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Zakaria, 24, is from Somalia. Like many other Somalis, he was forced to leave his country. He has been in Italy for just over a year and has already become a computer teacher at the initial reception centre in Pietralata, part of a larger national network of centres for immigrant reception and orientation.
The courses are coordinated by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale that has set up a multimedia laboratory with recycled computers that allow the guests to participate in computer courses and use Internet.
“Zakaria is one of us” the students point out. In fact, Zakaria, who worked as a journalist and computer expert in Somalia, arrived in Italy as a refugee. His strong will and efforts helped him fin a perfect job for his skills.
Who better than Zakaria can understand the hardships and problems faced by these students? His relationship with the students is very special and is based on trust and respect.
“When I arrived in Italy, I also went to a reception centre,” Zakaria explains. “Initially, I didn’t know how to contact my relatives or look for a job. The Internet Cafè at the Centro Enea, where I stayed, helped me immensely”. Zakaria already has another goal: he wants to start working as a journalist again.
To date, 31 refugees participate in the courses. Their average age is 30 and they are from Afghanistan, Somalia, Turkey and Guinea. All are in search of work and a better future.
The computer course will help them. They will learn how to look for a job on the Internet, prepare a CV, communicate via e-mail and use Microsoft Office.
The courses have been a great success. The Director of the Centro Enea, Margherita Taliani, also confirms this: “services of this type, like the Internet Café, markedly improve the quality of reception and allow our guests to interact and keep in touch with reality.”
