Grassroots

Let's peel a few layers to see what is at the core of this project.

It started with a young person hoping to provide access to technology to others in his community. He expressed this wish and attracted the interest of a couple of people a continent away who felt that this was worth contributing their energies to.

They in turn talked to other people about this. They also shared the details of the project on spaces where people go to find out about such efforts to potentially contribute to.

So, without anyone getting paid for any of their efforts, we have moved from a wish to this:

• A handful of laptops donated.
• A potential home for the project identified in Uganda.
• A volunteer to carry the equipment to Uganda and spend a month helping with the setup.
• Friends and volunteers in the US helping to spread the word.
• Individuals in Uganda and the US expressing interest in contributing their energies to this effort.

So, what is at the core? It's simple. People.

Without any guaranteed source of funding, we are nevertheless taking up the challenge of making a positive contribution that won't be fleeting. The strength of the project will be a reflection of the contribution of the many hands that shape it.

IT Training

Besides being a place for young people to gather and learn about their community and the world, one of the main aims of the center is to provide technology related training for the youth which they could potentially use in the workplace.

The trick is to find out what skills are really useful, beyond computer literacy and word processing skills. To this end, we plan to talk to companies in Uganda who employ young people with technical skills, study the IT outsourcing climate in Uganda and analyse the skill-sets that are in demand and also take a cue from other IT training centers in the various urban centers and the curriculum they offer.

We do feel confident in being nimble in designing the curriculum since the core members of the team have between them a couple of Computer Science degrees and also industry experience.

Youth in Sironko Share Their Interests

As mentioned in a previous post, we had asked some young people in Sironko to share with us what topics interests them most, so we could better tailor the content of the Offline Digital Library.

Here are a few items on top of their list:

• How are computers being used around the world?
• What are youth in other parts of the world up to? How are they getting involved in their community and the world at large?
• Wild life documentaries
• Videos about HIV/AIDS
• Material related to automobiles

The High Cost of Internet Connectivity

As a follow up to the previous post, here's a brief look at Internet connectivity in a rural district like Sironko in Uganda.

Image source: news.com

Fibre for Africa points out what is suggested by the above map of undersea cables:

East and Southern Africa is the only region in the world that is not connected to the global broadband infrastructure and accounts for less than one percent of the world's international bandwidth capacity. As a result of this 'missing link', the region relies on satellite connectivity, with costs amongst the highest in the world.

The population density of urban centers makes it possible for Internet Cafes to provide connectivity at a profit. Not so in rural Uganda.

Satellite connectivity using a VSAT, for example, costs around US$ 6000 minimum for set up and around US$ 600 in monthy charges (not to mention maintenance costs).

So, what is being done to address this issue? Well, there are two projects that aim to bring undersea cables to east africa: EASSy and TEAMS. When they will actually be implemented and whether they would bring a drastic drop in connectivity costs remain unknown.

Offline Digital Library

Internet access is expensive in rural Uganda. (How expensive? And why? We'll have a follow up post on that.)

During Phase I of the project, we are trying to be creative in offering digital content without relying on Internet connectivity.

One of the ways is to offer an Offline Digital Library. The library will contain audio, video, DVDs, offline web content (such as Wikipedia), E-books, images, games and so on.

We are scouring the web for public domain, Creative Commons licensed and other freely downloadable material to be cached. We are also putting the word out for donations of DVDs and educational games.

A catalog of all the material will be made available for participants to browse and explore, similar to a regular library.

Being conscious of the quality and the relevance of the content, we have asked some young people in Sironko to share with us the topics that interest them the most.

If you have any suggestions for material, please drop us a note.

Sironko from Air

Image source: Google Earth

The defining feature is Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano which sports "one of the largest intact calderas in the world".

It is also a "prime trekking mountain in East Africa". The village of Budadiri in Sironko District is the starting point for one of the popular routes up the mountain, the Sasa River Trail.

Anyone up for a trek?

Laptops vs. PCs

PCs are plentiful, yet we have decided to go with laptops which are harder to source. Why?

The major reason is the cost of shipping, which for PCs is prohibitively expensive in our opinion. Laptops on the other hand are:

• Cheaper to ship to Uganda.
• Fewer resources are needed on the ground for logistics such as storage and transport.
• When the electricity is out, there is the possibility of relying on battery power.


• Can easily take the laptops out of the center and into a classroom, for example, when necessary.

The State of ICT in Sironko

Here's what we've heard from the youth:

• Few secondary schools provide basic computer education.
• Most school going children unfamiliar with computers.
• Lack of access to equipment the major factor limiting the exposure to ICT.
• Community mostly unaware of ICT tools and their potential benefits, with the possible exception of mobile phones.
• ICT not regarded a priority by the political leadership.
• Noticeable divide between Sironko and the neighboring district of Mbale which has Internet cafes and computer training schools.

General Characteristics of Sironko District

"Sironko is a home of valleys and hills with a beautiful view no matter what part of the district you are standing in."

So proclaims the Sironko district portal which has some useful information on the district.

Here's a brief summary:

• Newly created district (1999) as part of the decentralization efforts
• West of Mt Elgon (a tourist attraction) bordering Kenya
• Connected by a highway to the rest of Uganda
• Population about 280 000
• Main economic activity: small scale agriculture aided by abundant rainfall
• Main cash crops: coffee as well as bananas (matooke) and vegetables
• More girls attend school than boys (51:49)
• Relatively low dropout rates at schools (10% - 20%)
• Electricity generally available
• Clean drinking water is not
• Poor infrastructure overall
• Mobile communication service provided by MTN

Introducing the Sironko Digital Village project

Youth for Technology Foundation is partnering with the youth of Sironko, Uganda in using ICT as a catalyst to create positive changes in the community.

In 2005, United Nations volunteer Charles Galusha spent some months at the Owerri Digital Village in Nigeria gaining experience and first-hand knowledge of YTF's model of delivering ICT-based benefit to the community.

Now back in Uganda, Charles, in partnership with YTF, is initiating a project to bring together young people in the Sironko district to build a Community Technology Center.

The center will be used as a base for:

• Training young people in the use of ICT tools.


• Providing ICT services to the community.


• Enabling youth to develp a deeper understanding of their community through the use of ICT tools.


• Empowering youth to affect changes in their community using ICT tools.

A volunteer from the US will travel to Uganda this summer to collaborate with the youth in Sironko.

We will post background information, stories and updates on progress on this blog and we welcome you to share this journey with us.