From Chalkboards to Smartphones: My Journey with Computers in Ghana

Kandey Alhassan January 21, 2026 0

 

Photo credit: dreamstime.

My first introduction to computers was not through a screen but on a chalkboard.

In school, we wrote notes on how to operate Microsoft Windows, drew the parts of a computer, and memorized their names. Later, we were introduced to Microsoft Office. But actual access to computers was limited. A class of about 80 students shared just a few machines, and ICT lessons happened only once or twice a week.

You can imagine how little hands-on practice we got.

The only way to learn more was to visit an internet café, buy some time, and explore on our own.

Back then, all I could really do was change the Windows wallpaper, create files and folders, and delete them. Sometimes I would recover items from the recycle bin or delete them permanently. It felt exciting. Yahoo Mail was at its peak, and that was pretty much the extent of my digital world.

I didn’t begin using Microsoft Word and PowerPoint seriously until I got to the university three years after I had first learned about them. As for Microsoft Excel? That’s a story for another day.

In Ghana, many high school students barely use computers for practical work. Even some university students don’t own one.

So how do they complete their assignments?

I ask because I graduated from university without ever owning a PC. Yet, I completed and submitted every assignment, including my bachelor’s thesis. Most of the work was done on my phone. Sometimes I borrowed a friend’s computer or returned to the internet café.

Looking back, I realize how much resilience and creativity it took just to keep up.

Today, I reflect on this because there is still a significant gap in computer literacy among Ghanaian students. With the rapid rise of IT, AI, and other digital opportunities, I often wonder how they are coping.

And this issue goes beyond schools.

When I worked at a health institute as a records clerk, I never once used a computer to enter patient data. Everything was done manually. In a world driven by digital systems, this reality feels deeply concerning.

While efforts are being made to improve digital adoption, they are still not enough for the stage we are at today.

Access to technology should not determine who gets to thrive in the digital age. Until practical computer education becomes widespread and affordable, many brilliant minds will continue to adapt in silence, doing extraordinary things with limited tools.