The story of a determined Village ICT Teacher.
The Yamoransa Model Lab has changed the world for numerous children, teachers, parents and communities. As an example, take a look at the transformation that happened in Sekyeredumase in the Ashanti Region. In 2018, a photo went viral on social media that showed a teacher who had drawn the Microsoft Word interface on a blackboard with chalk in an attempt to teach his students what the Microsoft Word features and
functionalities were. This teaching method was to give his students a pictorial image of what it felt like to interact with a Microsoft Word interface. The photo then raised many questions and amplified the challenges ICT teachers were facing. Little did this teacher know his situation was about to change. The viral photo caught the attention of the President of the Helping Africa Foundation (HAF) and her team.
Thankfully the President and her team intervened and provided an ultramodern ICT Lab which became the Yamoransa Model Lab 3, Sekyedumase, Ashanti Region.
We had a conversation with him about the YM Lab in his community. He told us that in 2012, he
was posted to Sekyeredumase and was tasked to teach two Junior High School (JHS) classes
both Religious and Moral Education (RME) and Information Communication Technology (ICT).
During his ICT period with the JHS one (1) class, he drew the features of the Microsoft Word
Application. In our conversation, he mentioned that his school had two computers, which
unfortunately were not functioning. He also had a laptop but it broke down so he resorted to
drawing. He drew the MS Word interface, also drew the monitor, system unit, keyboard, mouse
and took the students through the process of launching the MS Word application verbally and on
a blackboard. Now, with the YM Lab, he is able to teach students from more than 9 schools ICT
using his desktop and a projector as the students also get the opportunity to practice on their
own designated desktop computer.
The Viral Photo
According to Teacher Kwadwo, his love for photos prompted him to ask his colleague to take a
photo of him drawing on the board. He later decided to post it on facebook. Unbeknown to him,
the photo went viral. “I like taking pictures so after drawing I asked a colleague teacher to take a
photo of me. Then I later posted the photo on Facebook with the caption “Teaching ICT in Ghana
school is very interesting. I love my students”, he said.
After about 5 minutes, he came back online and noticed that the photo had over 350 likes. Which he had
never experienced. The post went viral and several people promised to support his school with computers. Unique to them all is the Yamoransa Model Labs Program.
