On the 10th of March 2018, our girls attended their very first computer skills lessons at Zodiac Websurf, an internet cafe in Rocklands, Mangaung. Out of all the 8 girls in the first two groups, only one girl had actually had the experience of using a laptop, even though she had only used it to watch movies and scroll through pictures. It is a shocking revelation that in 2018, there are still young girls who have not touched a PC. Most of the girls are in matric and are off to varsity next year, where computer skills will be necessary in order for them to do their assignments, receive information about their courses; either via email or the internet, communicate with their lecturers and fellow students, submit work and do online evaluations. The list is endless!
With these weekly computer lessons, the girls will learn how to navigate their way through a PC, how to use programmes such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint. They will also learn how to access the internet and use it for research purposes. Once they have gone through the basics, our girls will know how to write their own CV’s, how to do research online for their assignments, how to create and utilise an email address to make communication easier for them. Being computer literate will also boost their self confidence knowing that they too are amongst the privileged who are computer literate in a country where over 90% of schools have no access to computers for scholars to learn computer literacy from.
The girls are very enthusiastic about these lessons and all the endless possibilities that come with knowing ones way around a computer. It’s no secret that in South Africa, having computer skills are just as important as having a driver’s license when applying for a job or even when one is being considered for a promotion at work. We’d also like to show our appreciation to the owner of Zodiac Websurf, Mr Lebo Sehapi for providing his services and guiding the girls step by step on how to navigate a PC. To contribute to the enrichment of our girls, you can donate towards their lessons on our donate page on https://bloemgirlsrock.org/donate/
Your help will be appreciated and will definitely go a long way.
