ICTs4D Rural women with Disabilities
Roza Al-Yazji a Twenty-two years old girl, ranking the third amongst four brothers, she was born and suffered from many health problems, including speech disorder and learning disabilities. At the beginning, her parents noticed that case. But when she reached the age of sixteen, her parents could see her delay in speech and learning, balance disorder when she walked.
Her parents tried to get her into the state School but that was in vain. She was unable to continue learning with her colleagues in the classroom. Then she had no other choice but to leave school and stay at home and rely on her relatives in learning.
Her father died when she was twelve, and her mother undertook training and education, also her sister tried to help her occasionally.
(The isolation and loneliness were in my life and my heart I did not know how to spend my long days.), "Roza said".
That was what she expressed during the meeting. Days went on the time passed at the same monotony and isolation, When Roza was twenty-one, her mother died.
(My mother loved me so much, She did not let me feel disabled, but now what could I do?)
(I became parentless, a miserable orphan, I realized that my life came to an end).
Her sister began to pay attention to help her for a way out of this isolation. She wanted to have integration into the community with people and friends.
- Nabil: Did you have an approach to computer?
- Roza: (laughing) no never. Can I learn computer?
- Nabil: Let's make an attempt.
One morning dated 15-8-2006 Rosa for the first time came to Salamieh Tele-centre with her sister, and I received them. Her sister summarized the circumstances of Roza life and asked me to find some solution and help her to assist in ICTs?
- Roza’s sister: Can she learn ICTs, to eliminate her isolation, to connect with people, with life....
- Nabil: Yes, she can do it, but Rosa must take care of a training method and I am sure she will do so much.
- At first Roza was surprised, but deeply in her heart she was indescribably pleased. I saw that glimmer in her eyes.
“I will no longer be imprisoned behind bars of isolation “I will learn computer. Her enthusiasm grew. She flooded me with her questions."Can I do that" "can I became as Firas and Mariam", "can I design brochure, advertisements and make presentations and access to Internet look for my friends in the wide world connect with them, send letters, chat … questions to her"
- My answer was “Yes, You can do that" and then and her hopes rose high. "
Rosa was committed to her new tasks her first stages of the experiment. She was very careful in coming to Tele-centre, step-by-step began her training and she began writing her own history.
During my follow up to her to training she kept asking me
- "How can I design this advertisement?”How can I print it? Look at this presentation, that I made and I gave here more training examples.
- "I don't feel time. What time is it now?
- Twelve o'clock, I have spent four hours, I didn't feel of it.
Rosa was no longer marginalized. She used to be smiling; she always raced her feet to reach the Tele-centre every day. She realized that what she heart about ICTs may not be for available many people can't know it, our tele-centre has given her self-confidence.
Some trainers and Visitors to Tele-centre collaborated to help Roza, who communicated and shared her experience with them.
- "I was always put her practical examples to train and test and make her feel confident" I realized that she has improved in dealing with the computer and programs.
She started prospects and aspirations out of the four walls of isolation that had once captured her for a long time.
- "Salamieh Tele-centre is my second home, it has became a part of my life"
- It's true, I was disabled, but I am not disqualified.
I came to realize that there was a kind of real change in the way she talks, she behaves, and she could express herself. She was back to normal life.
Nabil Eid
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