COMPUTER TRAINING PROJECT FOR THE YOUNG GIRLS OF TEYARET

The computer training project for the young girls of Teyaret was initiated by the NGO Fondation des Actions Humanitaires (FAH) in collaboration with Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

The aim of the project is to simultaneously train, in 24 sessions of one month each, two groups of 20 girls in the following subjects:

• Introduction to the parts of the computer and standard peripheral equipment;
• Introduction to the Windows XP operating system and brief overview of the other operating systems and their development;
• Training in word processing with Microsoft Word 2003;
• Training in Microsoft Excel 2003 spreadsheet;
• Training in Microsoft Power Point 2003 software;
• Training in Internet Explorer and Internet access;
• Building a data base on the local companies likely to recruit the young girls at the end of their training;
• Searching for jobs and/or training in these companies for the young girls after the computer training course;
• Follow-up after employment and guidance.

The opening ceremony was attended by a large number of officials and provided an opportunity for Hakem and the Moughataa of Teyarett, the Mayor of the Commune of Teyarett, the President of the Cyber Forum of the civil society, the UNDP representative, the representative of the Ministry of Women’s and Children’s affairs and the representative of FAH to underscore in their exchanges the importance of the project and the positive impact it is likely to have on the target populations. Also present were the national television and Radio Mauritanie, the official and independent media. All the speakers commended OSIWA for supporting FAH whose noble objectives were totally in line with those of its partner. They also congratulated the project leaders for this good and welcome initiative.

The ceremony was broadcast on the national television in Mauritania during the French and Arabic evening news programme on the same day.

Since the beginning of the project, 262 (two hundred and sixty-two) certificates have been handed to young girls who graduated. A set of 300 girls were registered for the period of April to December 2008. 67 % of the girls who graduated obtained a job.

In view of the increasing number of applicants for the training course and the general appreciation of women MPs, women’s organisations and the media (television, radio and print media), there are recommendations, among other things, to strengthen the partnership between FAH and OSIWA. It is also recommended to extend the project to other regions of the country.