Diary entry: 20th July 2024

At my first meeting with SERVE, I mentioned that my previous volunteering experience included computer classes for older people with another organisation.

We discussed then that maybe we could organise a similar digital literacy workshop with the Sama-Badjao community in Cebu. I agreed as I had had a great and successful time teaching this area before.

My experience worked well again with the Sama-Badjao community.

I am currently teaching larger classes of a mixture of teenagers, college students and community leaders, who have very different levels of experience and access to technology.

I have been demonstrating basics such as how to use search engines to find useful information, how to create Google accounts for email and word processing, and using the computer keyboard to type. The students then get a chance to practice on their own.

We have used a combination of videos and games to break up the lessons too. Through the workshops with the community here, I’ve learned how learning even basic things can make a difference; things we take for granted such as using Google.

I was also surprised at the level of tech proficiency that some students have, and it has shifted my perspective a lot on what life is like for indigenous communities.

Additional note from Team SERVE:

It’s always great to observe our volunteers like Cormac donate their time and skills while on placement. And, in return they have transformed outdated narratives of people living in the Global South that are prevalent in the Global North.