TakingITGlobal

Simple Steps Towards Change 5 Online: Check out Featured Member stories on TakingITGlobal: http://featuredmembers.takingitglobal.org Find young people taking action from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe by going to: http://members.takingitglobal.org Sources of inspiration: • Read stories about inspirational young people • Spend time outside and connect with nature • Surf the Internet and look through inspirational sites • Go to your local art gallery, museum or cultural centre Get Inspired Each day, 6,000 Africans die from AIDS. Each day, an additional 11,000 are infected. Millions of children are left orphaned, forced to face a life of poverty and vulnerability. At the age of 7, Mabvuto lost his parents and years later lost his three sisters and one of his brothers. As a young child, he was faced with a tragic situation and at one point, found himself begging on the streets with very little hope. Due to the nature of his vulnerability, he was offered a chance to go to school and study Information Technology through a government loan program. This opportunity helped Mabvuto gain a range of skills and led to the development of an incredible initiative – Youth Care Trust. Mabvuto explains that the aim of his project is to "get street kids and vulnerable youths out of the streets and bring them to a safe and stable living home environment". Through creating fundraisers such as music concerts and sports games that raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, money was raised to support the project. They decided to rent a house to provide shelter for 12 orphaned street kids as well as offer education and training on basic literacy skills, HIV/AIDS, Information Technology and other relevant areas. Getting this idea off the ground was no easy task. - Mabvuto, Malawi In recent years, the Ministry of Education in New Zealand made a significant technology investment in the education sector. Their aim was to have each classroom equipped with computers or laptops in order to enhance learning and better prepare students for the 21st century. Very quickly, they found that it was the teachers who they had to better prepare. Cherrie explains that "some teachers find using technology annoying at first. They don't understand the value of using it - where as computing is natural for kids". In order to help teachers better incorporate Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) into their lives and the classroom, Tech Angels was formed at Wellington Girls' College. The idea was to have tech savvy students work with teachers one-on-one each week, helping to improve their ICT literacy skills. - Cherrie, New Zealand refleCT & GeT InSpIred

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