“The centre, which we call Bowen, is in its 16th year since identifying all those years ago that a lot of our community didn’t have computer access or had to pay for use of a computer. So we decided with all the problems in the area that a community technology centre would work,” Paula said. “We’re right in the middle of two social housing areas and we’ve been working with adults, children, young and old all that time.”
Tech savvy and reading
The majority of requests at the centre are from school-age children (with homework or assignments) and their parents who often own a computer but don’t know how to use it. They come to the centre to learn the basic steps at their own pace and build up their ‘tech’ knowledge each week with the staff.
“Then we’ll show them how to go online, type, download, create resumes, do online training, or do online job applications. We also assist with form-filling and reading letters for Bowen’s less-literate clients,” she said. “If they have the time, we have the patience to help them.”
Resources
Running costs are an ongoing concern, Paula laments, so she is constantly on the lookout for relevant grants to top up the donations from service groups and businesses, as well as encouraging donations on the centre’s GoFundMe page.
“Bowen is run by parents who may have trouble sometimes putting food on the table but they help us with in-kind gestures,” Paula emphasised. “We just get by however we can.”
Assets
Demand for the service continually increases so they are outgrowing the space in the already extended Council-owned site. Here, every inch counts running 14 computers and numerous printers, and having adequate stationery storage and furniture for school homework, assignments, research and online needs.
“We always need stationary like printing paper, cardboard and pencils, plus a phone, internet, some wages and insurance: all the things any organisation needs,” she said, “but ours is on a smaller scale and with no guaranteed income.”
Despite the challenges of making ends meet, Paula is big on creating a positive environment, so the younger children doing their homework at Bowen get a little treat as encouragement because she says, “Everyone deserves a chocolate for trying”.
She said the number of users has tripled in the centre’s time, and now she has the children of adults she once taught, and in some families she’s had up to four generations attending. The Action Group is currently seeking funding or a solution to replace the centre’s second-hand computers – obtained with a 2020 State Government grant – and software, which is continually being updated. Their call-out is to anyone who might be able to help.
Education changes lives
“One little step can make a difference in these people’s life, so we are willing to make a difference where we can”, she said. “We try to develop self-motivation in each of our clients and we see it growing when get them through a gate or up a step, especially if they’ve had difficulty reading or writing and they’ve won a job with our help: sometimes they are the first person in the family to have a job, so that keeps us motivated to do more, too.”
Paula says the best preparation she had for this role is being a parent, and admits that if she doesn’t know an answer, say, to a high school maths homework question, she’ll find someone who does, or teach herself then pass it on to Bowen clients, because “None of us are islands.”
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Enquiries: Paula 6362 8584 (Bowen CTC)
To make a Donation: GoFundMe
Learn more: www.bowenctc.org.au
Hours (bookings are not required):
