The World Federation of Engineering Organization, WEFO in collaboration with the Women in Engineering, WIE, committee of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, has held a one week training course in basic computer operations for female primary school teachers in Enugu state.
The training aimed at creating an understanding among women in economic and social activities through the knowledge of information technologies. WIE says it embarked on the training after a survey that most teachers in public primary schools were computer literate.
According to the group, the pilot training was first held in Abuja in October were it trained about forty four female primary school teachers from various public primary school within the FCT municipal. In a remark, the Enugu State commissioner for Science and Technology, Engr. Patrick Ikpenwa commended the organizers for keying into the UNs Millennium Development Goals (Goal 3) as well as training women “without real access to technology”.
“There is a limit to how and what women can contribute. More women, especially in the rural and informed sector need to use ICT to get things done in their lives. The commissioner who was represented by the permanent secretary in the ministry, Prince Charles Maduekwe said, “The mobile phone is a start, but ICT goes beyond receiving and making calls on the mobile phone. “Women must be active ICT participants, users, professionals creators, producers and entrepreneurs. To make a difference, women must engage in productive ICT and ICT driven activities.”
The commissioner urged the participants to be serious in applying what they learnt in teaching in their various schools. Also, the National President of NSE, Engr. Otis Anyaeji enjoined the participants to put into practice what they have learnt in the one week training. “What you have done for the past one week is just the beginning. My advice to you is not to drop the concept of what you have learnt because the moment you drop it, it will depart from you. I urge you to cultivate the habit of working with the computer every time, with that, you’ll make a lot of impact,” he said. The president was represented by the Chairman, Board of Fellows, College of Fellows of Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Chris Okoye. Earlier in her address, the chairman of Women in Engineering committee of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Mrs. Esther Gonda congratulated the participants and encouraged them to ensure they transfer the training to their colleagues and pupils in their schools.
“It is important that you take this training to the next level by putting into practice what you have learnt. Technology is to make your life easier. You will find that a new world has opened to you,” she said. Gonda was represented by the Enugu State coordinator for NSE/WIE, Engr. Mrs. Nneka Nwagugu, appealed to government, donor agencies and other stakeholders in the country to collaborate with them to actualize their dream of making all primary school teachers in the country computer literate. In an interview with Mrs. Ugwoke Gloria, one of the teachers who was trained she said, “I have been teaching for 25years, I have been seeing computer but I have never touched it since I was born. “My happiness today is that I have known and touched the mouse.
I thought that cursor is butterfly, but I have known how to use it”, she said. “I don’t know what to call myself. I beat my children whenever I see them operating their phones but I never knew I was a disabled woman. I have decided to continue the computer training once I get back home”, she said. The high point of event was the award of certificates and prizes to some of laptop, iPad and an Android phone to those that came first, second and third in the training.
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