A good kind of chaos [2018-05-14]
This month has been one of unexpected prosperity for Reneal. We’ve received donations of 16 laptops and 47 desktops in the last two weeks! This is on top of the 65 computers we purchased with a big discount from World Computer Exchange. While this has plunged our home into chaos with computers everywhere, it is definitely the kind of chaos we love! Thanks a million to Free Geek (www.freegeek.org) and Uneed2 (www.uneed2.org) for their generosity and support!
Both Free Geek and Uneed2 are serving their local communities – Portland, OR for Free Geek and Tracy, CA for Uneed2 – to help bring technology to those who don’t have access. They offer training and internships for people to build computer skills, and they repurpose used, donated equipment to put computers in the hands of eager folks in their area. Both organizations are full of dedicate people who are committed to serving others. It is definitely a joy (and an honor) to partner with them.
We want to send an extra thank you to Uneed2 computer technician and instructor Rashawn Tillman. On very short notice, Rashawn prepared 27 desktops for Reneal and helped load them into the Uhaul truck. Awesome folks!
A special thanks also to Reneal Board member Priscilla Batty for bringing back the equipment from Portland. She admitted to some skepticism when all of the items were rolled out – after all, it was going into a Prius, not a truck! But thanks to some magic by Free Geek Digital Inclusion Manager Sara Rasmussen, it all fit. Thanks again to Emily Wong for coordinating the grant and for all the folks at Free Geek for their efforts in bringing technology to the people we serve in Cebu.
Our next step here at Reneal is testing, packing, and shipping these units. The laptops are heading to Tanzania in August. Reneal School Liaison David Nyangaka has identified four schools in Arusha for our 2018 projects. We are also planning to update the client hardware at our 2013 schools, Mukulat Secondary School and Mlanagarini Secondary School. The desktop computers that have rolled in this week will be supporting our 2019 Reneal installations in Cebu, and we’re also hoping to replace some of the very old computers in the schools that we serve. To say that we’re ecstatic is an understatement!
We received some wonderful news from David this week – he has been promoted to be the Arusha Region ICT Officer! For the last few years he has been serving as the Arusha District ICT Officer. This promotion is akin to promotion from a country level to the state level in the US, so it’s a big step for him. We are so pleased for this recognition of his dedication and hard work, and Reneal is very proud and honored to have him as our partner in Tanzania.
Meanwhile, the first day of School Year 2018-2019 draws near in Cebu. Classes start again on June 4th. Teachers will soon be reporting for Brigada Eswela, the beginning of year cleaning, maintaining, and preparation, followed by in-service training. I will miss being among my friends and colleagues for these important weeks. Thankfully I was able to support the teachers at Compostela National High School in preparation of a draft class schedule. A few years ago Neal found an Open Source program called FET that really aids in solving the headache-inducing scheduling challenges for schools. Even though we are far away, it is a joy to be of assistance.
We’re off again for some personal travel, but the next post should find me deep in the midst of bringing order to chaos. In the meantime, we’re still seeking about 30 laptop computers to complete our needs for the Tanzania projects in August. Let us know at contact.reneal@gmail.com if you have leads on donations.
[Photo: with the Uneed2 folk (Eric and Lynda Hawkins, Rashawn Tillman, and Yvette West)]