168 kids from eight villages travel to El Faro on a weekly basis for one purpose: to receive computer classes that are accredited with their village school. Samuel Aguilar is the director of this program and he feels extremely blessed by the way the computer program has grown. It started last year with the donation of 14 computers and the construction of the computer lab as part of the El Faro classroom project. The program has grown so much that the computer room is crowded with each computer being shared by two students. The students learn many of the basic programs that kids in the US learn including Windows Office and typing. The students pay $2.00 a month and for those who can’t afford it El Faro offers scholarships. This year there were 23 students with computer scholarships.
The computer class has become a place of encouragement for many of the students. Many times after class Samuel has a chance to talk with students and hear about problems at home. When you walk into his classroom he has a box for prayer requests and prays for the students on a weekly basis.
There are students that have to make a trek to even come to class. A couple of students are from a village called Sarita and make an hour bike ride to come to class. There are others like Jessica, Deodora, and who walk an hour and half to class from their home in Baltimore. Because their school is in the afternoon in our village, Samuel puts out a table for them after their computer class in the morning so they can work on homework.
Selvin is another boy who even though doesn’t walk far to come to class, has a touching story. On his first day of computer class he was already ready to give up. Through the course of the year, little by little, Selvin was able to gain confidence and by the end he became the number one student in his class.
Samuel is in the middle of doing his vacation computer classes. School has ended for the year and this gives the kids who have never taken a computer class to learn the basics and for those who have already been in the class but are behind a chance to catch up and have more one-on-one time.
Construction will start soon to expand the classroom to be able to fit more computers. The oil company Perenco will donate 10 more computers and the construction supplies to meet this huge need that we have. We are excited to see what the expansion of the class including more students who through this class will be able to continue with their studies.
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