CAMAGÜEY.- The muscles, the joints, the bones, and the mind are nourished by continuous exercise. There is no life or development if immobility and laziness take control. These are some brief tips for freshness, achieved by the Young Computer Club --born on September 8, 1987-- that has kept them active and, above all, adapting to realities so as not to lose connection with the Cuban family.
It had been more than two years since the Joven Club Technological Forest in Camagüey had not hosted a Dota 2 battle video game tournament. However, in April, the bells of war rang, and, finally, the event materialized in a marathon day that lasted an entire morning. COVID-19 had been to blame for so much waiting. It marked the tempo, to society, to gamers (players)... to the venue of the event.
Frank Echavarría Jiménez, deputy director of communication for the entity, speaks easily about his work. He finds it easy because he identifies with the institution, although sometimes the work requires him to stay late at night in the office. Of the space-time “dominated” by the pandemic, he says that “the interaction of users through the download of the Mochila via Wifi and other information with TinoRed, from homes, did not cease.”
whatsapp image 2022 09 07 at 9.24.55 pmWith the arrival of the new normality, little by little the usual activities returned. "Machine time, mail browsing, among others of the 36 billboard services were incorporated," says Frank, adding that one of those rehabilitated offers was the request for instructors for the installation of peripherals, antivirus, and computer advice to households.
The return to routines has included the reactivation of game and video rooms, the holding of festivals in the Forest, such as Hanami, and the cosplay competition, to choose the best costume among boys who represent their favorite character from science or fiction. Outside the borders of the installation, the intentions of generating knowledge associated with the virtual world are equally appreciated.
“During the summer we incorporate meetings with GeroClub, made up of older adults, to whom we project audiovisuals at the Joven Club Camagüey and we make visits to the little ones without family protection, who live in homes located in La Zambrana and Plaza de La Habana. They interacted with the electronic devices that we have available as robots, which caught their attention.
“We reached that same interest with the summer course, Educational Robotics for Children, and a little earlier with the celebration on our campus of International Girls' Day with ICTs. In these meetings, we intend that the participants, students of the José Martí school, use our tablets, and computers and receive talks on topics related to computing. We hope that, in the future, if they so decide, they will choose a career related to that discipline, or the scientific field, ”says Frank, with longing.
PROFESSIONAL TIES
According to Echavarría Jiménez, one of the reasons that tie him to his center is the "pleasant, supportive and competent work environment." The criterion of the municipal director of the Youth Club, Migdalia Arbolai Leiva, corroborates her words: “We always try to make brotherhood prevail, that is the first step to guarantee treatment and a quality product to our clients. This job requires improvement and we feel committed to supporting each other, especially recent graduates.”
Zaida Muñiz Calderón, one of her young instructors, felt from her school years that she should opt for Computer Science when they put the race ticket before her eyes. She did it that way and today she guides the public, teaches, and transmits "the values, the proper use of the main networks as part of that education on virtual platforms", essential for a Cuban citizen, in the current context.
During the celebration activities to commemorate the 35th Youth Club, from the Technological Forest, several workers were congratulated for their contributions to the development and consolidation of the entity.
Instructor Kirenia Peláez Marín was one of the winners. She commented that she is motivated to expand her skills in her work, "to accept new challenges and foster even more affinity and relationships with my colleagues, to continue thinking of the Club as a great family."
If the renewal spirit is spread from Camagüey, the headquarters of the municipality of Santa Cruz del Sur, prominent at the provincial level, shows intentions of not stopping its growth, through its director Yanet Rodríguez Padrón: "I have worked since 1996 in the installation of my territory and ever since I graduated with a Gold Degree from the Informatics Polytechnic, I have set goals for myself to be part of that the dream that Fidel had, of transforming and promoting the computerization of our people”.
PERSPECTIVES
The ability to adapt to socioeconomic changes has been one of the challenges for the Joven Club. Echavarría Jiménez elaborated on this particular: “At the moment, our aspirations go beyond the initial objectives, that is why we are immersed in the creation of products such as software, websites for companies and our instructors provide services to centers, both state as non-state, not only to houses.
“We also facilitate the installation and sale of Segurmática's antivirus, we rent rooms for videoconferences and meetings and we give workshops to entities for social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, aimed at the proper use of corporate telephones. In addition, we develop virtual sites for companies, as well as computer security plans”.
Other fields in which they have ventured have been the contribution to materialize initiatives such as the manufacture of an application for the Railway Museum, associated with the history of the tramway, the digitization of data from the Oficoda in the territory, and, a similar process they undertake with the Gallen Clinic project, linked to files and medical records in hospitals and polyclinics.
"We broaden our horizon to manage self-financing," says the institution's communicator, but at the same time clarifies that "the corporate purpose, for the benefit of the Cuban family, will never be lost." Its essences and precepts, conceived by Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, will persist in the 44 facilities and 327 instructors who deliver the knowledge and happiness of computer science to the people of Camagüey. As long as you maintain these principles, it will be easy to reach 35, 70, or 100. Good deeds ward off fatigue and retain freshness.
- Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez