Educate the Future Leaders of Sierra Leone

Dear Project Supporters,  

Beth, a Board Member of Develop Africa, visited Freetown, Sierra Leone, and interviewed students about how computer training has impacted their lives.  She says-

One of the students I met during my brief visit to the Develop Africa offices in Sierra Leone was Ibrahim.  He is from a family with five children and went to school through high school in the Bo area, the largest town in the southern part of Sierra Leone.  He aspired to be an accountant and moved to the capital city, Freetown, to stay with an uncle and further his education.  Times were difficult.  He heard about Develop Africa and the computer classes being offered for a reasonable fee through local media.  He had never touched a computer, but he imagined this could really increase his opportunities in pursuing his educational goals.

When he arrived for the classes, he was slow at first.  He had never placed his hands on a keyboard.  The Develop Africa instructor was very patient.  He helped Ibrahim place his hands properly and learn the letters and numbers on the keyboard.  He marveled at how the instructor could use the keyboard without looking at the letters on the keys.  The first course was to orient students to the computer – the components, such as the monitor, mouse, keyboard, and CPU.  Ibrahim went on to take several classes, with Microsoft Excel being his favorite.  This is not surprising for a student who wanted to pursue Accounting!

After taking several classes, Ibrahim’s confidence grew.  He was able to maneuver the keyboard and learn basic Microsoft software packages – Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.  Ibrahim was so interested in computers based on these classes, he changed his educational course of study to network engineering.  He was accepted and is now a student at the American College, one of the renowned institutions in Sierra Leone.  He credits his success and new academic focus to the basics he learned in the Develop Africa computer classes.  He also discussed using Excel for his own personal budget.  Whether accounting or network engineering, Excel is a powerful tool, and Ibrahim credits Develop Africa for giving him the start he desperately needed to pursue his goals.

Beth's interview with Ibrahim was also recorded and can be watched here.

We are grateful for your support that is helping future leaders of Sierra Leone like Ibrahim. You can support other future leaders in Sierra Leone by signing up for a recurring donation.  

Please share this project with your contacts and invite them to consider supporting this ongoing project. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at GlobalGiving@developafrica.org.

Warm regards,

Amy, Beth, and the Develop Africa team

Links:

• Interview with Ibrahim
• Start a recurring donation for future leaders in Sierra Leone