Imagine going through school never touching a computer.  Those of us who are of a certain age can imagine this.  Maybe we used a manual or electric typewriter, then graduated to a word processor, wondering at how the machine could store our report and allow us to make edits without retyping whole pages.  But for a millennial, the thought of going through school – through high school – without using a computer is unimaginable.
 

Ibrahim Turay – Network Engineering Student

One of the students I met during my brief visit to the Develop Africa offices in Sierra Leone was Ibrahim Turay.  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 pursing 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.

Abel Yambusu – Student and Entrepreneur

Abel Yambusu went to school through high school in the upcountry area of Sierra Leone.  He moved to the capital, Freetown, to pursue is post-secondary education.  He was intent on studying electrical engineering.  Like most students in Sierra Leone, Abel went through school without using a computer.  He had recently moved to Freetown when he passed by the Develop Africa offices in the Juba community and noticed the posters advertising computer classes.  Being a highly motivated young man, Abel decided to attend and convinced a friend to also attend a class.

Abel took several classes, paying a nominal fee for each course – Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, but the one that really captured his imagination was Publisher.  He really enjoyed learning how to use Microsoft Publisher to make cards, programs, and posters.  He reevaluated his career choice and decided to study graphic design.  Abel is currently taking a professional course in graphic design, and he credits the computer courses at Develop Africa with giving him the foundation to pursue this new career choice.  In addition to continuing his education, Abel has started his own graphic design business.  He makes and sells birthday cards, church programs, and posters, earning enough to support himself as he continues his education. 

In my conversation with Abel and other students the theme of self-reliance was central.  The Develop Africa computer courses and other work, such as supporting students with textbooks and school supplies, is geared toward building a foundation.  This foundation of basic skills allows students to learn and grow academically and professionally, critical for future self-reliance.  Abel’s story was particularly striking on this theme.  He’s not expecting a handout.  He worked to pay his fees to attend the Develop Africa classes, and he’s using what he learned to support himself as he furthers his education.  Abel wanted donors to know that their donations are making a difference in the lives of young people like him. 

Theresa Harding – Develop Africa critical to academic success

A friend told Theresa Harding about Develop Africa in 2015.  At that time, Sierra Leone was recovering from an Ebola outbreak that disrupted many educational opportunities, especially for girls and young women.  Theresa was a beneficiary of the Creating Pathways Center, which focused on assisting girls continue their educations.  Through the Center, Theresa took several computer classes, learning Microsoft software programs.

Like others, Theresa had no experience using a computer before taking classes at Develop Africa.  She learned the basics first – the keyboard, mouse, and CPU – then learned Microsoft Office software programs. Theresa was later admitted to college at the University of Makeni (UNMAK) where she is pursuing a degree in public health.  Theresa did not have a computer when she arrived at college, but she had the computer skills she had learned at Develop Africa.  Fortunately, her roommate had a computer but lacked basic knowledge to use many of the programs.  They helped each other.  Theresa taught her roommate the Microsoft software programs and was able to use her roommate’s computer for her own assignments.

Theresa spoke of how several of the software programs have been critical to her academic success.  She learned the basics for all of these in the Develop Africa classes.  Pursuing a degree in public health, Theresa uses Word to write her research papers and PowerPoint for class presentations.  She uses Publisher to make posters, critical to communicate public health information, especially using pictures for a population where many lack basic reading skills.  Theresa also used Excel recently to analyze data for her dissertation.  She imagines what her experience would have been like at the university without the knowledge of these basic software programs.

As she finishes her dissertation and awaits graduation in March 2021, Theresa is currently doing an internship with Develop Africa.  She is working as an Assistant Program Officer.  In this position Theresa is mentoring girls and performing other administrative duties.  She was eager to give back to Develop Africa and help others as she was helped. 

The theme of service was central to my conversation with past Develop Africa students.  Just as self-reliance is critical, giving back by helping others as they have been helped is important and demonstrated by these students.  Service to others is also key to development activities – those who are fortunate enough to take courses and learn are eager to share their knowledge with others.  This has a multiplier effect for donations to Develop Africa.  Theresa discussed how service to the community is a core value.  Sierra Leone will be fortunate to have Theresa working in public health, continuing to give back to the communities where she will work and serve for years to come.

Interviews by Beth Pope
December 2020