Computer courses

for unemployed teenagers in townships

South African slums are characterised by a high level of unemployment, which leads to addiction and violence. In South Africa, without computer skills the chances of finding a good job and a way out of poverty are slim. While in Europe the computer is now part of the basic equipment of a household, the children and young people in South Africa's slums have no access to PCs. Comprehensive computer courses take an important part in changing the situation in the slums and in giving the people of South Africa a perspective - for example, the young Sara Fina, from Walmer Township. During her professional teacher's vacation time she taught younger students after completing the PC course herself.

Background

South Africa is a country of contrasts: The infrastructure in cities is on par with the European level. In the rich neighborhoods’ schools, at universities and in many professions dealing with the PC is a part of everyday life. In the slums of South Africa, the situation is different: often there are just dusty dirt tracks instead of roads, no telephone or internet connections exist, and often there is no electricity. The children and youths in South African slums grow up without access to computers and the internet and are therefore excluded from vast parts of South African life, while for the children of the wealthy middle and upper classes the use of PCs has become a part of daily life – just like it is here in Germany. The children of the slums do not have the opportunity to receive a good education and good jobs without computer skills.

The good deed

With comprehensive computer courses for children and young people in the Walmer Township, infrastructural deficiencies between the South African slums and the wealthy suburbs can be compensated. The children and young people of the townships learn how to use a PC and improve their academic performance. They increase their chances of studying at the university and successfully find a job that allows them a way out of poverty.

Challenge

One challenge is the maintenance and security of the computers: In addition to the problems arising from high poverty and crime rate that cause break-ins, the protection against computer viruses in South Africa is not very common, so that poses a constant danger. As the technical devices come from western countries, computer expertise is a scarce resource and therefore relatively expensive.