ISSN 1710-6931 November 30, 2007 Issue 113
FEATURE ARTICLES

Computers Arrive In Sierra Leone Courtesy Of WCE

by Purnima Arun

A shipment of 200 used computers arrived in Sierra Leone from Boston, United States, courtesy of World Computer Exchange (WCE) and their partners. The shipment arrived at Port of Tema, and Arrow Network is to assist with customs clearance and with various beneficiaries.

This would be the third shipment to a country trying to get back on its feet. The computers will be a lifeline to over 8,000 students, helping to bridge the information technology gap.

One hundred computers from this shipment will be divided between Akwamuman Secondary School and Boso Secondary Technical School (near Akosombo) sponsored by Arrow Network Systems, a private company registered in Ghana. They are working with the local government offices in the communities, letting them decide where the computers will be most beneficial. They will also install them for free.

The 20 computers sponsored by RESPECT International will be used to set up an educational resource center in the Buduburam Camp for the refugee youth. Apart from Sierra Leone, RESPECT has previously worked with WCE in Guinea and Nigeria.

The remaining computers in the shipment are yet to be assigned. Peace Corp volunteers are also assisting in setting up the computers.

These Pentium III computers are being donated by individuals in Massachusetts, US courts in Boston and Rhode Island, the Kennedy School of government at Harvard University, and the Hancock Natural Resource group, all in the United States.

Fifty of these computers were tested by students at Westminster College in Missouri led by a fellow student from Ghana. With a little help from FedEx, they were shipped to Massachusetts, where students from South Shore Public Charter School helped pack them.

Another instance where the students assisted was by raising US$1,000 (approximately €680, £486) through an international dinner after being told about the refugees from Sierra Leone and Liberia by their Michigan teacher. Computers Arrive

AFFILIATES

RESPECT University Seeks Greater Involvement

by Ashok Pillai

RESPECT University has been conducting a campaign to involve the academic fraternity in various reputed universities of the world. A team of highly motivated volunteers are in the process of enlightening students, faculty and alumni on the urgent need for post-secondary education of refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) in the war affected areas.

The team is not only trying to involve more people to conduct courses but is trying to persuade the students to donate books, stationery and used computers to strengthen the poor infrastructural facility in refugee camps where RESPECT University courses are being run.

All possible effort is being made to improve the communication (which is the major stumbling block for conducting the courses) between the refugee students and the tutors.

In addition, the volunteers are trying to use all possible media available on the net to advertise our achievements and highlight the problems we are facing.

Some of the student magazines may soon be carrying the RESPECT University appeal to join us and make us stronger in providing a more effective medium that will help the refugee student get equal opportunity to study beyond high school.

The ongoing campaign has already started showing results and is generating a lot of enquiries and offers to support our cause. Slowly but surely RESPECT University is certainly breaking barriers and bringing people together through education.

As in any newsletter or magazine, RESPECT e-zine is committed to striving for interesting articles and announcements concerning refugee issues all around the world.

If you have any suggestions or would like to contribute an article, contact the e-Zine editor, Angela Carter, at editor@respectrefugees.org.

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