"I believe if the computers were people they would give you a loud hand clap and so do we."
—Agnes Otto, CFA school graduate

Educational Capacity in a District

Technology clusters strengthen education in a district

A cluster of schools with strong ICT programs in a rural area strengthens the educational capacity of the whole district. Strong ICT programs:

• attract and keep good teachers in rural districts. Educators gain access to ICT training and educational resources. They can stay in touch with colleagues and the larger educational community while living in an area where food and lodging cost less and traffic jams don't exist.
• increase the capacity of schools in rural districts. Administrators can run schools more efficiently with word processing and spreadsheet programs and save money producing school exams and promotional materials. They can generate income from classes offered to villagers, and multiply resources through collaboration with nearby schools.
• support advanced education for the students in rural districts. A computer lab and internet connection in a high school promotes integration of ICT into general education and enriches curriculum, increasing students' chances of passing national exams. In college, ICT–savvy students have critical word-processing skills to produce quality papers and can navigate the web for on-line research.

Education for Females

The United Nations places lack of access to information as the third most important issue facing women globally, after poverty and violence against women. (7)

Whenever possible, CFA makes a preferential option for women. In N. Uganda, now recovering from two decades of war, the task of educating females is daunting. In high schools there are two male students to every female student, a legacy of the risk of rape and abduction during the war.

Also, women and men are not on equal footing in Africa. As a result of a subservient position in society, the rate of illiteracy for women is higher. They are the primary caregivers for AIDS victims, including millions of orphans, and they bear the responsibility for providing food, water, and fuel for the household. Their work is "invisible" in the economy, and they receive a fraction of the income of men.