Personal experience:
I first saw a computer when I went to FORM 1 at Starehe.
A student named Chris Ochieng joined Starehe a year later. He had grown up with a computer in his father’s house and had learnt at his very young age how to write software. He would come into the computer room on Saturday afternoon when we were not allowed to play computer games and all computer games diskettes were stored away. He would write a game for us and we would play the game. From him, we learnt a lot more and got the confidence we needed.
Today both Chris & I write software for some of the leading organizations across Africa.
When I left Starehe, I couldn’t afford going to University due to the fees needed (I was sponsored at Starehe) BUT I didn’t need to because the knowledge acquired from Starehe gave me a well paying job the afternoon after my last KCSE paper. The rest is history.
If anyone doubts the value having children exposed to computers will have on this Nation, please take it from me, if it was not for computers exposed to me at Form 1, I would have left Form 4 at Starehe, not had fees to proceed to campus and therefore languish in poverty – job seeking forever. NOW, imagine if computers were exposed to me in Std 1….how I wish this was the case!
With the little acquired from this, my company this year celebrates 20yrs of existence as a software company and we employ several university graduates – yet I have never been to a university myself.
Whether Std 1 is the right time or if its Std 4 or Form 1, I wouldn’t know but I know the earlier the better.
Give these children the chance, if the President says we can afford it J
Kind Regards,
Bernard Kioko
Chief Executive Officer
Bernsoft Interactive Limited
P.O.Box 15177-00100 Nbi,Kenya
Office: +254-703-080-080
Mobile: +254-722-540-883
From: kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bkioko=bernsoft.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of robert yawe
Sent: Monday, April 22, 2013 9:52 AM
To: bkioko@bernsoft.com
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants - fears
Hi,
I have kept wondering why many people want to delay the introduction of computers to those either in secondary or even university.
I came across this article which explains the fears many of us are having
You might also want to watch the following presentation I gave at the University of Nairobi on the issue termed "the professional students dilemma"
Regards
Robert Yawe
KAY System Technologies Ltd
Phoenix House, 6th Floor
P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696