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Where does Information Technology Common Initiative Group work:
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Information Technology Common Initiative Group
Bamenda , Cameroon
ABOUT ITCIG:
Information Technology Common Initiative Group –started as an ICTs focus for Socio-Economic Development Organization. The Organisation was founded on 17th December 2002 and is situated at Small Mankon- Bamenda in the North West Region in the Republic of Cameroon. Its National head Quarter is at Bamenda.
Activities carried out through the organisation since its inception has given rise to sub projects. One of which is: the Cameroon Inclusive Special Educational Needs Teachers’Programme (CISETTP), the tool that is being made use of to develop, implement and realise the intended objectives of CISETTP is ITCIG-Special Educational Needs Teachers’ Training Institute with acronym as ITCIG- SENTTI.
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Current Projects
one of the current projects of Information Technology Common Initiative Groups ITCIG is: The Cameroon Inclusive Special Education Teachers’ Training Program (CISETTP) as pioneer through ITCIG-Special Educational Needs Teachers’ Training Institute ITCIG-SENTTI.
The Essence of the Cameroon Inclusive Special Education Teachers’ Training Program (CISETTP).
Ø Promote, enhance and facilitate socio-economic development that is inclusive of all individuals by taking into considerations individual needs and strengths as we work towards attaining intended objectives.
- To assist in addressing some of the major issues affecting person’s living with disabilities in Cameroon in order to help them to improve upon their quality of lives.
- Also to assist in improving the quality of teacher education and training in Cameroon through the adoption of a more innovative approach(Inclusive Special education Teachers’ Training approach) in the training of both Existing and Newly recruited Student-teachers trained at the Institution.
- to contribute in creating and promoting appropriate Universal Access to Basic Educational and other socio-economic, Cultural and political opportunities for all, irrespective of needs and strengths. For example, Persons who are living with various forms of disabilities and children living with special needs.
- The focus of the Cameroon Inclusive Special Educational Needs Teachers Training Institute (CISENTTI) thus is : fostering Educational and Societal Inclusion in Cameroon by training Inclusive Special Educators as well as sensitizing the Government and the Private Sector as to how such professionals could be effectively deploy across various ministries/establishments and in the private sector.
Furthermore, to empower parents of children living with disabilities, their families and the society as a whole on how to affectively help in supporting individuals living with disabilities in various settings. For instance, at home, Schools, the communities and workplaces.
The contact person for the Institution is : Uginia Urwick , who is equally the initiator of the Cameroon Inclusive Special Education Teachers’ Training Concept as well as the Directress of the Organisation.
Other sub projects that ITCIG is involved with are: the Orphan Educational Sponsor Outreached Program (OESOP) and the running of an Educational Technology /computer literacy Integration Program (ETCLIP).
The website from which some information on ITCIG-SENTTI could be read is: www.itcig.org.
Partner Needs
NEED FOR MATERIALS:
· The Organisation is in need of Special Education instructional text books. This is because there is gross lack of special education books and didactic materials locally in Cameroon. Most of what is available is bought from countries abroad.
· The school is in need of at least 50 Braille machines to support the need of 400 student-teachers. The Organisation equally is in need of a braille printer for the production of braille instructional teaching and learning materials. Presently the school has only seven (7) Perkins Braille machine and this is placing the ratio of students to Braille machine extremely high.
· The school is in need of ay least 400 styluses and 400 Braille frames.
· There is need for educational software that is special education oriented (Assistive Technology software to support and accommodate the needs of Exceptional learners).
- the need for an inter-active white board to promote more visual teaching and learning in the classroom. this hardware would be very helpful in the teaching of hearing impaired learners and would of course benefit the entire mainstream learners.
· There is need for 50 computers to replace the ones that have become obsolete.
· There is need for 50 computers to replace the ones that have become obsolete.
· The school needs a printing press to support the production of educational materials product within the school. This would equally be used as an income generating activity. As work could be done for a charge to non-members of the educational community.
· The need to construct at the permanent site. The Institution is in need of funds to construct an accessible building for all on its permanent site. Since the inception of the Organisation in 2002. It has been functioning from rented premises. This is causing the overhead cost of the project to be quite high.
· Human resources is still another of the essential needs of the project at this point. There is great need for volunteers with strong background in any of the special education courses to join the project to share their expertise with teachers in Cameroon and at ITCIG-SENTTI in particular.
· Sponsorers for the Orphan Education Sponsor outreached programme (OESOP).
Needing sponsors for the sponsor –a- child- programme, which is part of the activities we are carrying out. There is need for sponsor who could assist in sponsoring some of the children who have been orphan either due to their parents dieing of HIV and Aids and other diseases. The Orphans population in Cameroon resulting from lost of parents to the HIV and AIDS pandemic has been growing at an alarming rate.
Financial Needs
Information Technology Common Group is doing all it can to keep its operational cost for the development and implementation of the various socio-economic projects low through the effective an judicious use of available resources. For instance, the Organisation is making use of volunteer labour and in-kind services as much as possible.
Notwithstanding, there is still need for monetary resources for the construction of the school building and for the purchase of material and equipment to meet the needs of the project.
The cost of constructing total physical access classrooms, Early years Intervention Learning Support Centre (to support both children, youths and adults living with special needs and their families) as well as and administrative rooms at the school permanent site . The cost for these tasks would be approximately at least One hundred and twenty thousand United State Dollars ($120,000 U.S.D.). That is, approximately about Seventy million (70,000,000 CFAF) francs Cameroon money.
ITCIG financial needs ranges from the day to day running of the school such as transport , stationeries, printing, photocopying, typing, scanning and purchase of ink cartridges, maintenance of equipment and telephone charges. Workshop trainings, /seminars etc Monthly, overhead bills, Administrative cost, Volunteer cost, activities implementation cost, fieldwork supervision cost, Activities Outreached expenses etc
We value and appreciate every single donation, which would assist in fostering the attainment of the ITCIG (www.itcig.org ) targets.
Needs which require finances are as follows?
· Construction of school buildings.
· Acquisition of Braille machines and accessories.
· Purchase for Special Education didactic materials.
· Purchase of assistive technology software and hardware resources.
· Development of an Early years Intervention support centre.
In Kind Needs
Information Technology Common Initiative Group- Special Educational Needs Teachers’ Training Institute (ITCIG-SENTTI) Team would very much appreciate in-kind goods (listed below please) to meet the needs of the projects objectives as well as the needs of her beneficiary target groups : some of whom are the most vulnerable of the community- Such as orphans, widows, persons living with disabilities, parents of children living with disabilities , students-teachers, Existing teachers, ,Regular schools, Special Schools , Associations and Organisations of persons living with disabilities , school drop-outs, women , Youths , children, farmers etc.
Our Organisation has taken as one of its targets to be mobilising and distributing to the most vulnerable members of the communities living in the rural areas of Momo Division and other part parts of the North West Region the following:
· Computers
· Photocopiers
· Printing press
· Exercise books,
· pens, pencils, colours pencils, rules, erasers , glue sticks etc
· Children’s Toys and games
· Children story books
· Perkins Braille machines, Braille printers
· Assistive Technology software and hardwares
· Clothes for children from the ages 5+ and above for both male and females.
· School Furniture, school supplies and educational materials
· Farm implements
· Sport wears
· Shoes of various sizes ,and personal care items
· Beddings (sheets and blankets)
· Medical Equipment
· Farming implements
· Hand grinding machines
We are therefore soliciting to readers, individuals, partners, schools, Establishment, philanthropist and humanitarian Organisation to kindly donate any of the above mentioned items to Information Technology Common Initiative Group (ITCIG). We mean items that are still in good working condition but possibly no longer put in used by the owner. Please you could visit: www.itcig.org to read more information concerning the objectives of Information Technology Common Initiative Group –Cameroon.
The extent to which ITCIG has been able to delver her intended objectives has been to a large extent aided by the number of in-kind donations donated to the Organisations by various bodies, organisation, schools and individuals in the United Kingdom , Australia, Norway , Canada, Austria, the Netherlands and Ireland. We would stop being quite grateful for their generosity towards the ITCIG.
Mission Statement
MISSION AND VISION OF ITCIG
The vision and mission of Information Technology Common Initiative Group and her various arms (SENTTI, the Orphan Educational Outreached project, the life-skill empowerment project, the Environmental friendly project etc) is to see various sectors of the Cameroon society to a large extent transformed through the active deployment of ICTs and related technologies, through the inclusion of Exceptional individuals into Education and mainstream society and to promote the emergence of a society that empowers all her citizenry to attain their individual maximum academic/vocational potentials , in a way that would enable each unique person to contribute according to his/her needs , strength and means towards the constructive transformation of any society in which they form a apart and live .
Furthermore, to see the quality of teaching and learning enhanced through the adoption of more innovative and creative approaches, which encourages competent based and Learner –Centre learning , educational curriculum modification, review of teachers training programs, adaptation of contemporary teaching and learning methods , integration of technology into education as a matter of necessity to meet the needs and challenges of the 21st Century due to the changing trends in the classroom and the societal environment.