Computer class

Last week, on Thursday, May 3rd, I started teaching computer class. Usually Eliab, who works as the English teacher, also volunteers at the computer class. So we agreed that, for the timeI'm here, I can take over computer class. My class, for now, consist of seven wonderful ladies: Jeannette, Mariam, Joyce, Eugenie, Epiphanie, Mayimuna and Zayinabi. I've been told that there are more women who are attending, but for now, they haven't showed up. Also, the idea of time seems to be very fluid to some of the women. If the class starts at 11 a.m. some have the habit of slowly walking in at around 11:50. But I'm usually also always late for work back home, so I don't take it against them.

Until now, Eliab held the class with only one computer, which can be very frustrating, not to say almost impossible to organize. He would show them an exercise and they would each had to repeat it one by one on the same computer. I brought in my computer, so now we are working on two. It's a bit easier. I organized them in two groups. In each group there is one woman who is doing a little bit better then the rest and knows a bit more English, so she can make my job easier by translating, and help the other women in their exercises. I forgot to mention that most of them (with two exceptions) know English very poorly, which makes my job even more challenging. More challenging, but also more rewarding if I manage to teach them something. For now we did some repetition of basic Microsoft Word Office stuff. Since not all of them have their e-mail accounts, we also created one for each student and I’m teaching them to compose e-mails, send and receive them. In the coming week I plan to do some more Word Office, some Internet use, and maybe even some Excel.

I am really fascinated by my students. Some of them are women in their fifties, but they are coming to every class, trying really hard on every exercise and staying long after the class is finished to practice some more. Every single time we break the schedule for at least na hour. I also like the enthusiasm some of the women have for learning ICT. I just hope that they will be able to put in use in everday life everything we practice. I think the computer class is also a good opportunity for women to spend some time together. It is also really touching when, after the class, you get e-mails from your students saying how they are happy to learn new things. For example, one of Jeannette's e-mail I got two days ago: „Hi! My good Teacher,I see you are very good on face to face,you are very very happy,the first all of I want to thank you so so so much because you teach us very well that's why you welcome in our class,you are my best Friend and May God help all things you want and God bless you.“ In Croatia they would just cut the tires on your car. Oh yes, as much as I would like them to call me "Marko" or at least "Mark", they just call me „Teacher“. Which I hear is not a big compliment in Rwanda, since teachers are very underpaid. 

Marko