Manisha hated Leicester when she moved to the city in 2007. Struggling to meet people or find work, the 38-year-old single parent was severely depressed until she pitched up at the Cook E Learning Foundation UK online centre.
“I moved away from where I was living because of personal problems,” Manisha explains. “Leicester was supposed to be a fresh start for me and my two young daughters but it was very difficult at first. I didn’t know anyone and found it hard to meet people. I couldn’t find work and I became really down. I hated the city and pretty much everything else at that point!
“Then one day a leaflet came through the letterbox advertising the Cook E-Learning Foundation. I’d always enjoyed henna hand painting so I went along to see if I could do that there. I was slightly apprehensive because I’m sad to say the people I’d met up to that point were not very friendly. But I knew as soon as I walked into the centre it wasn’t going to be that way – everyone was great and I felt at home straightaway. It was just such a relief to have some adult company again!
“Whilst I was there the training manager Baz Kanabar told me about the free myguide courses that were available. I’d done some computer courses a few years before but I’d forgotten a lot of what I’d learned, so I agreed to come and give myguide a try.
“I’m glad I did because myguide is excellent! The step-by-step instructions are really easy to follow and even though I already knew a fair bit about computers, the courses made me realize there were things I could do better, like typing a simple word instead of a whole sentence into Google. I found there were several shortcuts that allowed me to get things done in half the time.
“The great thing about myguide is that it is relevant to real life. I’d done these other courses about things I didn’t need to use everyday, and promptly forgot all about them. I stayed the sort of person who’d far rather write things out by hand than use a computer! But myguide makes everything relevant to your life, and it made me realise how important the internet is. I ended up doing every single myguide course.”
Since completing the courses, Manisha’s attitude to computers has changed beyond recognition.
“I had a computer before but I wasn’t interested in using it,” she says. “I use it all the time now! Being new to the area, I didn’t know where to send my kids when they got to primary school age, so I used the Directgov and OFSTED sites to find out about the schools near where we live. It was great because the information was up-to-date and it saved me having to drive around and see every school. Both my girls are very happy where they are, so it must have been good information!
“Directgov has been useful in other ways too. I’ve used it to search for jobs and look up information on benefits. And NHS Direct has been invaluable. My girls got swine flu last year and I was able to diagnose and treat the problem using information from the website, which recommended calling the helpline and self-medicating rather than going to the doctors and risk spreading it around to other people. I use NHS Direct every time they’re ill now and think I diagnose their illnesses better than the doctor!
“I use the internet for everything these days – shopping, banking and keeping in touch with friends. It’s easier, more convenient and you can save money by comparing prices and getting better deals on things like insurance. If the children or myself need to know anything now – from homework information to cinema times - we always look it up online.
“I’m really happy with what I know about the computer but there’s always room for improvement. I’d like to do more advanced courses at some point but at the moment I’m using the internet to help achieve my main aim of finding a job. Using online searches is great because there’s so many vacancies advertised online and you can apply straightaway by uploading your CV.
“With the support of centre staff Baz, Joshua and Imran I enjoyed working through myguide and I’ve recommended the courses to my friends - six of whom have done them already! They said that if I could do it, they could too and the same goes for anyone. It can help you learn from scratch or refresh your existing skills and it’s also a great way to meet people. I hated Leicester until I came here but life’s looking a lot rosier now. You’ve got nothing to lose and so much to gain – give it a go!”