2008 Volunteers bonded with community members in Oaxaca by teaching them how to use digital technology to document their culture.
By Nelly Martinez, AMIGOS Staff
September 3, 2008
It is easy to take technology for granted these days. Most people can easily check their e-mail, search the web and use an endless amount of computerized and digital tools. But that is not a luxury that is available to everyone in the world.
This summer a group of young adult Amigos de las Américas (AMIGOS) Volunteers set out to give youth in Oaxaca, Mexico, hands-on knowledge of digital technology through personal tutoring.
For more than 28 years, AMIGOS has worked and developed a great bond with communities in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The Digital Culture project, which was introduced this year, focuses on teaching community members how to use digital technology including digital cameras and computers, to document their history and communicate. The project was initiated in Oaxaca in order to help local youth preserve the rich indigenous culture. Four communities participated in the Digital Culture Project, in which 10 Volunteers held workshops and technology exhibits.
Kate McGuire, Regional Director for Dominican Republic and México, said that Oaxaca’s youth are ideal participants for the project. She said that the project enriches their understanding of technology, “This project allows youth to have hands-on practice and have full access to technology equipment such as computers, web cams and recorders to preserve their culture in a creative way.”
AMIGOS Volunteers succeeded in this mission by concentrating on teaching students in rural communities about computer and digital technologies such as basic use of video cameras, digital cameras, voice recorders, Internet search engines, blogs, podcast, e-mail accounts and web design.
Thanks to a generous donation from CDW new digital equipment including laptops, voice recorders, digital cameras, web cams, camera cases, backpacks and tripods were available to Volunteers and community members. The majority of the youth these communities was unfamiliar with this type of equipment and was eager to learn how to operate it. The youth were given access to technology equipment to assist them in researching and documenting their local heritage and cultural history.
One of the many activities performed was a photo scavenger hunt developed to challenge the youth in Oaxaca to think beyond common snapshots. The students were given key words and sent off on an amazing adventure to document their cultural heritage. Photographs were then edited and compiled and presented at debriefing and community events.
O’Brian Rossi, a 2008 Volunteer in Oaxaca, was amazed at how enthusiastic and receptive the youth in the community were about the Digital Culture Project.
“From the get-go they were excited to use technology to show their town and community what they had created,” Rossi said. “They were empowered with the skills they were learning, and presenting it to their peers made them proud.”
Drew Hart, a 2008 Senior Project Supervisor in Oaxaca, expressed his full support for the Digital Culture Project.
"I was struck at how much potential and interest the youth in Oaxaca expressed," said Heart. "This project touched the interest of the children's cultural history and also the ability for them to learn and grow as individuals."
Volunteers passed on their own knowledge of email, blogs, Internet exploration and digital photography to the youth in Oaxaca, giving them the ability and freedom to use digital technology for their own interest and needs. All knowledge and equipment were placed in the hands of the youth, leaving them the capability to continue exploring the many aspects of technology.
Further Actions:
- Check out Digital Culture Blogs:
(Please be patient if you experience any technical difficulties when viewing these pages.)
