Project Card
"Closing The Digital Gap Amongst Children and Youth Emerging from Wars"
Project Details
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Project Information
| Project Name: | Closing The Digital Gap Amongst Children and Youth Emerging from Wars |
| Number (ID): | 13 |
| City: | Freetown/West Africa |
| Country: | Sierra Leone |
| Website: | www.childsoldiers.org |
| Up and running since: | 08/2000 |
| Short project description: | |
| The Project offers youth in Sierra Leone a chance to build Information Communication Technology skills with the intent to reclaim their lives as productive citizens | |
| Project summary: | |
| The child soldiers project- Closing The Digital Gap Amongst Children and Youth Emerging from Wars The project ideas came from Andrew Benson Greene, Jr. who comes from Sierra Leone and lives in Freetown. Andrew became aware of the fate of children in Sierra Leone following the conflict in his country which lasted over 10 years. He believes that appeasement by means of information technology can achieve something and improve the quality of life of those involved. The Internet access provided by iEARN's child soldier project allows many young people in Sierra Leone to come into contact with other young people across the world. They can exchange ideas about peace issues with people of the same age from all over the world. . children affected by the war can become ambassadors for peace by exchanging their ideas with other people of the same age from all over the world by means of telecommunication. This does not just promote learning, but also social justice and inspires a positive exchange because child victims of war can play a significant role in creating peace in their own villages and towns. |
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Objectives and innovation
| Please explain the objectives and the context of your project: | |
| www.childsoldiers.org is geared towards using ICT to asist in skills training and rehabilitation of youths who have suffered from war and war's effects. To accomplish this, the project directly targets and rehabilitate Sierra Leonean youths through education and ICT exchanges, and to promote ICT for peace and human rights education in schools, both in Sierra Leone and all over the world | |
| In what way does it try to achieve its objectives? | |
| The child soldiers project achieves its objectives by working in partnership with a number of strategic instituitions. The Ministry of Youth and sports remains a pillar for the growth and development of the program. IEARN Sierra Leone also collaborates with Computer Aid International, in carrying on the success of this project. They have already committed British Pounds 2,500. An approximated USD $3,500 to iEARN Sierra Leone through PC support. War Child Canada and iEARn Canada has a long history working with iEARN Sierra Leone for the last three to four years. The project also allows youth to participate fully online and share information on issues that affect their lives as either child fighters or war affected youth and build their skills in the event of sharing their stories online. |
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| Which opportunities/problems does it addresses? | |
| The Project does address the problems of accessing computers and ICT amongst youth in Sierra Leone. Information Communication and Technology; computers and the internet, videos etc have emerged as powerful tools to promote education and influence social, economic, political reforms and advancement. They have and continue to serve as the key engine for the performance and growth of economies since the 1970s, and have emerged to become probably the most technological enablers of economic globalization. | |
| Please explain what is unique or special in your project: | |
| www.childsoldiers.org is a unique project as an educational non-profit project that drifted from the commercial centred-approach to bring ICT education to youth in a supportive and relaxed learning environment. it help e-learning alongside computer learning in software application, as well as hard ware solution and problem solving skills. It complimented the efforts of other organizations that have helped in providing computer support to students, yet with better insight into global education and its educational network, the country will benefit considerably.The project involved the setting up of pilot community based ICT training and resource centers for war affected youth within the Freetown and other districts of Sierra Leone where computers and internet access to the public, even for commercial purposes are non-existent. These centres are currently being used to promote skills training, and information communication medias, media literacy, trauma healing through a variety of arts and social functions such as drawing, music, dance drama, video, etc. A medley mixture of art forms are employed such as music, creative writing, dance drama, videos, and computer games, all geared towards psychosocial rehabilitation chance to socialize and interact with each other in a friendly atmosphere. The blend of computer skills training and multi media and multi-art forms helped immensely in a more potent and creative way. Never before has this kind of practical application of these different forms of approach been used and this project will offer such an innovative solution to reducing the scale of war-induced trauma. Education of the youth is of key importance, and the new forms of education in ICT will create opportunities to narrowing the digital and social divide, allow youth gain job-prospects through computer literacy which is a current pre-requisite for acquiring many jobs. |
User Profile
| Category in which the project is candidated: | Youth Education Project: up to 18 years old |
Results
| Project results up to date: | |
| For the past 6 years, the project has enabled over 800 youths affected by war to develop ICT skills and is a multimedia showcase all created by students and youth. It has opened of opportunity to the project beneficiaries who are yet to overcome the trauma of the past, whilst at the same time struggling to cope with unjust social structures. It contributed towards building capacity. Apart from its humanitarian nature, and the potential benefits to the community during its lifeline, the project's successful implementation has paved the way for more youth to benefit as it is composed of key multiplier elements that ensure capacity building, sustainability and replication. This drew the attention to the crucial importance of ICT literacy and computer skills training in Sierra Leone could serve as an educational and development model to be emulated by other ICT stakeholders and development concerns, including NGOs. It paved the way for establishing more community, school and college based ICT resource centers by iEARN Sierra Leone in the near future. the self-confidence and esteem is built so they assist in training other youth and build the capacity of their lot or earn rewarding job roles. yoputh participate in web-based competitions, and even use their skills to navigate important educational resources for their own personal academic growth, and as a tool to tackle assignments in higher education in future years. Through on-line interactions, discussion boards and web-based forums they will be able to constantly exchange ideas. This help them to broaden their knowledge, assist in friendly dialogues between youth from abroad and Sierra Leonean counterparts Cultural barriers are broken and friendly ties created through education of the mind and heart. |
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| How the project fulfils user needs: | |
| The project helps youth to first of all learn computer software skills and also internet skills, computer games as a way to ease the minds of children and youth emerging from wars. this becomes a psychosocial and therapeutic way to use ICT as a means pf appeasement to youth emerging from the most gruesome wars in human history. | |
| Number of users of the project and preferred method of interaction: | |
| The project has attracted an average of 595 users who interact per month on this project using iEARN-based discussion forums, web-based forums, chat capabilities MSN, telephone, video conference, email linkage system and physical meetings. | |
| Contribution of the project to improving education and training for young people: | |
| The child soldiers project connectsyouths in online education, helps to bridge the digital divide in Sierra Leone and links Sierra Leone Schools with others around the world to share in online educational projects Identifying the talents amongst war-affected youths/students in a variety of art forms; music, creative writing, enabling them use the internet to share these unique talents. Developing awareness on such sensitive subjects as human rights of chiildren used in war as child soldiers, peace building campaigns and human rights on-line, provides a platform for educational debates and research in schools, colleges and Universities as well as higher institutions of learning. It takes into cognisance that a subject which has not been so much in the news, in the media and in the school curriculum to be considered as a major issue for students of history, anthropology and even contemporary issues |
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| How the project has improved participation by professionals, children, youth and other stakeholders: | |
| Professionals like Dr. Ed Gragert and Peter Copen, of of iEARN USA,, Viven Stewert formally of the office of displaced persions in NY, Dr. Eric Hopkins President of War Child Canada, Jim Wright Executive Director of the Sauve Scholars Foundation, Bill Belsey Director of iEARN Canada, Dr. Denis Bright, Minister of Youth and Sports Sierra Leone, Anita Townsend, principal of WH Day School, etc to take to heart the issues of children caught up in the problems of war. Infact a major research I undertook at McGill University in Canada open the eyes of Canadian youth and students of various universities to understand the consequences of war on children recruited as child soldiers, and how ICT can help to move them away from their grief and capacitate their lot. http://respectrefugees.org/ezine/ezine20050513_terrorism.shtml The project has also increased awareness amongst children and youth about their rights and the need to restore the dignity of children used in armed conflict and galvanize local and international effort to put a stop to recruiting children in wars. |
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| How the project promoted new technologies for educational and cultural development: | |
| The project uses multiple technolgies, through web-based discussion boards that allows students to exchange important information on this subject on a daily basis. Also images of artwork and photos are scanned by the youth and digitized or uploaded from sony digital cameras onto the web or sent via email to youth of other countries. The voices of youth are now heard through their songs and these are also digitized by partner schools and teachers/students in canada, having been sent by Sierra Leonean youth using wave-link software and digital sony tapes. The files are then converted to quicktime format or real audio. Through the exchanges of emails, web-based discussions, cultures melt and barriers are broken and created global understanding about the diversity of culture amongst the project beneficiaries | |
| How project results are measured: | |
| There are overwhelming positive results in this project. the level and huge number of youth involved in ICT skills training creation of digital opportunities to youth struggling to cope with unjust social structures. It contribute towards building capacity whilst capacitating the youth. Apart from its humanitarian nature, it has has paved the way for more youth to benefit as it is composed of key multiplier elements that ensure capacity building, sustainability and replication.This has in turn drawn the attention of the national authority to the crucial importance of ICT literacy in Sierra Leone and could serve as an educational and development model to be emulated by other ICT stakeholders and development concerns. It has enjoyed several replications and end up paving the way for establishing more community, school and college based ICT resource centers by iEARN Sierra Leone. The war-affected youth became self-confidence to assist in training other youth and build the capacity of their lot or earn meaningful and rewarding job roles after being certified by our professional body. They are opportune to develop web-design skills, participate in international web-based competitions, and even use their skills to navigate and browse important educational resources materials for their own personal academic growth, and as a tool to tackle assignments in higher education in future years. Through on-line interactions, discussion boards and web-based forums they will be able to constantly exchange ideas on the thematic issues of global concern like Peace Building, human rights, conflict resolution, drug abuse, environmental concerns etc. This assist in friendly dialogues between Sierra Leonean youth and their counterparts around the globe. cultural barriers are broken and friendly ties created through education of the mind and heart. |
Sustainability
| The duration of our project is: | |
| From 3 to 6 years | |
| The approximate total budget of our project is: | |
| 30,001 - 75,000 USD | |
| The source of funding for our project is: | |
| Grants Fee Sponsorships awards and approved projects |
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| Economic self-sufficiency of our project: | |
| The project is self-sufficient: more than 6 years |
Transferability
| The project been replicated/adapted elsewhere: | |
| In Liberia, World Voices Norway in Sierra Leone, GLOCAL Project of the 'We are the Future in Italy | |
| How? | |
| Youth from these organizations have decided to utilize low-cost technology, to help the youth of their organization to have the first baby step to the use of technology and thereby creating possibilities of online exchanges on social justice issues. The Schools in Canada have choosen the subject to their classrooms and finding new way to react to it through philanthropy, sponsorship, exhcanges of gift with Sierra Leonean youth. |
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| What lessons can others learn from this project? | |
| The project came through lots of struggles and modest beginnings. Because it involved the use of technology for children and youth affected by war. It developed painstakingly. There were no computers in our communities and most of the war affected youth who participated in the maiden stages of the project, have to be shepherd to internet cafes that is often froth with eratic accessibility. Lack of funding was a main limitation to the growth of our project. Although the stories told in Childsoldiers.org are strong, compelling, and | |
| We are available to help others starting or working on similar projects |
Keywords
| Keywords which better characterize the project: | |
| Providing ICT opportunities for children and youth emerging from wars |
Background Information
| How the project came about: | |
| The Child Soldier project owes its origin to a friendship between two educators from opposite ends of the Earth, who are both part of iEARN. Andrew Benson-Greene Jr. and Bill Belsey had already collaborated on other iEARN projects in the past such as The Bullying Project and Generations Can Connect. Andrew, Bill and their students had already shared much together, but in July of 2000 Andrew and Bill had the chance to meet in person at iEARN's annual international conference, which was then held in Beijing, China. While in Beijing, Andrew Greene presented his ideas about conflict resolution, conflict prevention and peace building during a workshop which Bill attended. After the workshop and throughout the week, Andrew and Bill talked about what they might be able to do together to help shed some light on the issues of war and peace which are tearing Sierra Leone apart. After much discussion and correspondence, Andrew and Bill decided that they would work collaboratively to build this Web site, childsoldiers.org which became a place where the youth of Sierra Leone bear witness to the issue of the Child Soldier as they saw it impacting their lives and that of their families, communities and country. Childsoldiers.org is the ongoing product of this collaboration which is made possible through the incredible global learning community that is iEARN |
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| Barriers: | |
| The project got off the ground slowly because many people and stakeholdiers in the community were apprehensive as to how the use of technology can help to salve the wounds of youth affected by war and providing with the outlet to build life skills. Additionally, working as volunteers and with limited resources created further scepticism, about the potentials of the project. Due to the fact that former child combatants were involved some of the experts and supporters in the community were slowfooted to come close to the reality of accomodating youth. | |
| Solutions: | |
| Through request of a moral support letter from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the project developed to gain the first set of 10 computers from Computer Aid International UK, and later an office space was granted for the project to start by the Minister of Youth and sports Dr. denis bright | |
| Future plans and wish list: | |
| The project hopes to encourage peace education through ICT into the local school curriculum by recommending that schools encourage the practice of non-violence and theorethically as well as practically aid youth to become aware of their rights and not to be led to wars. Additionally, the project hope to provide a physical infrastructure that becomes an ICT apartment with a multi media and multi art component such as Video production room, music studio, internet cafe in the city, whilst at the same time providing various ICT community based centres in all the twelve districts of Sierra Leone |
Contacts
| Organization: | International Education and Resource Network, iEARN Sierra Leone |
| Organization type: | Non Profit Educational Organization |
| Project Coordinator: | Andrew Benson Greene |