CAMARA

Electronics students set up Camara branch
Fourth year Computing & Electronic Engineering students have successfully established a new self-sustainable computer refurbishment facility out of a classroom in GMIT, under a volunteer organisation called Camara that uses technology to improve education in Africa.

Five students set up the GMIT facility in March with the help of lecturers and staff in the Department of Electronic Engineering. By the end of May they had taken in over 201 computers that were destined for the landfill, refurbished 90 suitable units, and dispatched them to Irish and African schools in accordance with Camara's operations manual. In addition, they produced specific educational resources/manuals for use in the schools. They liaised with a Camara branch in NUI Galway for computers that were taken in on local drop-off days on the university campus. GMIT itself contributed 99 used PCs to the charity, 71 of which are re-useable, and will continue to contribute PCs into the future.

GMIT lecturer and Camara Co-ordinator Natasha Rohan says: "The time the students gave was matched by their commitment to developing educational resources that will complement the pre-loaded content on every Camara computer, including interactive HIV awareness guides, start-up guides and a school subject specific encyclopedia."

"Our students developed the new guides including a Newbie Guide to Linux with video lesson support and a Moodle guide for teachers. The guides are being vetted by Camara and will eventually make their way on to the educational resource pack loaded onto each computer."