Organization’s Logo
Mission and Vision
As a non-profit organization, “AccessTech” came out of a project proposal, titled: “Computer Training Programme for Students from Low Income Communities” involved in a training of basic computer skills to Students within the Makeni municipality
Mission:
To facilitate and establish meaningful and sustainable development of computer literacy among individuals who can barely make ends meet; not only within the Makeni city but to the country at large.
Vision:
“AccessTech” was birthed out of the vision that human resource development is the key to improving nation-building capacity. Through training and partnerships, AccessTech is committed to developing the people of Makeni through the promotion of basic Information and Communication Technology “ICT” education and resource development.
Aims and Objective
Aim
The general aim is to “Provide Training in Basic Computer Skills, MS Office Applications and the Internet”
Objective
The objectives are to
- Empower the students to become computer literate and proficiency.
- Equip members with modern technology.
- Train members to be self-reliance.
- Promote accessibility of the poor to services and other governmental opportunities.
- Educate the students in Makeni city in using the computers to provide for an easier communication with friends and other students; to use internet as a source of information and communication to obtain access to the job market in a cost effective way by using a Wide Area Network (WAN) internet connection.
- Share the project experience learned globally not only with the communities but also with stakeholders including projects and programmes.
REGIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Sierra Leone covers a total area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq miles). It has an ethnically diverse population of 18.4 million (UN, 2005), and the number of inhabitants is increasing at a rate of about 3% per year. Sierra Leone is one of the world’s poorest countries, with the majority of the population working in subsistence agriculture. Only a small proportion of the workforce receives monetary wages. This together with the under-funded Information and Communication technological facilities has created a barrier and limits our access to computer education.
Makeni is Located in Sierra Leone in Coordinates: 8°52′54″N 12°02′39″W / 8.88167°N 12.04417°W. It is the 5th largest city in Sierra Leone (after Freetown, Bo, Kenema and Koidu Town) and the largest city and economic center of Northern Sierra Leone. The city is the capital of Bombali District and has a population of 105,900. The city lies 110 miles (177 km) north-east of the capital Freetown. The population of the city is ethnically diverse, though the Temne and Limba are the largest ethnic groups. It is about 115 miles from the capital city of Sierra Leone, Freetown.
In Makeni city, few schools have computers and the Internet. Students therefore cannot use computers and the internet for research, finding, training and educational materials, and other important sources of information.
PROJECT'S SUMMARY
Makeni City, about 115 miles from the capital city of Sierra Leone, Freetown, few schools have computers and the Internet. Students therefore cannot use computers and the internet for research, finding, training and educational materials, and other important sources of information.
Computers today are used in all the spheres of our lives. Every day we use computers for using the internet, storing, analyzing and disseminating the information from the computer. However, the cost involved in buying a computer, makes the practical barriers to be tremendous and basic computer training is often inaccessible to those who can barely make ends meet
Therefore, this project seeks to provide Training in Basic Computer Skills, MS Office Applications and the Internet to students from low income communities within Makeni municipality.
“AccessTech” will be a solution to the growing demand for computer literacy and/or education in this rural Sierra Leone. More concretely, the project wants to stretch its efforts to meet the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Revolution in the community and the country at large.
This proposal is targeted primarily towards “Students from Low Income Communities” within Makeni City. A little consideration will be placed of non-members such as adults/youths who come for internet services at a minimum maintenance cost.
The proposed project is envisaged as a one (1)-year program. The system of training, implementing, and evaluating the project requires a short-term commitment.
The budget, in relation to the size of the training program, would be..................for one year. This donation is needed to embark on activities to strengthen the capacity and sustainability of our proposed computer training school in this rural Sierra Leone. Most will be used in creating practical handbooks, running cost and providing access to digital resources such as purchasing of hardware and software equipments etc.
The running cost, i.e. salaries to members of the resource group is to be covered by the project both during the project period and thereafter.
For the project to be sustainable students will be required to pay a low cost for the computer training while the internet service is offered to them for free. The project will allow non members who will pay a minimum amount for internet services. Furthermore, the project will hire professionals to come and train trainees and also will seek for volunteers to come and train the Community members.
AFFRONTED PROBLEMS AND OUTCOMES
Problems
Computer Literacy in Makeni city still remains in a very minimum level at present. Also still only 15% of the population has access to the internet in Makeni. Therefore there is a greater need in Makeni to make opportunities for the students to receive computer education. However, most of the students are not in a position to gain the computer knowledge due to the cost involved in buying computers etc.
Except for few major schools, most of the schools in Makeni city do not have computer labs in their schools. As technology becomes a mainstay in the private and public sectors, most decent paying jobs increasingly require proficiency in computers and basic office applications. Some job applications are only accepted electronically and require that the applicant have an email address. These stipulations have had the effect of "raising the bar" and making even entry-level positions inaccessible for many individuals in Makeni. However, a basic
computer literacy is compulsory qualification when a person looks for job.
Additionally, electronic equipments like the computer have during the recent years generally become standard equipment in official and private use in Makeni.
However, as the computer is now generally in use, students have not been given the opportunity to train basic computer skills in order to follow the course of general, technical development. The need for knowing how to use the computer as a helping aid has become evident for students from Makeni city.
The Project wishes to raise computer knowledge among the low-income students in Makeni city, Boimbali District; a “Computer Training Program” to students from low income communities.
More Concretely...
v A fully equipped computer Training Centre will be established which could accommodate “Twenty five” (25) students per batch.”
v An Internet cafe will be opened for public in order to motivate the people to access the internet and guarantee a minimum maintenance income for the center.
v Students who excel in the course will be given opportunity to teach with an allowance paid.
Results or Outcomes
PROJECT BACKGROUND/OVERVIEW
Now that Sierra Leone is well on the road to full recovery from a decade long Civil War, it’s high time to prepare and meet the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) revolution.
Sierra Leone, like other developing sub-Saharan countries, still continues to fight a social, economical, and political development battle, due to its weak or almost non-existent infrastructure, i.e. limited access to basic necessities such as water, power, food security, and information. Until Sierra Leone can attain and maintain a solid infrastructure, one could argue that efforts to bridge the digital divide would be quite futile. However one could also argue that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) revolution has been a prerequisite for sustained infrastructure development in most developing countries of which Sierra Leone, Makeni city to be specific cannot be an exception.
For example, India and China have embraced and used ICT to their advantage, to secure strategic roles on the G-20 list of emerging market countries. Unfortunately West Africa, with the exception of Nigeria and Ghana, is often left out of the ICT revolution; therefore Sierra Leone has no choice but to strike while the iron is hot. Sierra Leone must take advantage of development opportunities ICT initiatives such as those offered by the World Bank (eDevelopment), or the U.S Agency for International Development (dot.com Alliance).
Unlike in more industrialized nations where computers are easily accessible in schools, libraries, and other venues, computers are not as widely available in developing countries. Consequently, students who wish to acquire the technology skills increasingly required for many jobs have no recourse but to enroll in, and pay for, additional training in “computer schools” at predatory prices. The practical barriers can be tremendous and such training is often inaccessible to those who can barely make ends meet.
As technology becomes a mainstay in the private and public sectors, most decent paying jobs increasingly require proficiency in computers and basic office applications. Some job applications are only accepted electronically and require that the applicant have an email address. These stipulations have had the effect of "raising the bar" and making even entry-level positions inaccessible for many individuals in Sierra Leone. For this reason, one could argue that, Basic computer training skills should be a must in order to combat this situation
The training and facilities offered in universities, traditional schools and colleges such as Teachers Training colleges and polytechnics has simply not caught up with the information age. Tragically, the training offered does not adequately prepare graduates for such positions. Often, within the school and college system, there are no facilities for this budding population to learn how to use computers or to get any form of computer training. At graduation, the majority of students have never used a computer, let alone received any basic training or education in computer training skills. Inexperience with computer technology narrows one's job market.
After conducting several interviews to better understand the barriers and needs related to computer literacy in Makeni city, “AccessTech” seeks to provide access to technological facilities and the necessary training that will improve employment prospects for disadvantaged individuals and empower them to meet their family and community needs.
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