The blackboard is the new desktop

In these two months in Kongo, under the suggestion of Francis Sapaat, the NGO desk officer of GES of the Nabdam District and in agreement with Mondo, I turned to the schools of the district to observe the lessons of ICT.

Currently I was in 13 Junior High School, Kongo, Kong-Daborin, Girls Model, Soliga, Zua, Nangodi, Yakoti, Pelungu, Damol-Tindongo, Gundork, Zanlerigu, Dagliga and Logre, for a total of 19 teachers.

These schools do not have computers to use, so teachers must be very creative! With the exception of two of them who brought their own computer to do some practice with the students (a computer for 10/30 pupils), usually everything is done on the blackboard. From the Excel table to the Word sheet.

Many students don’t have the textbook and they can only follow the teacher and take notes. 

I remember a teacher who showed a page of the book with pictures and asked the students to indicate the keyboard and not all of them knew the answer.

On the other hand, how is it possible to know something that has never been seen?

Two schools organize classes for third year students in the nearby school, Presentation, which has a computer lab. Others, go to Bolgatanga, the nearby city (40 minutes traveling on a rough road) in an ICT center and pay so that they can practice. Usually these trips take place 2, 3 times a year, only for third-year students, to prepare for their final exam.

Me and Grace, ICT Teacher in Soliga JHS. Picture taken by Silja Mall

That’s why the teachers reacted enthusiastically to the news of the opening of an ICT center in Kongo. Great for nearby schools but also for those more distant that will be able to go more than 3 times a year.

Yes, because the center will open… it's just not clear when!

GES has identified the place in Kongo, safe, with the guardian at night. It was clean and KoCDA provided the tables and chairs. To be ready, we’re waiting now for the painting and a better electrical system.

Thanks to the NABCO (Nation Builders Corps) program, a government initiative to address graduate unemployment to solve social problem, there’s also the person who will be in charge of the ICT center. Moses, that we already know as Silja's friend, is currently teaching ICT in Girls Model JHS and, once the center is open he will be in charge of organizing shifts for schools, courses and keeping computers in good condition.

the future ICT center

Computers donated to Mondo have arrived and are ready to be used! We are grateful to everyone who made a donation, especially to Replace Group. There are 13 computers in total, currently with me.

Some of the computers were not in excellent condition and all had different operating systems. The students study entirely Windows 7 and also the exam will concern Windows 7 and the Office 2007 package. For this, thanks to the great help of King Solomon a local ICT expert, who helped to install Windows 7 and the Office package 2007 and now they are all ready to use.

Also, some computers missed battery chargers and mouse. The mouse are also important because "how to use the mouse" is part of the ICT curriculum and is a subject present at the exam. That's why, thanks to a donation from Mondo, I could buy 4 chargers and 9 mouse.

We therefore hope to give the chance to the students to use the computers very soon!

students at Presentation working

On the other hand it is nice to see that at the Presentation school computers donated by Mondo are used and the students work enthusiastically!

As for the children of the Mondo Child Support program, the material for the children, bag, uniform, books, notebooks and pencils is finally ready ... and tomorrow we start the distribution! 

Some of the bag for the kids

To conclude I can say that here in Kongo I'm fine, despite encountering malaria not once but twice... but I'm still here! 😃 Ready to end this 2018 as good as possible!