With Country Office based in Juba, JRS Maban Field Office provides assistance to refugees, Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs) and local Government Authority through provision of Education, Psychosocial support and pastoral service. The refugees are mostly from Sudan’s Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan areas. The refugees arrived in Maban County in 2011 after the eruption of war and JRS Maban opened its field office in the area (North Eastern Upper Nile) in 2014.

One of the key areas in Education department is Computer Literacy also called Computer Course programme. Maban County has four refugee Camps (Kaya, Batil, Gendressa & Doro). Doro camp is the largest and it’s around 25-32 km from the other 3 Camps. The Computer Course Programme revolves round these fours Camps every year. The year is divided into 4 quarters i.e. each camp will have 3 months of Computer training.  We have 37 Computers, 1 projector, 1 power generator, Projector view and other learning materials to make it possible for this course to continue.

We have two tutors per class and our training runs from Monday to Friday every 3 months. The training cover International Computer Driving License(ICDL) Framework. We have five modules in our curriculum touches on Computer Essentials, Microsoft Office, Typing & Computer games, Internet & Printer set up.

The training is so touching as one would see some of the computer trainees struggling to capture some knowledge from this highly needed and new technology that they never dreamt of reaching them. The appreciation from the refugees could also be seen during the registration commencement and class attendance trends plus during their graduation ceremony. The Computer Literacy Certificate that students are issued after the course is highly admired since its opened some of their potentials especially when applying for local jobs around. Also it has made it possible for some students to get scholarships online through African Leadership University(ALU). Others would write their CVs, typed their own application letters in the computer and this is a great contribution in the life of a refugee etc.

With JRS Mission of Accompany, Serve and Advocate we felt that we have a part that we have touched positively in the life of a refugee. Lucky one who have received this training of Computer Literacy has a bigger chance of opening up her/his mind in the world of global village that everyone wants to be in through Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, mailing, YouTube, world news etc.

JRS Maban plan and hopes to continue Empowering Refugees Through Technology as long as resources are available to keep this very important programme running in order for us to achieve the mission of Accompany, Serve & Advocate!