
Ask HN: Teaching programming in third-world countries? - arisAlexis
For example lets say I want to have a life trip in third world countries and I would like to teach programming. Is there a way? I have only heard about school teachers or doctors without borders for example.
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gamesbrainiac
There are a few initiatives going on, however they are not very productive. I
live in a third world country, so let me provide some context. I am assuming
here that you wish to help children who are severely disadvantaged, i.e.
street children and orphans.

\- The programming world requires you to read, and most children cannot.
Solving this problem is of a higher priority.

\- Children suffer from malnourishment. Sure, you can give them a computer,
but that isn't going to keep them fed.

\- Begging is better. Most poor parents have their children begging, since it
does offer a good income, so you must provide funds _for_ attending your
classes. Free is not good enough. In fact, the government pays families to
send their kids _to_ school, and people still do not.

\- Programming requires a proper environment. Making an application from start
to finish, and then making it a successful commercial application is not easy.
Training a software engineer, takes a long time, and has quite a few
prerequisites, in the end, one might be lucky to have 1% of the original
number remaining.

Hence, if you can solve the literacy problem, compounded with the financial
and societal problems then sure, why not? But otherwise, one is merely coming
here to make oneself feel good, not to do real good.

Changing the lives of the poor is a very long term process, and I for one can
tell you that it might seem impossible but it isn't. It just requires a crazy
amount of work.

~~~
arisAlexis
Exactly, I was thinking of something like meta-school when they have already a
foundation of reading and some basic math etc but not like a university
because there is too much complication with that.

~~~
gamesbrainiac
Then you are not going to be targeting very many, and most will likely be
middle class. Its better to solve the harder problems than simply provide
middle class children with tools to immigrate elsewhere.

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phantom_oracle
I commend you for wanting to do good for the poorer parts of the world, but I
suggest you bring over other technologies that will serve the people better
than coding.

Let me give you an example:

Spend time researching the terrain of "Poor Area X" in "Poor Country: AAA".

Now look in your first-world country at similar terrains and see what advanced
farming techniques the farmers are using in your first-world country.

Go spend time living with the farmer, learn the technology/skill and then
bring that to the malnourished folks in AAA.

You'd be surprised to know that most folks throughout the world know very
little about basic farming/survival skills.

Teaching these people advanced techniques to grow their own food will benefit
them tenfold more than any JavaScript could (in their current state).

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joeclark77
I know of some academics who were involved in creating a "computer lab in a
box" for developing countries. They implemented it in Micronesia, and also had
a pretty interesting story about connecting up the island with the lab to the
main island by wi-fi so it could get internet. The box itself became the
computer desk, because even the desk is something you can't take for granted
on the ground. Maybe you ought to think about doing some project like this for
schools in a country you care about:
[http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/innovations/data/0002...](http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/innovations/data/000219)

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jumasheff
You have to speak the local language(s). This is the next big problem, IMO. If
you choose an anglophone country, there is still a little problem --
motivation. You'll have to charge students so that they work hard to return
their investments.

