I’m Yasmini Gyawali, a passionate computer engineering student and a proud fellow of the WLiT Fellowship for the year 2023-2024. During my time in the fellowship, we had some incredible learning experiences. One of the sessions focused on two important topics: Hour of Code and Internet Security. We were lucky to have WLiT alumni as our mentors, guiding us through these subjects.
Then the exciting part was after acquiring this knowledge, we were given the chance to pass it on to school children. Without hesitation, I decided to organize a session in my hometown-Gulmi. However, it was a big undertaking, and I couldn’t have done it alone. That’s where my partner, Apekshya Gyawali, came in. Together, we worked tirelessly to make this session a success.
We took great pleasure in organizing an Hour of Code and Internet Security session at Ridi Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Gulmi, Nepal, supported by WLiT Nepal and Safer-i. The experience was both challenging and immensely rewarding, as we had the opportunity to teach students in an area where technological knowledge and awareness of the internet were limited.
The session commenced by gauging the students’ existing knowledge of coding, and it was disheartening to find that only a few students had prior exposure to the subject. Determined to bridge this gap, we took it upon ourselves to explain the fundamental concepts of coding. As we delved into the Hour of Code activities, we were pleasantly surprised by the student’s enthusiasm and their ability to comprehend and complete tasks with ease. It was truly inspiring to witness their rapid assimilation of new information and their eagerness to learn.
Following the Hour of Code, we transitioned into the Internet Security session, recognizing the lack of awareness in this domain among the local population. This session presented a valuable opportunity for the students to gain knowledge about an essential aspect of their daily lives—the Internet.
The students exhibited a significant level of interest and actively shared instances of online abuse they had encountered but were unsure of how to handle. However, after participating in our session, they expressed sincere gratitude for equipping them with the necessary knowledge to navigate online abuse and enhance their understanding of internet security.
As we concluded the session, we were filled with an immense sense of pride for our contribution to educating students who previously lacked a proper understanding of coding and internet security concepts. However, our aspirations extend beyond this singular event. Being able to share what we learned with young minds was truly fulfilling. Our objective is to expand this initiative to encompass all corners of our hometown, ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to gain essential knowledge in these areas.
