Western News: November 16, 2023

Thursday November 16 2023 7
RECYCLE:
TechMate
office
administrator
Joseph
Prue and a
volunteer
restoring a
laptop.
Refugees gain tech skills
• By Sasha Watson
TEN REFUGEES from Afghanistan,
Eritrea and Somalia have started learning
how to use and navigate technology, with
the help of Hagley College and TechMate.
The adult students were given eight
laptops by charity TechMate to start
a basic beginner computer skills
programme on Tuesday evenings at the
college.
Diversity services manager Anne
Galloway said the donations would be a
big help.
“Many former refugees and migrants
have no financial resources to buy laptops
and devices. They often have children
at home and all want to have a good
education,” she said.
“Often, they don’t know how to access
any information on the device either. No
device and no knowledge of how to use
devices is a barrier.”
Hagley College has a range of
programmes for supporting and
furthering the education and employment
of refugee background learners and new
migrants, including maths, english, health
studies, driving and
languages.
Said TechMate
community co-ordinator
Vanessa Simpson: “This
is a lovely thing to be
involved with, knowing
that we are helping,
supporting, and making a
difference in people’s lives.
“Without a laptop,
Vanessa
Simpson
refugees would not be able to learn or, just
as importantly, communicate with their
family members who are still overseas.”
Simpson has been working with the
charity for about a year. It offers free
lessons, laptop refurbishments, repairs
and digital inclusion to those in need.
It has given away just under 160
laptops this year, made possible through
a partnership with Recycle A Device.
The company restores laptops that would
otherwise go to landfill and diverts them
to volunteers for repurposing.
• To find out more about
TechMate, call 0800 766763 or
email info@techmate.org.nz
Kōrero mai | Let’s talk
Safer intersections
around Church Corner
We want to make the intersections around
Church Corner way safer for everyone.
Find out what’s planned
and tell us what you think
before 7 December 2023.
letstalk.ccc.govt.nz/church-cnr
A Vet ConferenCe
& CAMBoDIA
Recently Steve, our eldest son Connor
and I had the opportunity to attend the
Singapore vet conference and then travel to
Cambodia to catch up with a vet friend and
experience the cuisine, culture and unique
sites of Siem Reap.
Singapore vet conference
I’d never experienced Singapore before and
it was quite unbelievable in many ways.
Very clean and tidy, well organised with
high rise appartments and commercial
buildings covering the landscape. Loads of
upmarket boutique stores, so much choice
with food, just an easy place to live I’d
imagine.
The conference was fun. Most entertaining
were the medicine lectures with David
Church and his wife Jill Maddison.
A power couple that just know it all.
I was so impressed I introduced myself as
a die hard fan over the years (I listen to
their vet podcasts) and purchased their
text “Clinical Reasoning”. I also enjoyed
the Dentistry, Oncology, Surgical and
Behavioural lectures. Lots of take home
points to put into action at MMH vets.
Highlights of Singapore had to be the
Botanical gardens,
cocktails in the
rooftop pool,
clothes shopping
for Connor and
discovering
a Chilean
Chardonnay…..
and the “Jewel”.
WOW.
Next stop Siem
Reap. We were
The Jewel in
Singapore airport
Singapore at night
the first ever flight
to arrive in to the
brand new airport
built by the Chinese. Lots of important
officials shaking our hands, drapping us in
scarves and taking photos. Quite Surreal.
Siem Reap was
nothing like i’d
imagined. So
much hustle
and bustle on
the dirt roads
with motorbikes
jammed full of
families and Tuk
Tuks weaving
in and out. Rice
fields were dotted
all over, and it was
really colourful,
with bright
houses, clothing
and road side stalls. Cambodians are
Angkor Wat Temples
generally a smiley, friendly, helpful people.
I fell in love with them.
Ta Prohm
temple
where
Indiana
Jones
was
filmed
The Apopo rats
They made our
holiday so much
better as they were
our tour guides
when we visited the
Kulen Elephants,
the Angkor Wat
temples, a city food
tour and the Apopo
rats that detect the
hidden landmines
(fabulous clever
little creatures).
There was so much
to learn about the
culture, their politics, arranged marriages
and the wars they have lived through.
My Friend has a vet practice, so we visited
and got some glimpses of what its like to
treat all animals in a 3rd World country,
with virtually
no diagnostic
equipment
in clinic and a
sparce amount of
drugs. Saw some
unforgettable
cases. We also
fell in love with
the cuisine,
exquisite tastes,
presentation and
Steve blood sampling
at Trish’s clinic
price of food.
Saw many
street animals,
packs of dogs
and lone cats, moving free range through
the city, like to gather at intersections. All
looked happy, well fed and healthy. Didn’t
approach me which was probably a good
thing as I would have needed to befriend
them…….Rabies risk intensified! The cows
grazing where ever they pleased also
looked content and well cared for.
Was great fun for Steve and I travelling with
Connor and attending a vet conference
together. We all have our different interest
areas and we love discussing lectures, cases
and devising future plans. I think another
family holiday to Asia is in order one day,
with all 3 sons in tow ( maybe partners too).
I just want to wish all MMH readers a safe,
healthy, sunny Christmas and summer
holidays, enjoying special fun times with
family and friends. See you again in 2024
where I will be writing in The Star.
Dr Michele McMaster
Kulen
elephants
Open 7 days Cnr Hoon Hay & Coppell place ph: 338 2534
e. reception@mcmasterandheap.co.nz www.mcmasterheap.co.nz