I’ve been told that Sri Lanka was in the Guiness Book of World Records for having the most holidays of any country. I can’t find the record, but with the number of days off I’ve enjoyed since my arrival, it wouldn’t surprise me. Then again, I did arrive just in time for New Year. Eventually, though, the IT Centre opened up and I began my volunteer work teaching basic computer skills to children from poor families. Today is my ninth day of ‘teaching’ so it’s time I described what I do.
The centre is on the floor above Indrani’s shop and she and Charley own the building. The permanent teacher, Kaushalya, arrives at about 9am each day to open up and plug in every device while the keener students sweep the floor. Lessons officially start at 10am, but since school runs from 7am until 1pm, only older kids attend the morning sessions.
Each student works through the course syllabus at their own pace and is allowed to surf the net, catch up on facebook and play games once they have completed their lesson. The syllabus was designed by previous volunteers and covers the components of a computer, how to explore the internet and the basics of Microsoft Office. There are 10 PCs available to the students, 5 of which are less than a year old and 5 of which have probably been here since the centre opened 10 years ago.
The afternoon class, which runs from 2:30pm to 4:30pm is predominantly younger children and so the syllabus has more focus on the basics of using the keyboard and the mouse through activities such as drawing patterns in MS Paint. Some of the kids are extraordinarily talented at drawing even with a mouse.
The kids would rather go to Kaushalya than have to struggle with English by asking me, but they will come to have their work checked since I can basically tick the correct answers and say ‘hari hari.’ OK, OK. When I do see them struggling or working on a misconfigured system (incorrect screen resolution), I try to show them how to correct the problem. Most will respectfully try to follow my directions, even if they don’t understand them, but a few seem determined to either ignore my suggestions or to contradict them. Kaushalya is always on hand to translate and support me, just as she’s available to help when I come up against a task I don’t know how to perform in Windows.
Although Linux would be perfect for a developing country like Sri Lanka, where people and companies could get more out of old computers without the licensing costs associated with Windows, most people choose the simplicity of buying computers with Windows already installed or install their own pirated copies. In case some of the students have a higher level of interest in computers, I’m preparing a demonstration of how Ubuntu (my preferred version of Linux) can do everything Windows can, often more easily. I’ll leave 3 USB sticks with Ubuntu installed so future volunteers can provide the same lesson after I leave.
At the end of each lesson, the students get on the floor and touch the feet of the teacher to ask for her blessing. Some do the same for me. It’s a custom that shows respect and recognises the role the teacher provides in improving their chance of a better life. In response we touch them on the head or shoulder as both acknowledgement and blessing.