When we arrived at Berseba Elementary School the children were playing with the badminton sets we gave them on an earlier visit
Good news from Berseba Elementary School in the mountains of Bayugan in Mindanao.
On a recent visit to the school the head teacher had appealed to us to help them get a computer, as they had no IT equipment at all for the children despite having over 200 children enrolled there. Well, we were recently able to return to Berseba Elementary School to deliver the computer which we had bought with donations from people back in Britain.
Whose idea was it to tell the shop we would take the computer table flatpacked ? Bill, the teachers and I puzzle over the assembly instructions.
There was tremendous excitement at the school when we arrived as they were not expecting us. Communications in the mountain areas are very poor and we had been unable to get word to them that we were coming as there are no landlines and very few mobile phones in the area. When they realised we had brought them a computer they were just astounded and very excited.
We had received the money for the base unit, monitor, surge protector and computer desk from a kind friend of my mother’s in Newton Mearns near Glasgow. When we told the teachers that all those items were the gift of just one man back in Scotland they were amazed.
“Just one man ?” they asked, surprised. “Not a Foundation ?” ”Is he a very rich man ?”
“No” I said, ”Just a very kind man”
Children begin crowd into the room to watch Bill and the teachers assembling the computer table.
We had bought a high quality reconditioned computer which was of a very good specification, with Windows NT, Powerpoint, Excel, a CD drive, and a Pentium 4 processor, 17 inch monitor - basically it has the works. It will do everything the school could require and probably a lot more besides.
Eventually after a lot of humming and hawing, checking of instructions, and sending for tools the computer table was assembled and ready for its precious load. Two teachers start to put the computer together.
In addition to the computer itself, we were able to buy a printer using donations from my cousin John, Mearns Kirk, and a lady in Kilcreggan. That was a more complicated procedure than you might think. We could not buy them the same kind of computer as I have for myself since the ink cartridges for my printer cost about £10 each. The school would never be able to afford to buy an ink cartridges at that kind of cost. We therefore had to buy a different type of printer which - although it is much more expensive to buy – uses a typewriter ribbon type cartridge similar to those used on electric typewriter. The repalcement cartridge for this type of printer is only £1 (a tenth of the price). Even better – you can just buy the ribbon iteslf and replace it within the old cartridge case for only 35 pence per ribbon. Much more affordable, and within the reach of the schools limited financial resources to replace the ribbon.
Now let me see…..where does this bit go ?
Before long the village officals, parents and just about the entire village were tying to see this great event take place.
By the time we were ready to finally switch on the computer for the first time you could hardly move in the room, as it was packed with the entire community as well as loads of the children. It was obvioulsy seen as a major event for the village and nobody wanted to miss seeing it happen.
Success ! All connected up, working perfectly and ready to roll !
I am sure the computer will be very well used and will be a great help to the teachers in educating the children. In the modern age learning to use computers is a great advantage for children. Also, in the Philippines many families have relatives or family members working overseas to try and help support the family, and if they can use computers it is much easier for families to keep in touch with each other.
Mission accomplished!
Meanwhile, a couple of the parents had also found some books, a pop-up play tent, and some crayons which were also brought out from Scotland on Bill’s most recent trip. They seemed very facinated and pleased with these as well, and promptly took them for the teachers of the pre-school group to use.
Bill and a couple of Mums check out the playtent, books and crayons for the pre-school group.
All in all, another happy and satisfying day.
A big thank-you to all those back home who made it possible with their donations.
