FASTER THAN FAST - PART 2

JULY 20 - Sam crunched a lot of information about Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel into his twice-daily five days of classes with the teachers at Kessararam Primary School. But we knew more was necessary for good and well-learned skills.

On Sam's last day, Sam, Prem, Mony and I met with the teachers at the end of Sam's last class with them to talk about followup.
They were eager to do so. But as usual in Cambodia, where's the money? Sam and I know this and had already decided to pay for a maximum of 3 teachers to continue classes.

Quickly we were on Mony's phone to our "go to" Khmer computer resource...Bun Ly, owner of abc Computer Systems. We're asking whether classes would be better at KPS or at abc Computer Systems, cost per student, duration of course, what to cover in the classes, etc. An abc Computer Systems instructor could hold class at KPS; the disadvantage is that there is only 1 computer. The KPS teachers could go to abc Computer Systems where they teach classes and have a computer for each student. Moreover abc Computer Systems had no class going at 9-10 a.m. Perfect...same time, different location as the teachers' class with Sam.

While we're consulting with Bun Ly about possibility of classes for KPS teachers, the teachers themselves are taking in our side of the phone conversation and caucusing. The teachers ask if we would be willing to send 4 teachers to computer classes...2 women and 2 men, and the 4 will share what they learn with the other teachers. Sam and I agreed.

Within minutes, Sam, Prem, Mony and I with our 4 teacher-students were headed for abc Computer Systems to register them for computer classes to begin the following Monday morning, 6 days a week, for 2 months. The classes would cover Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel and Power Point. Cost per student: $35US.

Monday morning I headed for abc Computer Systems and found our 4 students, Mrs. Van Marath, Mrs. Ngin Chankrisna, Mr. Pat Un and Mr. Muy Rachna, at their computers in class with their instructor. I was happy with the instructor, a fellow who was followup to Sam's pioneering of computer classes at Khnar Thmei Church 5 years ago when we established our relationship with abc Computer Systems and bought our first computer. Because of the distance from Siem Reap Town to Khnar Thmei Church, at that time the instructor went daily to the village to teach classes to 10 students.

At the end of their first class, the teachers realized they had stayed more than 1-1/2 hours and said it was because they were so interested! Happily their instructor hung in there with them!