I am in the middle of organizing a camp for 44 students from my part of Togo.  We are inviting the girl and the boy with the best grade in grade “seconde” (something like 11th grade) to come spend 3 days in Sokode and to learn about computers.  For probably about half of them it will be their first time in front of a computer.

I hope to spend the first day introducing the mouse and keyboard, the second day teaching them word processing, and the last day introducing them to the internet.  It’s pretty ambitious, but I think it will be fun. We will also be bringing in speakers to talk about preventing AIDS and children’s rights, and playing games in the evenings. 

The camp will take place at the end of July.  One sweet Peace Corps Volunteer is helping organize games, but most of the show will be run by Togolese.  I have 3 local informatique teachers and a Togolese organizer in charge of all the details.  2 students who are graduating are willing to be “young leaders” and just generally help out. I’m hoping that this will make the camp “sustainable”, that is make sure there is a chance that it could happen without me.

The cost for transporting all the kids up, 3 nights in dorms, their food, and all the incidentals will end up being about 45 dollars per kid.  PLAN-Togo, an international aid organization focused on children with a branch in Sokodé, has agreed to fund the camp.