Computer Course Project

"This course is important to me as I need to master basic computer skills to go to university... I'm really happy to be here, it opens the door to new opportunities!" - Umendu, computer course participant.

In October, we led our computer course project, teaching basic computer skills to our participants! We had the support of International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) and Erasmus University Rotterdam, to whom we are grateful.

Enthusiasm drove our participants, and thanks to their hard work and perseverence, language was never a barrier. Everyone helped each other to get the most of the course! Here is a picture of three of them, two refugees being taught by a third one, speaking three different languages to communicate! We are so thankful for these encounters and proud of them.

"We had a fantastic lesson in which students were working on their CVs and felt connected to learning. So much so I had to kick them out 15minutes after time. The huge smiles were worth it." - Kathryn, volunteer at UID.

This would have never been possible without the help of our volunteers. Many thanks to Joe in particular, whose nice words went straight to our hearts.

"I was not really looking for this opportunity but instead I stumbled into to it through a friend and fellow volunteer: Kathryn. When she asked if I would like to help teach a basic computer course to refugees in the Netherlands, I was quick to say yes without giving it an awful lot of thought. After a couple of weeks and some quick correspondence I suddenly found myself preparing to go and help with the first lesson. I had no idea what to expect and was also beginning to feel a little nervous about my ability to impart knowledge! The first session required some quick improvisation to separate both the students and volunteers into suitable ability and language groups, this ensured that subsequent classes ran much more smoothly. Patience was required by both parties as we gradually progressed through the basic skills of word and powerpoint, learning from each other as we went. Any worries I had about my ability to teach these students lessened after each class, and knowing that I always had the other volunteers to lend a hand definitely helped. I am very thankful to both Kathryn and UID for providing me with the opportunity to help out with the computer course, and I look forward to doing more work with UID in the future"