45 computers donated to rural Cameroon

Considering
*the high demand of computerisation as a basis of connectivity in the  modern world
*the stiff competition in the job market with the emphasis laid on technical skills
*the small number of personal computers in Cameroon was quite (27 computers per ten thousand persons in 1999)
*the small number of computerised schools in rural areas Babessi in particular (only 0%) of schools in Babessi council are computerised
*the increasing number of students in Cameroon who find it difficult to get meaningful education and progress further in their studies due to the shortage or absence of computers in schools
*the fact that students cant gain credible n employment after school because they lack skills in computer and other information technology that is required
by most employers

It was realised that there was need to assist the rural schools in remote areas of
Cameroon, Babessi in particular. Hence the initiation of a program which would
close the gap by helping the people in remote areas who had been left behind for
many years in the field of Information and Communication Technologies, to acquire
computer literacy. This is to be done through providing computer and ICT training in
remote areas through schools and the council.

This project will help to bridge the digital divide by providing computers to schools
and connecting them to the Internet and then training students to acquire useful
skills that will help them compete effectively and face the challenges of
globalization. This is in line with our objective of "Bridging IT and Education". We are
very much concern about our subdivision which is the rural areas where others have
failed to reach.

Project Description:
Considering the above technical crisis in schools, in 2008 June, International
Volunteers (Tamara R. Palamakumbura of PCDI Cameroon ) sought for 45
computers from international donors (Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, U.K. ) to
be used to establish the initial project in one of the remotest areas of
Cameroon(Babaesi subdivision) whereby then no secondary school had computers.

The computers were to be distributed in 10 schools with a population of at least 200
students per school and a municipal telecommunication internet centre for the
community. Fortunately, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, U.K. donated 51
systems and 37 monitors. The recipients only had to pay
shipping and customs costs. The computers were received in November 2008 and
distributed as planned. All this was done with the intention of introducing technology
literacy among rural-remote school and communities.

For more information on the program, please click here.