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We had many profiles of Women. Many were scared at the beginning.
Some told me: “I am too old to learn computers at my age; my family will make fun of me”;
children and husbands found it weird and demotivated them, knowing that children mastered PC usage
however, I was able to convince them, especially that i already understood well all the program ramifications
and this was the toughest part especially in the beginning of the program.
Being able to convince women between the ages of 16 until 70, to enroll in computer courses, was very tough,
knowing that we do not only teach internet, we teach all technology topics including the internet.
However the student’s most favorite topic is the internet.
We are dividing the student in into groups of the same level,
because many feel very embarrassed and shy
to be in the same course with people who knows a lot more than them already.
Moreover, the trainers are trained with Microsoft in order to de these trainings.
The program starts from level 0: how to turn on the computer,
whatever the level of the applicants is.
From that, our students now have blogs and are very active on the internet
sharing their thoughts, marketing their products, and learning new things.
Of course we teach them and focus on the positive sides of the internet.
And now, demand is very high and we have waiting lists for the coming courses.
Can you always welcome a big number of applicants?
As long as the trainer is capable of giving classes, we offer classes.
And each organization has its own needs.
We provide them with the needed package and knowledge and they take care of the classes scheduling.
All that matters is to never affect the women’s presence at her home, thus they offer flexible times.
Even the enrollment rates are insignificant
knowing that the certificates are from the USA and from Microsoft.
The fees are symbolic, in order to cover, even partially the trainers fees.
And the majority of the trainers are volunteers.
Rania you told us that you were supported to enroll in this program.
Was the support from all the family?
Of course!
I am married and I have 2 daughters of 14 and 12 years old.
They are good with computers and used to make fun of me!
"Is it possible? Mum is going to learn computers?"
This is because I didn’t know anything even turning the computer on as Nada mentioned
Now I am responsible of the online library at the Abadieh scouts club,
I bought a laptop and i am capable of communicating with a lot of people in Lebanon and abroad
An Iraqi delegation came to the Women in technology training, we met them and now we are still in contact with them!
From an isolated person, I am now a very open and motivated person
who is aware of many worldwide issues and topics.
Can we say that your life tuned 360 degrees?
Yes of course
What is the difference? Did you feel different from others?
Like all the women who doesn’t have a technology knowledge,
I always felt that I should have had a university degree and a certain knowledge
in order to keep up with the current life trend.
With this program, I don’t feel this need anymore because now I can learn whatever I want
and I feel more equal to educated people.
We will watch together some women’s testimonials:
I am very happy that I learned skills in the technology domain,
I have now the opportunity to improve myself
even if I am married and have kids.
Now from my home, I can work and improve my family’s situation and myself.
I learned computers despite my age!
And I am so proud of myself:
I am accessing facebook, I am talking with my cousins in France, my niece in the USA!
I am discovering new things; it is a completely new world!
I learned Microsoft office and the internet,
which are things they didn’t teach me in university in practice
Not only did this program help me realize my dreams and goals,
but also it allowed me to have a wider open-minded spirit
because it allowed me to have knowledge about the world around me
be it in the medical, societal, economical… fields, or even
in the daily life matters that I am capable to share with people in and outside Lebanon.
Furthermore, I would like to note that my whole family is outside Lebanon
and now I am able to communicate with them very easily.
Furthermore, the PD curricula helped me a lot because few years ago
I wanted to join the working arena, however, I did not have the opportunity.
Now because of the PD curricula, I started to I help my husband who works in an accounting office
in order to organize his work and to be more efficient in his work;
furthermore, I replace him sometimes on the computer and perform some of his tasks.”
“I didn't know anything about computers, until I took this training in order to improve myself in technology
so that i can help my kids in computer usage, and if one day i decide to work,
to have the necessary skills to apply to a god job.
I joined IT Lebanon to do an internship because it is required,
and I tried to follow all the training offered by the organization.
The women in Technology program helped me a lot
because it allowed me to apply what I am learning directly in my work
Very nice training
What is most amazing me is
if at a certain age women still have the patience to sit in front of the computer
because a woman usually take care of many things at the same time,
she takes care of what her family eats, when they sleep,
what they are doing, where they are…
a mum usually needs to take care of all the details concerning her kids lives:
if it cold, she calls to tell them to put their jacket on…
consequently at a certain age, women become less patient…
I wish we could finish the movie.
would have liked you to see a 70 year old woman..
We will finish it later on. Even now, we saw women who are not very young.
Do they still have the patience to sit and learn from zero?
I am amazed by their patience and willingness to learn.
There is a woman who told me: my only contact with computers is in order to remove the dust.
Now she has her own blog and she is selling online the products of her husband’s shop
even into foreign countries.
When I first told them about this program, they were not really motivated,
they said there are a lot of organisms offering computer courses.
They did not know yet this whole basket of skills they will be learning in this short period of time.
Moreover, our focus is to never influence her presence in her home with her husband and kids
and many women are coming with their husbands, especially in Iraq.
We are in 9 Arab countries: Maghreb, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Emirates, Yemen, Oman other than Lebanon.
In Iraq, husbands used to come with women,
for those who keep the custom of not letting their wives go out alone.
Those husbands said: why would I stay and I watch while I can take the courses myself?
Thus the husbands enrolled too.
And in Lebanon, when I go on site visits, they directly ask me:
what is the next thing to come? What will you offer us next?
Rania, Nada insists that women’s homes will not be affected by these courses,
and that her interest in her home will not diminish.
However, it will only have a positive impact on her life,
which will POSITIVELY influence her home and family. How?
Now, I am at the same level of knowledge than my kids.
Now I acquire knowledge that I share with them later on.
Through Google groups, I am able to have extremely interesting conversations
especially with women who already graduated from this program in other countries.
Thus, I am able to know the customs and opinions of other people and of other cultures.
You can share these things with people around you, which is a very positive thing.
Do they look at you differently?
Yes. A lot. They are proud of their mum
that she is not only to clean and cook.
I acknowledge that the role of a woman is very important in her home,
but if she is capable of balancing between her home and her work
or personal accomplishment, why not? �