John Brogan, IT trainer, Eritrea
John Brogan an IT specialist from Dublin volunteered with VSO in September 2006 and worked as an IT trainer with the Ministry of Education in Eritrea.
Eritrea was my first choice as placement country. One of the reasons I was initially so interested in coming here was that I read an inspiring article in The Observer in February 2006, which was so incredibly positive about Asmara, that it made me really want to live there.
I have not regretted coming here at all. In fact, I would safely say that this has been one of the most positive experiences of my life, both personally and professionally. Asmara must be one of the safest (and most beautiful) capital cities anywhere in the world; the level of street crime is extremely low and it is safe to walk almost anywhere late at night. The people are incredibly helpful and friendly. Almost everyone in Asmara speaks some English, many speak it fluently, which makes the integration process much easier. I can safely say that I have made many good Eritrean friends during the relatively short time that I have been here.
Building for the future
Professionally, my experiences have been very positive and I feel that I have been able to contribute to very good effect. One of the most interesting projects I have been working on is a pilot solar power project for schools in a deprived region of western Eritrea called Gash-Barka. The aim of the project is to provide solar power to schools there, in order to enable the installation of computers and the teaching of information communications technology (ICT) as a school subject. Thanks to the generosity of a number of organisations, the project is now underway. A solar power system was installed in the first school, in Gogne, last month (funded by the Irish construction company CRH Ireland) and we are now making plans to schedule the installation in other schools in the region.
Satisfying work
In Gogne I did provide some IT training over a number of days for teachers and students. Practically none of the students had ever used a computer previously. It was extremely satisfying to see the incredible interest and enthusiasm of students and teachers alike in using the computers, receiving training and acquiring new IT skills.
There are some downsides to living here, including travel restrictions. Each time I travel outside Asmara, I must obtain a travel permit. However, this does not really impose on the lives of volunteers. Overall the advantages of life here far outweigh the disadvantages.
