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Progress on all fronts [2014-10-23]

It’s been a lively week for Reneal IEO here in Arusha.  We returned to Ilkiding’a Secondary School on Monday for two sessions of teacher orientation training.  A question posed by one of the teachers led Neal to some late-night software sessions to develop an exciting new capability for the system.  We had a meeting Tuesday with representatives from the Arusha District Council, Arusha Node Marie, Habari Node Ltd, and Reneal to discuss a possible partnership to expand our collective ability to equip schools with computer hardware and software.   We have begun scouting in earnest for candidate schools for 2015 projects.  And tomorrow we leave for Musoma, for the final installation for the 2014 projects.

One of the things we really love about the training sessions is hearing teachers’ ideas for what could be useful for them.  Neal gave a demo his new video streaming capability, where a teacher can select and start a video which then shows up simultaneously on all of the students’ computer screens.  After the demo, one of the teachers raised his hands and asked if it would be possible to have the teacher’s desktop shown “live” on all of the students’ computers.  At first Neal and I didn’t understand the question, but Mr. Bakari, the outstanding IT teacher, got the concept immediately.  Neal’s first response was “no, not possible”… but I could see that the wheels were turning and by that evening he was totally consumed by the question and no longer responsive to any outside stimuli.  This evening he has figured out the final challenge, so it may well be that we can install this capability at each school before we leave for America.

We are very excited about the partnership opportunity with the Arusha District Council, Arusha Node Marie (ANM), and Habari Node Ltd (HNL).  Such a partnership has the potential to greatly increase the magnitude and effectiveness of the Reneal IEO work in Tanzania.  Our four organizations have a shared vision and complementary needs and capabilities.  The District Council has a vested interest in adding computer labs to schools, and they have provided invaluable assistance to Reneal IEO in helping identify good candidate schools.  Reneal IEO brings computers and the extensive set of software that Neal has integrated, but our time in-country is always very limited.  ANM provides free internet service for selected schools, so they have monitoring and training programs already in place that can be extended to Reneal IEO schools.  HNL has a strong corporate culture of “giving back”, and they are willing to send professional technical staff to assist in lab installation and on-going minor repair and trouble-shooting.  Each of these four organizations has a passion for providing computers and technology to students and teachers, and collectively we can reach more schools and more effectively serve those schools we reach.  More to follow as we develop a plan for collaboration…

The other big task this week is performing site evaluation visits to develop a list of prospects for 2015 projects.  The data we gather will be analyzed by the Reneal IEO Board of Directors to develop a prioritized list of schools.  The next step is identifying what resources will be available.  Monetary donations are needed to purchase the server computer parts, network switches, uninterruptable power supplies, and other equipment.  The out-of-pocket costs are roughly $1100 per school for purchased items.  In addition, shipping costs for donated client computers were approximately $400 per school this year.  Reneal IEO projects in Tanzania also depend upon donations of used laptops – laptops that are obsolete for users in the US are perfect as thin clients.  In summary, $1500 in cash and 16 used, donated laptops can equip a school in Tanzania with a computer lab where nothing existed before.  As one teacher told us today, adding a computer lab to a school can change the entire attitude of the local community – turning it from a place where education is given low priority into a place where it is prized and desired.  He spoke with power, asking us to write down those words and take them back to America with us to share with others.  Computers really do open unimaginable new doors for students and teachers in Tanzania!

Next stop… Musoma.