It is no longer news that I worked with kids from low income community attending underserved schools. Part of what I am determined to do is to help to bridge the digital literacy gap of these kids. For me, it is not acceptable that these kids are left out of happenings in their world (digital world that is) while their counterparts from high income communities are enjoying what the new age has to offer.
Two weeks ago, I organized and mobilized my team at Mentor an African Child Initiative (MACI) to conduct a three days summer boot camp training for these kids. The kids were picked from 14 public primary schools within and around the community where I work. A total of 60 kids took part in this summer boot camp training at no cost.
On the first day of the training, the kids were taught how to use the computer system. They learnt how to type by getting familiar with the keyboard, they were also introduce to computer programming languages such as JAVA, C++, C, FORTRAN, COBOL, HTML, etc.
[image credits: [me: Day 1 of the digital training]
[image credits: [me: Day 1 of the digital training]
The second day, the kids were introduced to the HTML coding language and they were also put through the rudiments of building a website, which they started. They worked in groups according to the number of computer systems available.
[image credits: [me: digital training]
[image credits: [me: digital training]
The third day witnessed a glamorous completion of the website projects they started and award was given to outstanding kids.
It is my hope that, after the selection of the kids that receive further training and mentorship, many of them will pick up career in Tech and also become self reliance and an employer of labor. This initiative will be a trans-generational impact movement in which every generation work to improve the quality of life of the next generation.