In line with the “Global Movement Say Yes for Children” our e-Learning Vocational Teachers and our various SPES Crafts Workshops are strengthening our activities on the use of the latest computerized devices, some of which are still under field testing and have not yet been released on the market or are still rarely used being very avant-garde. SPES started circulating printouts of the international pledge form for collaboration and listing of the priorities for the national participants of the various countries on the campaign “Say Yes for Children”.

In the month of May SPES NGO SPES felt very honoured to have been invited to the EU e-Learning Summit (10 – 11 May 2001) held at IBM impressive Training Centre in La Hulpe, Brussels, as EU has developed an innovative global plan based on several e-Learning pillars, conducive to life-long skills and creative partnerships for capacity-building in order to transcend the new digital challenges.

SPES 34th Anniversary

Preparations for the month of June are always exciting, and more so specially this year, as it is our 34th Anniversary of dedicated Vocational Training mainly at grassroots level. To mark this occasion our SPES eLearning Teachers decided to organize a series of OPEN DAYS to demonstrate our advancements in ICT and new Training Skills and Assessment Award IVQs (International Vocational Qualifications).

Launching of KID’S CYBER PARTY

Internauts friends, to catch a glimpse of our initial digital activity we produced a pictorama based on the following programme:

1. The memorable moment of this special 34th Anniversary event was the launching on June 8 of our first “2001 Cyber Kid’s Party” by the First Lady of our country, Lady Jugnauth, who is an accomplished pedagogue.
2. This was followed by a presentation of wireless internet devices.
3. Then there was a projection of a SPES iMovie of babies of 12-month playing and learning to operate an appropriate sensory stimulating computer programme.
4. Our SPES Design and Hi-tec Unit (we launched in 1989) devised a multimedia questionnaire for children with reading difficulties to enjoy fun/learning and at the same time reflect and express their literacy needs, problems and aspirations. SPES had newspapers communiqués printed inviting the chief social worker of each Mauritian village to bring a young boy and girl aged between 11 – 17 who have literacy problems to book for a computer fun/learning session and participated at a special questionnaire that enables them to reflect and express their needs / problems / aspirations for learning life-long and digital skills.
5. Some of our eLearning Teachers demonstrated the materials they created to help bridge the present digital gap.
6. A group of girls from “Lizie dans la Main” proudly showed off their new Bakery skills they learnt at SPES and made a delicious chocolate cake in the microwave the Rotary Club of Curepipe had offered them. SPES stuck braille plastified letters next to the digital touch keys.
7. One of the SPES Mastercraftsladies blew out the birthday cake the SPES canteen had made for all the guests to enjoy at the tea-party held on the back verandah in front of our Pottery and the shady avocado tree.
8. All VIP Guests were also invited to the Story Corner to hear WorldSpace Satellites educational broadcasts and to participate in Open Dialogue on the Rights of the Child.

Snapshots