Microsoft sends African teacher computer after photo goes viral

  • 01/03/2018
Microsoft sends African teacher computer after photo goes viral
Photo credit: Facebook/ Owura Kwadwo

An ICT teacher in Ghana who demonstrated Microsoft Word to his students using a blackboard has become an international sensation.

A photo of his decidedly old-fashioned classroom set-up, which was shared on social media, has gone viral.

"Teaching of ICT in Ghana's school is very funny," Richard Akoto, who goes by Owura Kwadwo online, said in a Facebook post alongside the photos.

The 33-year-olds photos quickly went viral, and eventually Microsoft Africa was alerted to the situation.

"I have been doing it anytime I am in the classroom," Mr Akato wrote of the blackboard lessons on Facebook.

"I love my students so have to do what will make them understand what [I] am teaching."

Mr Akoto's school hadn't had new computers since 2011, according to Quartz - even though the students needed to pass an ICT exam as part of their course requirements.

After seeing the photos, entrepreneur Rebecca Enonchong tried to track down the teacher.

"This picture has been circulating on web. Does anyone know what country? This teacher is my hero. I want to find him," she said.

Then she tweeted Microsoft Africa, telling the company he was teaching about their product without having access to it.

"Surely you can get him some proper resources," she said.

Microsoft has promised to send Mr Akoto a new computer for his classroom and give him access to education material and professional development.

Newshub.