The Launch

There were no special guests, speeches, ribbons, food or drinks.

Yet, by mid afternoon, the center was packed with hardly any room to move about. There were close to two hundered mostly young people according to our estimates.

Many more came by throughout the day as we played music videos and nature documentaries with the aid of the projector, a large newly white-washed wall and hired speakers.

In a separate section, in two corners, young people were huddled over laptops, exploring and teaching each other.

Most of the eighty or so people who signed our visitor log database application, had their first interaction with a computer in the process.

And the best part was that those who have been working on this for months, took a step back. The event was thoroughly in the hands of young volunteers who became part of the project in the last few weeks.

We couldn't have imagined a better start.

A heartfelt thank you to all of you helped make this happen from all of us here. We wish that you could have been with us.

Meet The Fabulous Four

They have been scrubbing, painting, wiring and taking care of the innumerable details over the last week.

And when not renovating or talking to the community members about the project, three of them have been patiently sharing their computer knowledge with others, young and old, and also with each other.

Often drenched in sweat and sometimes hanging from the roof, and at other times surrounded by people eager to learn, these volunteers have given so much that it is hard to put into words.

From the right: Geoffrey (aka Rogers), Aloysius, Masisa (aka Chairman) and Sam.

Making A Little Go A Long Way

Working up to the launch we've been thinking on our feet everyday, playing a game of prioritising and improvising.

It might be hard to believe, but the funding we had available before the launch was less than $300.

We have been dipping into our own pockets when necessary, which is probably the best indication of how we feel about this project.

And we are stunned sometimes when pausing to consider how much has happened in a matter of days.

A result of all this is that now we feel confident in telling our potential partners, contributors and donors that the resources they put towards this effort will be well spent indeed.

Open and Free

We debated whether we should charge a small fee or provide access for free. It wasn't a hard decision to make in the end.

We have promised free access to the entire community for the first six months.

With most families relying on subsistence farming, this is not really a cash-based economy. The reaction on people's faces when we mentioned that there would be no fees confirmed for us that we have made the right decision.

After six months, we will take stock, consult with the community and make further decisions.

A Good Problem To Have

Here the rain is plentiful and the soil is fertile and the population density relatively high. Where one village ends, another one begins.

There are three schools within walking distance from the center, and between them they have close to three thousand students. All of a sudden our four stand-alone laptops and a PC seem rather pathetic!

But we are smiling. This is the kind of challenge we love. And we are already working on getting more laptops and developing a training model where the trainees become trainers.

"Can We Start Today?"

We can feel the excitement in the air. Everywhere we walk, people stop and talk about the project.

When we visited the schools and talked to the staff, there was an audible gasp. Some teachers were almost jumping out of their seats to be trained right away so they can train others.

They have been giving advice, ideas and suggestions. Self-appointed volunteers are already cleaning and painting the building. And as we setup and test the equipment, we are already involving young people and showing them the ropes.

If community ownership was once a dream, it is now very much a reality.

Here are some quotes from our interactions:

"We have heard so much about computers, but we don't know what this thing looks like." (This is something we heard again and again.)

"I'm the Headmaster of this school. When I go to Kampala, I see children using computers, and I don't know how to use them. This has to change." Laughter. "This has to change."

"This country is developing fast. We need to keep up with it."

"Uganda is not static. We are moving forward."

"You have come at a right time."

"The Building Belongs to the Community"

As we walked around to people's homes and talked about the project, the response has been overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic, from young and old.

We visited the community elders first and a number of them expressed their support and pledged to help the project get started.

And this has resulted in an unexpected turn of events. The owners of the building that we found ideal for the project, but for which we didn't want to pay rent, have had a change of heart. We will be receiving the keys today!

When we set off, we didn't know how people would receive this project. Such a positive attitude from the community has now become a major driving force and we are making progress faster than we had expected.

We are now working towards an official launch this Sunday morning and are spreading the news in schools, the church, the student hostel and by word of mouth.

Hello, Mulembe, from Sironko!

Sironko is lush, green and beautiful with wonderful views of the surrounding mountains.

We arrived in Budadiri yesterday morning to a very warm welcome. It's been a dream experience so far, filled with warm interactions, smiles and laughter.

After a hearty lunch, which included the staple matooke (plantains), we set off to have further discussions on the building we wrote about here. It is quite ideal for our purposes, set in a quiet peaceful spot, with a good amount of space for all the activities.

But, the owners, even after a lengthy discussion about the project, wanted us to pay rent to use the space. We thought long and hard, but felt quite strongly that it was important that the community provided space at no or negligible cost.

In the evening we approached another community leader and shared our story. His response was very positive, and he felt with us that it was imperitive that the community shares the ownership of the project.

He suggested two locations as a possibility: a room at a nearby school, or one near the Budadiri market, and promised to secure one of them by the end of the week.

So, while the space will not be as good, we feel very encouraged to be working with a like-minded person.

We will spend the coming week visiting homes, purchasing furnitures and doing other preparations for the launch. If the last two days are anything to go by, it is going to be an incredible adventure.

Volunteer Meet-Up: Kampala

Viva Cafe, on the busy Kampala Road, was the venue for our first volunteer meet-up in Uganda. We chatted, discussed the project details, asked some tough questions, got to know each other better and had some good laughs.

From the right: Charles, Susan, Pamela and Aloysius.

Some of the volunteers are based in Kampala and will contribute towards project coordination, planning and monitoring. They also hope to travel to Sironko, about six hours by road, to experience first-hand the project setting and its realities.

Touch Down

It's a beautiful day in Kampala, partly cloudy and a comfortable 24 degrees Celcius (75 F).

The equipment, and the volunteer, reached Uganda safely on Sunday and seem to have survived the journey in tact.

They'll spend the week in the capital city, before travelling to Sironko over the weekend.

Thank You. Wanyala.

To all of you who have contributed your energy, time, ideas, resources, criticisms and encouragement, thank you. Or wanyala, as people in Sironko would say.

Starting next week, we will mostly be blogging from Uganda.

The idea to bring young people and technology together in Sironko was first voiced over some emails in January of this year. We are now on the verge of making it a reality. We travelled this far, this quickly, thanks to so many people giving freely and without strings attached - it's been a heart-warming and inspiring experience.

This is just the beginning. We look forward to sharing the stories as this journey continues.

Planet Earth

Yesterday, we added to our digital collection the recently released series Planet Earth, by BBC.

It is spectacular, giving a grand view of our planet. If anything in our collection has the power to wow and inspire the young people in Sironko, this is it.