Computer classes give father & son opportunities for brighter future
When Filip Novac, 12, came home excited after his first computer class and shared his impressions with his father Mihail, he didn’t imagine what an influence it would have on his parent.
Mihail, 34, a former electrician who struggles to make a better living for his family of six, immediately recognised opportunities that computer classes could bring for him, too.
The community of Scanteia, 450 km north-east of Romania’s capital Bucharest, has 4,700 inhabitants who didn’t have access to the Internet. The nearest place people could find an Internet connection was Iasi, 30km from Scanteia. Getting information from the Web is a hard task for 94% of the population in Romania, especially for those who live in rural areas.
...farmers come for information on European Union programmes that provide grants for farming The Bill Gates Foundation supported a community initiative to set up a lab in Scanteia with eight computers. World Vision seized the opportunity to add value to the initiative by providing competent volunteers to manage the lab and to teach children and farmers to use the computer and Internet.
Mr. Fanica Sacaleanu, the Mayor of Scanteia, says, “When community people approached me with an idea to have a computer lab, I doubted whether they would use it since no one was familiar with computers. Now it is very busy in the lab and people take turns. Women from different backgrounds, nurses, teachers, educators and receptionists also started to use the services of the lab.”
World Vision volunteers come to the lab to help children and farmers to practice and apply their knowledge.
Filip likes the life in the village. There is a lot of space for him to play with his brothers and sister. More than playing, he is also eager to find out more about the World Wide Web and is one of the 300 children who come to the computer lab.
“I come to the lab to learn. When I grow up all the jobs will require a high level of computer knowledge,” says Filip.
“People come to search for drug stores that offer free medicine, make appointments with the Car Registration Institution, look for laws and statistics and keep connections with relatives that migrated for work. But most importantly, farmers come for information on European Union programmes that provide grants for farming,” says Lenuta Baltag, Project Coordinator.
Mihail started farming after he lost his job at the power plant and competition for other jobs was tough: “Romanians do not complain a lot. But they bear poverty with dignity,” he says.
He had to return to a very small plot of land he owns to grow vegetables and raise animals. Mihail managed to obtain only a cow, a calf, a chicken and a horse. Soon he realised that he lacked knowledge in agriculture. When there was a chance he attended a five-month training course on animal breeding organised by World Vision, with funding from the Bolthouse Foundation.
Since he took the training, Mihail found that he no longer had to invite the veterinarian so often. He takes good care of the animals himself. Even so, raising animals and growing vegetables only helps the family to earn daily food and is not enough to take care of four children.
The relationships created with other farmers during the training were of great help. Mihail formed an association with 33 farmers to apply for EU funds, a new opportunity for the family.
...he is under less pressure to join a migration of labour out of Romania that is tearing many families apart That’s why Mihail was so excited to learn that the computer lab had been set up and Internet access was easy. There are more chances for farmers to get the funds. In addition, the lab is a good source of information on farming and animal breeding.
The result, he says, is that he is under less pressure to join a migration of labour out of Romania that is tearing many families apart.
“Around 1,000 people from Scanteia have migrated to Italy, Spain, and Austria. I interrupted my education because of poverty. Now I have a chance to catch up through computer classes. I don’t want to migrate but stay with my family and struggle for a better living,” says Mihail.
Filip says he is confident that he and his family will stay in the village and find ways to cope with hardship, a task made easier now they have access to the Internet.
Further information:
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was founded by Bill and Melinda Gates in 2000. The primary aims of the foundation are to enhance healthcare, reduce extreme poverty, and to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology.
The purpose of The Bolthouse Foundation is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by supporting charitable and religious organisations whose ministry, goals, and operating principles are consistent with evangelical Christianity as described in The Bolthouse Foundation Statement of Faith.
Mihail, 34, a former electrician who struggles to make a better living for his family of six, immediately recognised opportunities that computer classes could bring for him, too.
The community of Scanteia, 450 km north-east of Romania’s capital Bucharest, has 4,700 inhabitants who didn’t have access to the Internet. The nearest place people could find an Internet connection was Iasi, 30km from Scanteia. Getting information from the Web is a hard task for 94% of the population in Romania, especially for those who live in rural areas.
...farmers come for information on European Union programmes that provide grants for farming The Bill Gates Foundation supported a community initiative to set up a lab in Scanteia with eight computers. World Vision seized the opportunity to add value to the initiative by providing competent volunteers to manage the lab and to teach children and farmers to use the computer and Internet.
Mr. Fanica Sacaleanu, the Mayor of Scanteia, says, “When community people approached me with an idea to have a computer lab, I doubted whether they would use it since no one was familiar with computers. Now it is very busy in the lab and people take turns. Women from different backgrounds, nurses, teachers, educators and receptionists also started to use the services of the lab.”
World Vision volunteers come to the lab to help children and farmers to practice and apply their knowledge.
Filip likes the life in the village. There is a lot of space for him to play with his brothers and sister. More than playing, he is also eager to find out more about the World Wide Web and is one of the 300 children who come to the computer lab.
“I come to the lab to learn. When I grow up all the jobs will require a high level of computer knowledge,” says Filip.
“People come to search for drug stores that offer free medicine, make appointments with the Car Registration Institution, look for laws and statistics and keep connections with relatives that migrated for work. But most importantly, farmers come for information on European Union programmes that provide grants for farming,” says Lenuta Baltag, Project Coordinator.
Mihail started farming after he lost his job at the power plant and competition for other jobs was tough: “Romanians do not complain a lot. But they bear poverty with dignity,” he says.
He had to return to a very small plot of land he owns to grow vegetables and raise animals. Mihail managed to obtain only a cow, a calf, a chicken and a horse. Soon he realised that he lacked knowledge in agriculture. When there was a chance he attended a five-month training course on animal breeding organised by World Vision, with funding from the Bolthouse Foundation.
Since he took the training, Mihail found that he no longer had to invite the veterinarian so often. He takes good care of the animals himself. Even so, raising animals and growing vegetables only helps the family to earn daily food and is not enough to take care of four children.
The relationships created with other farmers during the training were of great help. Mihail formed an association with 33 farmers to apply for EU funds, a new opportunity for the family.
...he is under less pressure to join a migration of labour out of Romania that is tearing many families apart That’s why Mihail was so excited to learn that the computer lab had been set up and Internet access was easy. There are more chances for farmers to get the funds. In addition, the lab is a good source of information on farming and animal breeding.
The result, he says, is that he is under less pressure to join a migration of labour out of Romania that is tearing many families apart.
“Around 1,000 people from Scanteia have migrated to Italy, Spain, and Austria. I interrupted my education because of poverty. Now I have a chance to catch up through computer classes. I don’t want to migrate but stay with my family and struggle for a better living,” says Mihail.
Filip says he is confident that he and his family will stay in the village and find ways to cope with hardship, a task made easier now they have access to the Internet.
Further information:
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was founded by Bill and Melinda Gates in 2000. The primary aims of the foundation are to enhance healthcare, reduce extreme poverty, and to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology.
The purpose of The Bolthouse Foundation is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by supporting charitable and religious organisations whose ministry, goals, and operating principles are consistent with evangelical Christianity as described in The Bolthouse Foundation Statement of Faith.
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