on behalf of
Viafrica: a girls’ school at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Kibosho received computers from Viafrica in 2006 as a part of the
CLASSworks project. The CLASSworks-installation consists of 16
computers, a server and a printer. Kibosho Girls did already have some
experience with computers, but worked untill that point mainly with old
and damaged computers. The donation of our good Pentium-3 computers was therefore more than welcome.
I ask Angela, a fifteen year old girl, about her experience with
computer lessons. She has been working on the Viafrica-computers for
almost one year now. Angela likes it. The past year she learnt how to
work with text programs and spreadsheets. This is not only fun, but it
will also be very useful to her: “My favourite subjects are physics,
mathematics and computer lessons. I would like to become an engineer,
so I will need these subjects at university.”
It will also help her in finding a job. “For example, if I have to
wait before I can go to university, I can follow a training to become a
secretary, or work at an office. Also, if you look for a job after your
final education, it is important that you know how to work with
computers”. During the national exams for computer studies, Angela got
82 points out of a total of 100. Not really a surprise, since the
scores of Kibosho Girls ranked high in the total list of schools in the
region: a 4th position where it concerned IT studies. With an average
score of 61 points, the majority of the students from Kibosho passed
the computer exams.
Viafrica knows that this, amongst other things, can be explained
by the commitment of the IT teacher. Due to a shortage of adequate
books, he developed materials himself. Apparently the books are very
suitable. Angela says: “Computer lessons are not really hard. And if
there is something you do not understand, you can always ask our
teacher. During the lessons we also work with pamphlets. We get
instructions and exercises, and write along with our teacher.” This
does, however, not mean that Angela is fully satisfied. The national
exams in Tanzania are done in the 2nd and 4th year of secondary
education. But Angela will not join the examinations in the fourth
class. “At our school there are too many students to get computer
lessons for all. In the first and second class we got two hours
computer class per week, but that means there is not enough space for
the third and fourth classes. That is why I did not receive computer
lessons, practically, since the beginning of this year. Only theory.”
Angela is lucky, because her parents live in Dar es Salaam. At
home, she has access to a computer. But for the others, who do not have
that, for them Viafrica has to work extra hard the coming year. |
