a reflection on aidha

The following note was penned by Laura Andrews, one of aidha most devoted volunteers. It is a simple note on the experience she has had as a computer workshop leader here at aidha. Simple, but powerful. We at aidha invite you all to come and create such an experience for yourself. As Laura suggests, it is worth the effort.

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I am not a teacher, nor would I ever attempt to label myself a computer expert. So what am I doing teaching computer workshop classes to groups of Filipino women twice a month? What do I have to offer these women? Do I really even know what I am talking about? What if I fail as a teacher or come across nervous or can’t explain something? What will they think of me? How will that make me feel?

After just a single session as a ‘teacher’, one quickly realizes that the sessions offer more than their titles would suggest and that your role is about more than instruction. It’s about giving your time and attention. It’s also about treating them as students rather than maids, teaching them rather than telling them, encouraging them rather than criticizing them, building them up one email or skype account at a time. It’s about arming these women with the simple skills that will open up a world of communication to them - an email account, a Skype account - or teaching them how to format a business letter that they might one day send to a prospective employer, or helping them build a spreadsheet that they might use to track their savings or their future business profits. Tangible, useful skills. Eager and appreciative students whose eyes literally light up when they send and receive that first email message or observe their profile appear on facebook. Genuine appreciation for time spent together.

Volunteer contributions come in many sizes and each one matters. You don’t need to be a teacher or an expert. You don’t need to devote countless hours. A single hour on a Sunday can provide more meaning and skills to a migrant woman than one could ever imagine.