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CS Alum is serving in the Peace Corps in Togo Me with the kids of a friend My name is Aaron Childs and I graduated from the CS department at GW in 2005 with a Bachelors of Arts in Computer Science. Freed from many of the tight restrictions imposed on BS students by my BA, I was able to spend my entire Junior year studying French, Art, and culture in France. After graduating with my background in computers and skills in French I decided to join the Peace Corps. I requested a move to French speaking West Africa to perfect my language skills. I was assigned to work under the Small Business Development branch of the Peace Corps. A little upset that I would not be able to use my computer skills, thinking that I would be placed in a small village without running water, electricity or any sort of communication with the outside world, I bought a hole slew of gear that would make any true, self-sustaining geek proud: digital video camera, digital camera, unlocked GSM phone, and a solar panel with ports to charge it all.  The front of my house After getting to my assigned post, Togo, I started learning about the Peace Corps' push to promote ICT (Information Communication Technology). After 3 months of training I was assigned to work in Sokodé, the second largest city in the country with a population of 200,000. My first couple months here I spent trying to get to know the people that lived and worked around me. I was especially interested in getting to know everyone that had anything to do with IT and computers. I spent lots of time at the two cyber cafes in town, observing classes at the small computer training centers, and going to the two private schools that have computer labs.  Old computer center I finally hooked up with a private school that had a small center with about ten computers. After watching the current IT program in action I decided to try my hand at teaching. Having never taught computers in French I thought this a good time to get started. I agreed to teach the practical section of the class. For the rest of the semester I taught 15 classes a week to kids ranging in age from 10 – 18. I can't even begin to describe how exhausting and exhilarating it was. I found that something I had taken for granted like double clicking I needed to spend entire class sessions going over in minute details. Something that we who grew up with this technology take for granted can take some of my students an entire class just to begin to master.  Me with teachers from my school at a soccer game After my work at the school and in town I begin to see an overall need in my community for a cheaper and easier way for people to begin working with a computer. The two cyber cafes, while only costing the local equivalent to 60 US cents an hour, are out of reach for 95% of the people in the community who sometimes are lucky to be making over a dollar a day. The problem is that computers and everything that comes with them has so much to offer these people with few options. I always go back to the story of a guy I work with who is putting together a tourist guide for my town. He has laid everything out in intricate detail by hand, found local business partners, and has a beautiful hand drawn copy of the guide. The problem is that he lacks the money to buy a computer and the knowledge to actually transfer his hand written guide into a digital medium.  IT teacher and me in our teaching coats. All the teachers have them to keep chalk dust off their clothes. I wanted one because I thought it looked cool. I decided that a new model for a computer center was needed. Over a three month period between January and March I worked in close collaboration with the Director and IT teacher of the private school. We came up with a plan to build a computer center for a little over $10,000 that would be able to offer eight week intro classes to the general public for around 40 US cents and one hour of computer time for 5 US cents. My job since then has been laying the ground work, finding local partners, and locating the actual cash to do it all.  Two students working in old lab I wish that everyone in the US could sit down and watch a 13 year old first learn how to use a computer. The wonder that they show when they learn how to change the color of text is an excitement for technology that many of us have long forgotten. Then you open a digital encyclopedia for these kids and you can literally see their minds expanding. I honestly feel like my biggest job here is not teaching people how to type. I am instead trying to open people's eyes to what is out there. I want people to take all the information that is available about the outside and say, "Wait a second. Why do they get to live like that and I don't?" Only when that happens will these people stuck at the base begin to demand more.  Class of students in old lab I have a blog detailing more of my life here at www.aaroninafrica.com. I try to post stories and pictures every couple weeks. |
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