A Ballyshannon woman is returning to Africa for a month this summer to help train local teachers how to use second-hand computers which have been donated by an Irish charity.
Deirdre Lee, of Tullyherk, travelled to Zambia for four weeks last year as a volunteer for the charity Camara, which takes in second-hand computers that have been discarded by Irish organisations and individuals, refurbishes them and sends them to schools and colleges in Sub-Saharan Africa.
After seeing first-hand the benefits of using computers as an educational tool, Deirdre has decided to dedicate a month again this summer to teaching in Africa, this time in Ethiopia.
She said: “While in Zambia last July, we worked with primary-school teachers, secondary-school teachers, and hospital staff, enabling them to use computers in their day-to-day work, and most importantly, providing them with the skills to teach computer proficiency to others.”
Each volunteer has to raise €2,000 before setting off, to cover travel and accommodation costs. To help raise the money she needs, Deirdre has organised a barn dance in Dorrian’s Hotel in Ballyshannon this Sunday. She will also be collecting at the upcoming Rory Gallagher Festival, running the Flora women’s mini-marathon in Dublin and taking part in a sponsored cycle from Dublin to Belfast – a total of 170 kms!
For more information on Camara, see www.camara.ie.”