Computer Technology Center open for business!

Computers are everywhere these days; at home, at work, even in your car. You might not be surprised to hear that in Tham Hin refugee camp on the Thailand Myanmar border, computer use is not common. That’s all changing though, thanks to the donations of the supporters of the ninemillion.org campaign.

The teachers in Tham Hin had spoken to the UNHCR in the field to stress the need to provide secondary students with computer skills. Now your donations to ninemillion.org have enabled funds to be provided to the camp to build a new Computer Centre, where youths and young adults can gain confidence and skills which will benefit them whether they are resettled to a new country and need to seek employment, or eventually return to Myanmar.

The representatives of the UNHCR’s Council of Business Leaders visited Tham Hin Camp in May this year to see the Computer Centre opened and were thrilled to see the progress that had been made, thanks to the ninemillion.org campaign. They also had the opportunity to show Pah Wah the film about Tham Hin that she featured in for the first time (you can see the film on the ninemillion.org website).

The challenge to create a Computer Technology Centre in the camps is no small endeavour! There is no electricity, so all of the PCs must be powered by a generator that runs on diesel*. Fortunately the UNHCR’s implementing partner ZOA, have considerable on-the-ground experience implementing these centres and providing IT training to the largely Karen refugee population.

The CTC will deliver basic training to secondary level students as an extra curricular activity. Initially students will be trained in basic computer skills, which includes an introduction to computers and basic typing skills, as well as the use of Windows XP, Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point.

Ms Elizabeth Haigh, Assistant Resettlement Officer at the UNHCR in Kanchanaburi says ‘This kind of training can make a tremendous difference to refugees when they are resettled and need the confidence to seek employment in a new country.’