Learning Microsoft

This past Monday and Wednesday, Gia and I held a staff training for the Liberian team. Before we arrived in Liberia, we had asked the Liberia team to let us know what subjects and skills they wanted us to help train them in. Resoundingly, the staff wanted to learn about computers. In the US, we take it for granted the availability of computers and the readily accessible and fast internet. Children now grow up with their own laptops, desktops, and the ability to surf the internet. By the time they are in middle school, most children can type. Here in Liberia, it is rare to find adults who know how to type, much less know how to turn on a computer; thus, we started holding biweekly trainings for our Tiyatien Health Liberian staff. This first week, we taught basics of the computer, including turning it on, navigating Microsoft XP, opening programs, and changing sizes of windows. We also taught them Microsoft Word. They are avid learners, and once they are trained, Gia and I are hopeful that they will continue to familiarize themselves with computer programs. Next week, we plan to train them in Microsoft Powerpoint. Ideally, we would love for our Liberian staff to have more access to computers, internet, and for them to each feel comfortable using a computer as this would help us build our capacity.