Computer School in the City of God in Old Fadama

In 2019, we founded the Computer School in the City of God with the goal of simplifying children's and teenagers' access to education and improving their digital skills. There, on five evenings a week from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm, around 40 children, teenagers, and young adults learn how to use a PC and a variety of applications in seven small groups. In addition to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the curriculum also includes general digital skills such as internet use, search engines, and email. Basic programming skills are learned with Scratch and then further developed with Python.
In addition to computer training, we help schoolchildren with their homework and provide tutoring as needed. On Fridays, our Girls' and Boys' Clubs offer computer games, film screenings, and discussion groups.
In addition to the pastoral care provided by Father Subash, Grace, who grew up in Old Fadama, supports us competently as an experienced social worker in family and school conflict situations, domestic and gender-related violence and other social problems of the children.
The evenings have become a firmly established tradition at the City of God . All our participants attend very regularly. The interest in our school among the children is so great that we unfortunately cannot accept everyone, and the waiting list is growing longer.

How it began

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The IT school today

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Impressions of Old Fadama & Agbogbloshie

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How it began

Through his work with Caritas Ghana, Georg Kerkloh met Father Subash Chittilappilly. Father Subash from India is a Missionary of Charity (Mother Teresa's Order) and runs a kindergarten for around 70 children in the City of God in Old Fadama, Agbogbloshie, in premises that are far too small and lack any outdoor space.

Georg discovered three old desktop computers there and asked Father Subash what they were for. He explained that he had long harbored the idea of opening a computer school. That evening, over a beer, Georg and his colleague Una agreed to launch the school. As soon as the first people in the City of God were trained in computer skills, the demand quickly grew significantly…

For Christmas 2019, Georg called on his friends and family in Germany to collect good used laptops. The response was overwhelming. Nearly 20 used laptops and a large sum of cash were donated to purchase more computers and accessories. With the help of flight escorts, the computers were transported to Accra free of charge. With the help of friends, they set everything up on-site and began teaching in February 2020 with volunteer teachers and over 20 laptops. The pandemic forced them to suspend operations after the second month. In May 2021, classes resumed with better preparation. Initially, they offered one evening a week, then two evenings, and so on. Louis Amuzu, a local IT expert, was hired as the first full-time teacher. He develops concepts and content and structures the lessons. Classes were formed for beginners, advanced learners, and so on. Over time, tutoring and homework support were added. Local freelance instructors were also hired.

Today, the school educates around 40 children, teenagers, and young adults in seven groups. Each participant receives two hours of computer instruction on two evenings a week, as well as two additional tutoring sessions tailored to their individual needs. Ten local paid instructors and several volunteer teachers from the expatriate community teach the children and teenagers.