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Making the rounds [2019-10-07]

The 2019 installation work in Tanzania is now finished!  We still have teacher orientation to do at the last installation, Olturumet Secondary School, but otherwise we’re focused on completing visits to each of the existing schools.  Given the difficulty of getting to many of the schools, we allocate a day for each.  Neal makes updates to the server computer, and Robert, Evance, and I do repairs as needed on the client computers.  It’s a chance to meet with the Super Users to hear their questions, concerns, and successes.  It is always such a pleasure to reconnect with our Super User colleagues!

Neal’s server updates this year include the latest version of the off-line Wikipedia as well as the most recent Tanzania National Exams.  This is probably the most popular resource for students and teachers, especially right now as the National Exams loom.  It’s hard to overstate the importance of these exams.  For the Form 4 (grade 10) students, it determines whether or not they can continue on to Forms 5 and 6.  As one teacher today noted, the students are wandering around campus with furrowed brows and in a state of stress.  In November, for better or for worse, their fate will be decided.

The laptop repairs, not always successful, cover a huge range of issues.  Today’s two culprits evidently were hanging up intermittently.  One of them had very limited memory, so we’re hoping that simply adding more RAM will solve the problem.  The other one already had sufficient RAM, so it’s a mystery.  At any rate, we added more memory and put in a fresh CMOS battery for good measure.  Robert and I continue to learn new tricks each year to keep the units running.  Evance’s specialty is repairing Ethernet cables and connectors.  It is a joy to be a part of this Team!

We have five more school visits yet before Neal and I head back to the US.  So… it seems that there is still a lot to do, but the time will go fast.  Of the original 19 boxes in our room here at Lutheran Centre, we have just one left with equipment inside.  (Three others continue to serve as furniture, and one is our “kitchen”.)  However we have a pile of odds and ends to distribute to the schools yet, so gear management continues to take time.

As noted last week, we are already planning for 2020.  Please drop us a line if you know of a potential source of laptops that can have a new life in schools in Tanzania.  You can reach Reneal at contact.reneal@gmail.com.  Donations are fully tax-deductible.

 [Photos: last 2019 installation at Olturumet Secondary School; school visit at Kimnyaki Secondary School (a 2018 installation)]