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Nakonde newbies A donation of used computers has opened up a new world for Nakonde residents.
Recognising this need, Nakonde Area Development Programme (ADP) applied to Computer Aid International for assistance with second-hand computers. Six months later, in February 2002, the ADP received 12 computers from the UK-based charity, enabling it to begin computer classes in the community. So far, 130 people have completed training in computer basics. “Most of the people who have graduated from this computer class are locals who have personal computers. Others are school leavers who are using these certificates to look for jobs, and still others need the skill in their current jobs,” says ADP Manager, Chiyaze Kawilila. Mrs Maureen Sichimata is an administrative assistant for Nakonde’s District Council. She started there in 1998 as a copy typist, but had no opportunity to improve her skills or advance in the organisation. “I used to have difficulty typing minutes, “ she says. “I would think I had finished my typing work only to be told by my boss that there were a lot of mistakes. This meant I had to type it out again. It used to take me a whole week to prepare council minutes, and I still had to attend to other office work, like filing and reception. None of the other support staff had computer skills. Although there were enough computers in the office, they could only help out on manual typewriters. “My friend told me that World Vision had started computer training in the district. One day I called at the Nakonde ADP office to find out if I could be registered as a student. “I started with the basics and got very interested so that I went on to do Excel. The exercises were sometimes difficult to understand. However, with good tutoring I started enjoying the lessons. “After the course I went to my boss and told him that I was now able to use the computer better. He laughed and told me he would test me to see if I could do it. I passed the test and from that time on I’ve been moved from the old office to one near my boss and my salary has been increased – a great motivation! I am now able to look after my children better. Had it not been for World Vision starting the course, I could have still been in the same position.” Maureen’s success inspired a colleague who shared Maureen’s old office to do the course too. Mr J Mange, who works for the Ministry of Education, is another who has benefited from the computer classes. “Using a computer has been a dream of mine for a long time,” he says. “However, the nearest place offering computer lessons used to be Kasama (about 240km away), which made training impossible. The world today is moving fast and everyone should keep abreast with all the changes in technology. A computer really makes work easy.” Initially based at the Nakonde ADP offices, the computers have been donated to NADCC (the voluntary, elected community body that co-ordinates development activities on behalf of residents) and the classes are now held at another site in the Nakonde Township. Money earned from class fees is used to meet some of NADCC’s expenses. So far, the NADCC has been able to raise more than NZ$1680 from trainees’ fees. The trainer, Ntawumbulwa Mulwanda says that enrolments have continued to grow and that the project is succeeding because of the increased demand for computer use. “We have students from different walks of life, from government departments, non-government organisations, individuals and even from the neighbouring Tunduma district in Tanzania!” he says. The computer classes are an interesting addition to Nakonde ADP’s core activities, which focus primarily on health, education and leadership development. |
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