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Karibu Tanzania [2018-09-16]

“Karibu” is an expression that one hears repeatedly here in Tanzania.  It means “welcome”, and we surely have felt so thus far on this trip.  We were joined during our first week of work by Reneal Board of Directors members Sharon Fingold and Katherine Yen, along with their husbands Antonio Martinez (former Board member) and Marcus Lee.   We were able to visit five of the Reneal schools with them, and together we met the Reneal Tanzania scholars for the first time.  It is incalculably helpful that our Board members were able to experience conditions on the ground and talk with teachers and students about the role of the Reneal computers in the schools. 

The scholars are doing well, and we would like to share with Reneal donors the following words in the students’ message of thanks: “We will always be thankful for your help we can’t really say how much you been of a great help to us but we want to let you know that we are benefiting much from your help.  Another thing is that we promise you that we will not let you down as we will study with all of our efforts and achieve our dreams and making sure that the fees you are paying for us is not paid for nothing.”  They are doing well academically, and it is clear that their confidence is rising.

The Reneal Board members also met with Arusha District Executive Director Dr. Charles Mahera and Arusha Region Administrative Secretary Mr. Richard Kwitega.  The support of both Arusha District and Arusha Region has been instrumental to Reneal’s work.  And of course we couldn’t do it without the hard work of Reneal School Liaison David Nyangaka.  He is the ICT Officer for the Arusha Regional Office and continues to be instrumental in helping the schools prepare and in working all of our logistics issues.

In another stroke of luck, the Board members were able to meet Rick Smith of A is for Africa (www.aisforafrica.org), a US non-profit based in Maryland.  This organization works closely with Matim Primary School which is right near Mukulat SS.  A is for Africa supports a daily feeding program for the students, helped to construct a preschool, and installed a computer lab, among other projects.  When we are at Mukulat on Monday, we look forward to meeting with the Headmistress and computer teacher at Matim PS to show them the Reneal lab and to see their lab.

We had an extensive Board debrief with the Reneal team in Tanzania before the Board members departed last Sunday.  Lots of things to consider at our next Reneal Board meeting in November!  The challenges are clear, but the rewards are as well.

This past week we did our first new computer lab installation for 2018 at Kiranyi Secondary School, including a server and 17 laptops.  The work went quickly since we were again supported by our partner Habari Node, a growing enterprise here in Tanzania.  The Habari Node team did all of the internet cabling in the lab, and it looks superb.  We held two sessions of teacher orientation on Wednesday, and we are excited about turning the new computer lab over to the students and teachers at Kiranyi for their use in teaching and learning.

Neal has updated the software for two schools (Mateves SS and Nduruma SS), and he’s finished two operating system upgrades so far (Mukulat SS and Enyoito SS).  They’ve been a lot of work, but hopefully the remaining six schools will be easier now that he’s been through the process a few times.  And we still have three more installations ahead, but with the help of our Habari Node and Arusha Node Marie partners, the work is made much easier.

 [Photos: the Reneal Board members meeting Arusha District Executive Director Dr. Charles Mahera, the Reneal scholars at Mwandet Secondary School]