Indian Formed Police Unit -1 in early June organized a three-day computer training exercise for teachers drawn from various communities in Congo Town and Paynesville, near Monrovia.  The evening course covered primary knowledge of computers, computer components, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint presentations.

In her opening address, Indian FPU-1 Contingent Commander Neeraj Bala said, “Computer literacy encourages appreciation and utilization of computers during teaching and learning processes which invariably aid teachers’ job effectiveness. The use of electronic information systems enable teachers to access the necessary information on learning instruction materials through the internet.”

The course instructors were comprised of FPU officers, whose community outreach service extends beyond humanitarian work intended to better Liberian society.

Bala said students and teachers need a high level of computer literacy to succeed in future careers as well as become innovative in their careers. Still, as she praised the trainees for their high energy level of participation, Bala quoted former US President John F. Kennedy, saying, “Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all.”

Two of the participants, Mai Wiles and Wilmot Sando, on behalf of fellow participants thanked Indian FPU-1 for organizing the course training. Wiles said she did not have any knowledge about computers prior to enrolling for the course. “Now I am able to start a computer and operate in Microsoft Word.”

Wiles promised to encourage other community members to take advantage of future Indian FPU-1 capacity building courses. “The exercise has helped me a lot specifically in knowledge about creating work sheets, files, and the retrieval of files among other things,” said Sando.