Florina Barbu called the Tech Camp, "an eye opener."
The second day of Tech Camp Bucharest demonstrated the power of NGOs, librarians and technologists working together to help disadvantaged groups. Fourteen groups gathered together to find solutions to the issues selected the day before and created action plans to be implemented as soon as possible. Among the most debated topics were data collection about Roma (see here an interesting article by Eric Gundersen, one of the international trainers), solutions for reaching remote communities using a combination of mobile and radio technology, and the various tiers of involvement for teachers, librarians and NGOs in preventing students from dropping out of school.
The librarians’ experiences with Tech Camp are best described in the message below, sent by Florina Barbu of the Ciocanesti, Dambovita County library: “Because I took part in the Tech Camp, I discussed important issues with trainers, other librarians and NGOs dealing with the Roma and other disadvantaged groups. We shared our experiences working with the various groups in our communities, identified problems and tried to find solutions. We made friends and exchanged contacts to stay in touch and implement our plans. This was an eye-opener for me.”
IREX was happy to take part in the camp and looks forward to seeing the action plans come to life in the new year.
