Volunteer Meet-Up: Kampala II

A number of cafes and restaurants around the city center played host to numerous long conversations between four SDV volunteers this week - Charles, Oliver, Emmanuel and Sri.

All four have background in IT and between them have industry experience in Uganda, England and the US and volunteer experience in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and of course, Uganda.

The sodas, coffees and hot-chocolates fuelled many hours of intense discussions on mainly the future of SDV.

We all like the fact that SDV is providing free access and training to the community and want to continue doing that, even beyond the promised six months.

But, we don't want to rely on funding.

The S word was mentioned rather often - how to become sustainable when there is virtually no possibility of generating cash flow in the villages, and while not tying ourselves to funding?

If this seemed like a conundrum at first, by the end of the week, we have come up with a number of exciting ideas.

Over the next month we will continue the discussions off-line (Sri is returning to Sironko, Charles, though based in Kampala will be making regular visits, and Oliver and Emmanuel, based in Bushenyi and Kampala respectively will use the air-waves and travel to Sironko on occassion).

And while the discussions continue, we are already taking the first cautious steps in implementing some of the ideas.

We look forward to sharing more details as we make progress.

In the meantime, thank you to the gang at SDV, Aloysius, Rogers and Sam for holding down the fort during the week!

A Chance Meeting And A Laptop

We have another laptop, bringing the total to ten! How did it happen?

Out of curiosity, an SDV volunteer fell into a conversation with someone wearing a t-shirt featuring the logo you see above. Technology and education - hard to miss this one even in a crowded room.

Well, it turned out that a group of volunteers from Ireland were in Uganda providing IT training to those they had previously donated refurbished computers to. Camara is the name of the organization, and the volunteers are knowledgeable, energetic and shared information and resources freely.

Yet, it was a very pleasant surprise when they asked if they could donate a laptop. They had one to donate and with minimum fuss, it was handed over.

It was refreshing to meet other young people who care about similar things and also follow an open and sharing philosophy. We don't know if we will be able to contribute to their efforts, but we will make sure that the laptop they donated helps educate numerous minds.

Thank you, Emma, Owen and Ryan.

A Generator A Stabilizer

After weeks of research into voltage stabilizers, inverters, surge protectors and generators and numerous calculations involving Amps, Voltage and Watts, we finally made the decision to buy a 1800 Watt generator and a similar capacity stabilizer.

This was the most difficult decision we have yet made since none of the options available to us were ideal. We did not want to suspend training during extended power cuts, but neither could we afford a good quality generator.

We scoured the shops in Mbale, the nearest town where generators could be bought, becoming rather familiar with the shop owners.

In the end we squeezed the budget extra tight, bargained hard and came home with a generator and a stabilizer.

We have been lucky in finding a mechanic who has been volunteering to fine tune the generator.

We can now rest easy knowing that the laptops are protected from voltage spikes and that SDV will continue to have its doors open even when there is no power.

Though, given the price of petrol (gas), the use of the generator is reserved for training sessions only - rather than for general access.

Furniture

We have five chairs and tables at SDV, and we borrow additional furniture from the subcounty headquarters when we the need arises.

The tables and chairs were designed by us, made from trees from the nearby forest, by a carpenter from a nearby village. This was a conscious choice, since we want to spend as much as possible locally. Each pair cost us around UGS 25,000 (US$ 15), plus varnishing, making it a cost-effective choice as well.

The design is simple, yet practical - each chair can accommodate two people comfortably, for all those occasions when a computer is shared. But, during peak hours, five children can squeeze in.

The And a table can host two laptops with some space to spare - and since the arrival of additional computers last week, we have been making use of this configuration, allowing us to put the computers to use right away. In the picture, you can see two police officers sharing a table and a chair during training.

We have been varnishing the furniture ourselves, in rotation, since we did not want to wait long to have them ready for use. In preparation for further expansion, we've placed an order for five more tables and chairs.

Five Laptops Arrive at SDV

They were shipped last week from the US and nine days later we received them at SDV. They arrived by air to Kampala and a volunteer carried them to Sironko safely yesterday.

This is the first batch of the twenty recently donated laptops to reach us. We are quite excited to have them and are currently configuring them.

The process was also a lesson in shipping equipment to Uganda. We are encouraged by the speed with which the machines reached us. However, it was only possible thanks to a generous donation which covered the shipment costs.

Fifteen more remain in the US and we are exploring ways to bring them to Sironko.

Thank you to everyone who helped bring these laptops to us.

Volleyball

Wouldn't it be nice if we could play volleyball, we wondered over breakfast last week.

We eyed a piece of land opposite SDV as an excellent site for a court. We approached the chairman of the village, and in a matter of minutes we had a go ahead.

A pole was donated by the nearby police station, and another by a neighbour of SDV. We went to the nearby town and bought ropes and strings made of sisal and set to making a net.

By late afternoon, the poles were planted, the net strung up, and a ball materialised. It wasn't a volleyball, but a netball, but that didn't stop us from playing - until our hands were bruised.

The next day, a volleyball was donated and now we have regular games and the training of a number of youth who showed interest in the game has also begun.

And now, we are eyeing the nice stretch of concrete just outside SDV - it could make a very good basketball half-court.

A Third School Joins

Mutufu Primary School joined the program at SDV last week.

Similarly to other schools, ten students and a teacher walk down to our center, twice a week for an hour each time.

Of all the three schools, Mutufu Primary is the furthest, and their walk is close to half an hour each way.

We are in touch with the Headmaster and the teachers, and are trying to see if we can come up with a plan where the students and the teacher don't spend so much time walking back and forth.

The Houses That Children Built

Outside the formal sessions, where we train youth and adults according to a syllabus, the center is open for anyone to come and use the computers. Almost always there are volunteers to guide those who ask for assistance.

Early on, we had suggested to a couple of children who were interacting with the computers for the first time, that they try draw a house using Microsoft Paint.

A week or so on, drawing a house has become one of the most popular activities among the children who visit us. And almost always, the new initiates are assisted by those who have mastered the skill, without any assistance from the volunteers.

And, much to our delight, we discover houses of various shapes and colours, saved under My Pictures. This is all the more poignant since most of the children don't have access to crayons or color pencils or paper to draw on.

Moving To The Rhythm Of The Village

We have very few rules at SDV.

Children often wander in from the field or on their way to fetching water. Similarly, older youth and adults drop by when they find the time.

Life is not governed according to a schedule here. And things beyond one's control, such as a sudden heavy downpour, can influence the day's activity.

In response to this, we are trying to allow patterns to evolve naturally, instead of imposing a structure.

We have tasked ourselves with optimising the use of the resources at SDV and the volunteers' efforts, given our environment. Where necessary, we are putting in place a few practical policies to guide the process.

Here is an example of one that came about in the course of the last couple of weeks.

Children will be asked to leave SDV at around 6:30. This one caused much uproar among the kids, and they had a point. They argued that they can only use the computers after school, and even then they have to share them with the adults. So, we made a compromise, during our lengthy negotiation. From four to six pm, most of the computers will be reserved for children.

Even so, it is always a difficult moment when we ask the children to leave.

A more weighty issue we are dealing with concerns the adults. We have a number of individuals, ranging from police officers, nurses, government workers, NGO staff, qualified young people in the process of searching for employment, who visit SDV regularly. The volunteers have been training them, mostly on an individual basis.

We very much want to train them in groups, as it is currently very taxing for the volunteers and we cannot really meet the demand. However, we recongnise that we cannot realistically create a training schedule that can accommodate them.

So, we have suggested, as an experiment, that we offer training in groups of four, and we keep a dynamic schedule for each group. And where possible, we try and combine groups.

We are not sure if this will work, but if we find that it doesn't, we will think of a different approach.

Through it all, we are reminding ourselves that it is not the structure we build that will be permanent, but hopefully the process by which we build, will be.

More Photos

If you haven't discovered it already, we have created a Flickr Album to share photos related to SDV and our surroundings.

Formal Sessions Have Begun

Eight students and a teacher from Buhugu Primary school were the first ones to take part in a formal session at SDV, on Tuesday, June 27.

In consultation with the school, we created a program where these selected students and the teacher walk down to our center twice a week, for one hour, during school hours. The children range in age from eight to fourteen.

They receive training, for free, of course, and in the process we are also grooming them to be future volunteers. For once they complete the training, they will train other students and teachers from their school, in partnership with trainers from SDV.

And on Friday, we initiated a similar program with a second school, Bumatufu Primary, which is also located within walking distance from the school.

Meet Katy

As mentioned in the previous blog post, Katy Weprin, a student in the US, has helped us in a very big way.

Here's Katy in her own words.

My name is Katy Weprin and I live in Studio City, California. I am a 17 year old senior at Grover Cleveland High School, as well as a Senior Girl Scout in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California.

When a girl reaches the level of Scouting that I have, they have the option of earning the Gold Award, which is the highest award given in Girl Scouts. A national award, with national standards, it represents initiative, leadership, creativity, communication skills and the ability to make a significant contribution to the community.

For my Gold Award, however, I wanted to reach far beyond my local community to make a difference globally to underserved countries.

I have committed, through my project, "Link'n Kids", to initiate a drive for technological equipment which will aid the Youth for Technology Foundation in Sironko, Uganda.

I am partnering with local business leaders and entrepreneurs, and asking them to help by making donations of unneeded technology, particularly notebook-style computer.

So far, I've collected 20 good working and semi-new laptops from a single company.

The Sherman Oaks/ Studio City Rotary Club has also shared their generosity with a check of $250. This money will go to the specific needs of the Sironko Digital Village.

Although the Gold Award project will be over in September, "Link'n Kids" will likely continue for some time.

I'm excited about what I've accomplished and I wish I could see the shining faces of the children at the Sironko Digital Village.

I'd like to thank Njideka Harry and Sri Arumugam for their devotion and commitment to my project. They've both been there to guide me every step of the way. I couldn't have accomplished what I have without their help.

Thank you Katy for all you have done. We hope that you will come visit us, perhaps soon. You have a home here in Sironko.

Twenty More Laptops

What can a seventeen year old student from California do to help the youth in Sironko?

Katy Weprin, who has been partnering with us over the last few months, has showed us that being a world away is no barrier.

Thanks to her efforts, we will be receiving twenty laptops, which were donated by a company in her community.

We are very excited and are working on getting them to Sironko.

This generous act is going to go a long way in helping the youth in Sironko. Currently, it is not unusual to see around ten young people crowded around a laptop at our center.

Please read the follow up post where Katy shares the story behind this in her own words.

The Electricity Challenge

There is an electricity crisis in Uganda. The output from the dams and the diesel generators do not meet demand, especially during peak hours.

We knew that this would be one of the challenges we would be facing, and since the launch we have been watching the pattern of when planned and unplanned cuts happen.

And what we have seen has convinced us that we need to look for a backup solution. The only feasible one that we see, though not ideal, is to invest in a generator.

Laptops Vs. PCs - Part II

So far, the laptop is winning - quite convincingly. Here, we took one to a nearby "cafe" while some work was being done on the building.

We first posted about this topic, here.