Hands-on computer classes for 1,800 Ghana children

“Students can use the laptops with or without supervision, they have improved their knowledge in their subjects and they can answer practice exam questions preloaded on the laptops.” This is how a teacher from Ghana’s Upper East Region summed up the impact of the EIFL Hands-on Computer Classes project. 

Thanks to your support, four regional mobile libraries travel to schools in poor and rural areas every week, bringing solar-powered laptops and mobile internet to give children practical ICT classes. The laptops have been pre-loaded with educational content, which the children use to study for their exams. From January to June this year, regional libraries serving communities in Ashanti, Upper East, Volta and Western regions conducted 449 classes, reaching almost 4,000 children at 16 schools. 

Even when the mobile library vans break down the librarians and teachers work together to ensure that the classes can continue. “Some schools offered to pay for the services of a taxi to bring the laptops and the internet. Other schools came to the library during free periods and over weekends for classes,” said Yaa Agyemang Opare-Adu, Head of Programmes & Partnerships at the Ghana Library Authority.

We have had good news from the Ghana Library Authority. Inspired by the success of the Hands-on Computer Classes project, the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications has equipped the remaining six regional mobile libraries with laptops and the internet. We are now preparing a training programme for the regional librarians, in Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern and Upper West regions, so that they can provide hands-on computer classes to thousands of children in their communities. This is a huge milestone for the project. We could not have achieved it without your support. On behalf of the children, their parents and teachers, and our regional library partners, thank-you!