OLPCorps PresbyterianUniversityCollege-Ghana Ghana JAKS

Title: OLPCorps_PresbyterianUniversityCollege-Ghana_Ghana_JAKS

Introduction:

We are a team comprising of four (4) undergraduate final year students of the Presbyterian University College, Ghana Abetifi-Kwahu campus pursuing the Bsc. Information and Communication Technology programme. The team is made up of Abena Gyamfuaa Sem, Stephen Nii Adjei Sowah, James Aggrey and Kofi Boafo. Deploying 100 XO laptops and equipment in the Kwahu East District of Ghana and training/educating children who are the agents of change between 6 – 12 years (Primary Level) is our target for the project. The deployment will be during the period of June – August where the pupils will be in school. The Presbyterian University College, Ghana has as part of its objectives to develop rural communities thereby setting up its campuses in the rural areas. www.presbyuniversity.edu.gh. It has also setup an outreach centre which liaises with the school and other bodies in handling the University’s community based projects.

Working With Children:

Five schools have been chosen from the Kwahu East district and letters would be forwarded to the heads of the schools to inform them of the project. These schools are the Presbyterian Primary School-Pepease, Presbyterian Primary School-Abetifi, Presbyterian Primary School-Nkwatia, Presbyterian Primary School-Mpraeso, Aduamoah Presby Primary School-Aduamoah. The chosen schools are all Presbyterian schools because we believe that they being Presbyterian schools like the University, the university will not sway in its commitment. We will deploy 20 XO laptops and equipment to each of the 5 schools. We have scheduled an hour for each class from primary one to six which will sum up to six (6) hours training period a day. By this we can allocate a day for each school thereby covering all 5 schools in a week for the 10 week period of deployment.

A similar project was undertaken during our ICT departmental week celebration. The group took part in an outreach program where we visited some of the rural schools with computers to demonstrate and interact with them on the use of computers. The reception and the enthusiasm by which the pupils accepted and received us as well as interest they showed was encouraging. They therefore requested that we continue with this programme. We observed that, the schools had no computers and some of the pupils were seeing a computer for the first time.

Approach and Methodology:

The team will employ the use of exercises, assignments, inter-class and inter-school competition, peer-training among the pupils from the various schools to enhance the learning process. After the project, the pupil will • Have the knowledge in the use of computers • Apply computer in solving pertinent problems in the society • Train other people in the use of the computers in solving problem which will be practically demonstrated during the deployment period. The children will in turn become agents of change and not just objects of learning.

Local Partners:

We will partner with the Presbyterian University College which has its Information and Communication Technology Department in the Kwahu East district at Abetifi. Status and progress reports will be presented to the University and the ICT department for them to know what the group has done and where the group ended to enable the department elect a new group to take over the project successfully. Since the university and the department will continually be in existence, there will not be shortage of personnel to continue with the project. The project will go a long way to increase the desire of the children in the use of computers to solve problems as well as educate them on its use and benefits.

Communication:

We have spent some time in the district so we are conversant with the language and the people and therefore can interact well with them. We are also conversant with the style of learning therefore it will not be a problem when communicating with the children.

Technical Support:

The Presbyterian University College, Ghana’s ICT Department which is part of our local partner has the capacity to offer the needed technical support, aside our technical knowledge and that of the ICT department.

Financial Support Once we leave:

The Presbyterian University College, Ghana has a community responsibility. They being our local partner will offer financial support once they take over the project. We will seek for sponsorships from the various departments and associations especially the ICT department to continue with the project.