In The Gambia, free computer courses lead to jobs and self-
respect BANJUL , The Gambia — A graduation ceremony last month
has boosted the number of computer graduates from classes
offered free by the local Bahá'í community to more than 900.
Since 1998, the Bahá'ís have arranged the classes to help people
who cannot otherwise obtain computer skills to get a job.
Students have ranged from teenagers to the middle-aged, and
include both men and women, said local Bahá'í spokesman Faramarz
Shams. Many graduates use their newly-gained skills in jobs that
they have obtained after completing the courses, Mr. Shams said.
“The students come from the Islamic, Christian, and Bahá'í
communities and include teachers, students, and business
people,” he said. The courses, offered at basic and advanced
levels, usually involve two sessions of two hours per week for
three months. The teachers are Gambian Bahá'ís and Bahá'í youth
volunteers from the United Kingdom , the United States , and
Canada . The country's only television s