MORE TO LIFE AFTER PRISON-WITH IT SKILLS
By Prasanna Raman
As a former receptionist, 27-year old Fatin( not her real name)knew
nothing much about the PC other than simple word processing. Today,
the inmate of kajang Women’s Prison is learning to design
wedding and greeting cards and some desktop publishing application,
which she has come to realize can be turned into a small business
that she can operate upon her release from prison.
“I don’t know of the various application and software
available to do a host of things on the PC. And now that I have
learnt to do some designing, I can see that some tasks are actually
quite simple to do on the PC,” she says.
Although unaware of how small business can be operated from one’s
home office, Fatin is keen on learning more about how a home office
business works.
“I think the flyers and brochures printing business I a
viable one, and with saving I have I would like to look into pursuing
this business when I’m out (of prison).”says Fatin,
who will be released form prison in nine months.
Mother of two, Siti( not her real name) is probably the most
enthusiastic of the lot. Exactly, the 28-year-ols says she has
picked up some IT skills in prison at no cost.
“I’ve been to internet café before to do online
chatting, but I had pay for that service. But here (in prison),
I have learnt a basic design course, and I didn’t even have
to pay it. Now, this is really something worthy,” says the
former clerk, who is aware that IT skill course can be costly.
With only six months to go before her release, Siti is learning
how to bake as part of her rehabilitation programme.
“I think I will try to tie up the two new skills I’ve
gathered by either promoting cakes and cookies with flyers, or
maybe take it one step further by selling the food online.”
She says.
Fatin and siti are part of the group of inmates of Kajang Women’s
Prison who have selected to learn some basic IT skill under a
project by Prihatin Malaysia, a non-profit organization established
by group o young Malaysian information and communications technology
professionals to improve the socio-economic well-being of under
privileged Malaysian.
With funding from women, Family and Community Development Ministry
the organization has established Makmal computer Nur Kreatif,
a small PC lab within the prison.
According to Prihatin’s staff Muhammad Syamir Mustadza,
who has been teaching at the computer lab since its inceptions
in March, almost all the inmates attending the class show keen
interest to learn the new skills.
“Some of them have picked up (the skills) quite fast and
are progressing very well and even ready to move on to more advance
modules. We’re now currently in the first module, which
is all about desktop publishing.”
Two other modules that will be taught soon are Digital Photography
and Digital Videography.
With the end of the phase l, the project will then move on with
Creative Media module in phase ll.
“We’ll teach them even more advanced techniques in
phase II.” Muhammad syamir says, adding that it will include
teaching the participants how to transfer picture and design on
mugs, T-shirts and the like, which should make good souvenir items.
The classes are held twice a week,two hours for each class. With
Phase l to be completed by middle of next month, a total of 40
inmates woulh have learnt some IT skills, according to Muhammad
Syamir.
Basically targeted the Youth, the nominees for the PC class are
usually those who show a positive attitude towards learning a
new skill.
Muhammad Syamir highlights that the class participants are quite
enthusiastic, with many asking for extra time after the end of
two hours lesson. Beside, after each lesson they are given tasks
or “homework” to practice their newly acquired skills.
According to Prihatin’s project manager Ramanatharan Rajaram,
in addition to the good respone from inmates, the organization
has received enquiries form prison staff who want to gain some
knowledge on how to use the PC.
“ We have a Train the Trainer programme going on, whereby
we’re training the two prison officers in charge of the
lab full-time so that they can teach other inmates some basic
skills.”
Full time lab staff and prison officer Waznati Noor Mat Akhir,
who has learnt Corel Draw under the Train the Trainer programme,
says her newly acquired knowledge comes in handy when she teaches
some juveniles in a different class.
“From having a fear of working on PC, the five juvenile
I’ve been teaching sine June are now somehow skilled and
knowledgeable in working on the PC.”
The PC lab is currently equipped with eight PCs, but there are
plans to add more units.
“we plan to add more PCs to this lab that cost RM90,000
to set up. We hope with further funding we can double the number
of PCs so that more inmates can benefit,” Ramanitharan says.
And a further expension of the project will be the setting up
of a computer lab at kajang Men’s Prison, a facility only
a stone’s throw away form the women’s prison.
