Cyber classes for the elderly at Linden Library

For 25 senior citizens within the community, the digital space is no longer a thing to fear, after they completed a basic computer skills training course held at Linden Library. To highlight their efforts, a special graduation ceremony was held at the library, which was attended by members of the Linden Police Station, the Linden Community Policing Forum (CPF), and the Department of Social Development.

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Equipping these senior citizens with this valuable knowledge was senior librarian Senzo Nkwanyana, who said, with the world moving more into the digital space, the need to remove fears associated with it becomes important. “So, this was a great opportunity to introduce them to digital transformation, so that they are not left behind.”

Though the course faced many hurdles, it was the group’s eagerness to learn that kept them coming to their classes. “They prioritised learning more about computers and digital transformation. This is something we shouldn’t take for granted,” said Nkwanyana, adding that the learners didn’t all came in with the same strengths and weaknesses, forcing him to find a way to cater to each of them. An adjustment that definitely worked, as one of the graduates addressed those in attendance with great pride, after managing to publish a church booklet through knowledge she gained by attending the course.

Ernest Prins took part in this skills course as a way to gain more information, and the autonomy of being able to solve problems without having to call anyone for assistance. “We learned so much from this, through Senzo.” The 73-year-old said, though it was a slow start for them, with laptops being a challenge, once it picked up it was wonderful, and worked marvelously. Before retiring Prins worked for Transnet. That job, though he learnt a lot, did not equip him with the finer details, such as how to use an Excel Spreadsheet, to create columns and the likes. “I encourage other senior citizens to take part in the course too.”

For Sherill Saunders, this was a great way for her to learn, and gain knowledge on the use of the laptop and desktops. It was scary for her, at the start, with fear that a press of a button could lead her to the wrong place, or result in her doing something wrong. “But as time went on, we eased into it. We had a very good, and patient, leader, and at the end we found it easy.” Saunders hopes for more courses such as this one, which affords them the opportunity to learn. She is also grateful for spaces like the Linden Library, which offers, not just the opportunity to learn, but a safe space too. She celebrates that she no longer finds intimidating something she feared at first.

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Maria van der Biezen’s biggest challenge, at first, was paying attention to her screen, as, instead, she found herself concentrating on her keyboard, or elsewhere. This resulted in her making little mistakes, and not being able to correct them. Now, she reads the screen. Her fellow classmate, Elna Ellis, loved the process of learning how to use the laptop, and thinks she just hasn’t learned enough.

E-learning manager for the City of Johannesburg public libraries Jeff Nyoka said he was impressed by how Nkwanyana identified the various skills each learner had, and adopted that into the learning process, along with focusing on what they wanted to learn, such as how to send an email, or how internet banking works.

Linden Police Station commander Colonel Shaid Abdool hailed the elderly learners for their commitment to learning, but cautioned them on what they should now look out for while online, so they do not become victims of fraud.

It was important to Linden CPF to be part of the graduation, because, to them, the elderly, and their safety, is important. “So, when they get the ability to tackle the cyber world, its our job to join them, but also to warn them of the pitfalls that are out there, to make sure they know who, and where, its safe,” said chairperson Annelize Tichauer. The impression she got from this group of senior citizens was not only their great sense of excitement but also accomplishment for what they had managed to do at their age.

“I think we sat in a room with some of our communities bravest elderly,” Tichauer added.

Ultimately, Nkwayana is grateful for the support from Linden Library management, as they ensured the library had the resources it needed for the course. This course is based on the need of the community, so, the more elderly in the community who come forward to attend, the more lives it’ll positively impact. Nkwanaya’s hope is to see this course go up several levels, and continue to grow.

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