Computer Training Courses

One of the passions that Piet has is to equip the younger generation not only spiritually, but also practically and in the area of technology. Many young people in Lesotho, especially in the more rural villages, do not have opportunities to learn how to use technology.

Piet has been running computer classes for a few young guys (ages 18-23) from our community. The majority of these guys are either out of school, finishing high school via evening classes, or have dropped out altogether for one reason or the next (finances, lack of motivation due to lack of career choices, etc).

The classes have been running off and on depending on the busyness of our schedule. Lately the classes have been on hold while we completed the Beat the Drum program as well as our October camp.

The few classes that Piet has held up until now have been quite good. The content is relevant to where they are at and there is such eagerness from the guys to learn and an excitement about acquiring a new skill. I have also been helping out a bit in terms of what content to include and one-on-one attention as the guys have needed it.

For the past three weeks or so, four guys have been coming to our house (the only available venue with power!) for computer training. A few of them had never used a computer in their lives. Trying to explain to them the functions of the keyboard seemed more challenging than I would have expected. I was taken aback when attempting to describe “Caps lock” and they were struggling to understand the difference between capital and lower case letters. It reminded me that I was very privileged growing up and being able to learn the basics of a computer in elementary/primary school.

At the moment we are working on consistency, both from our side and from theirs. We know we need to be consistent in terms of day of the week, time of day, and location of the course, which will in turn help them to be consistent in their attendance of the classes. 

We are currently in the process of making the computer classes more “official”. Piet has divided the material into two-month modules for the students to go through. After completing each module they will receive a certificate (though not yet accredited) which will count as a “recommendation” when applying for a job.

It is exciting as we look toward the future to see the potential this computer training course has, especially if we receive any donations of computers/laptops or fundraise for them. There will be an official meeting place once the LXP base is completed. This is a unique and much needed opportunity for the next generation to be equipped to do something great with their lives.