Berhampur(Odisha): A group of students from Texas University have reached a programme  to help school children and college graduates  learn computers and pick up basic computer and internet skills in the coastal fishing villages in Ganjam district ( Venkatraipur and Nex Boxipalli).

The village students are being trained how to access the web to get better study materials and ready information on anything they wish to know. This apart, the teenagers are also being trained in spoken English and basic communication skills.

The English class is a Monday to Saturday class which includes one class for the advanced English speaking students and another for low level students The university students – Jhon, Reanna, Nessa and Lauren will be here for a period of two months as part of their summer internship project

They are a part of Nourish International, a student’s body which works to address global poverty and spends part of their study time in various development projects across the world.

 During this two months they have also decided to conduct a training programme for the teachers that will help them improve upon their teaching skills and make learning much more interactive and interesting for the students. Besides this the students will lauch a sanitation drive in the village to help the village keep clean.

“The students are amazing and they are fast learners. Many of them are now able to prepare power point slides by themselves,” said Lauren

“I never knew that computers were so interesting. Its really fun. In fact we have the capacity to search for anything and everything with just a click,”said Gayatri, a student

This apart, the group is also conducing a village assessment programme that would help the community identify their own resources and problems in education and helping them out with some feasible solutions .

“This week we are working to make emails for all of our students to assist them in communication and their professional lives. We want to give them as many tools and opportunities as possible before they go,”said Reanna.