Students I teach eagerly trying to see the computer. The most popular search topics, of their choice, after my lesson was done: Sydney Australia, Barack Obama, Joyce Meyer, Joseph Kony, and Micheal Jackson.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
A new home and a new internship!
I have a new home, outside of the hectic city of Kampala. I moved outside of the city on November 1st, and I think it was a fantastic choice. The little neighborhood I am in, called “For God,” is surrounded by countryside, traditional homes, little kids, clear air, and an abundance of people speaking the local language. It’s very peaceful, relaxing, and fun.
I am doing a home-stay with a Rotarian named David. It is just me, him, and his brother Stephen living in a small two-bedroom house. Stephen and David are both really nice. Stephen laughs all the time and is trying to help me learn the local language, which I butcher with style on a daily basis. There is a nice lady named Evelyn, who only speaks the local language, that comes and cooks for us. It is pretty good traditional food, mostly beans, rice, posho, peas, “greens,” or, once a week, fish stew. Last week she was sick with malaria and everyone quickly missed her when the kitchen became a black hole. I tried to help cook, but had no idea how to prepare the local food or even use the charcoal stove they have. Needless to say, we are extremely happy she has returned. Unfortunately, I don’t know the words to tell her how much we missed her.
The internship is with an organization that David works for. (If it wasn’t for him, then I would most likely still be on the busy streets of Kampala.) The organization is attempting to bridge the barriers that exist between rural communities and the rest of Uganda/the world. To do so, it has developed solar powered computer centers in around 20 sites thus far. The majority of these sites are in schools and community centers. Each site is connected to the internet via a signal sent through antennas around the countryside, many of which are on water towers. All these communities are not only connected to the internet (which is unprecedented for their location, considering most do not even have electricity), they are connected to an intranet community site which allows them to communicate with other villages on the network. Through this site, villagers can, for example, share stories, ask questions about health issues, receive agricultural advice, and sell products. It provides a way for people to bridge the gaps between villages.
My internship mostly consists of training students and teachers in how to use a computer and take advantage of all the resources it has to offer. Thus far, it has been great! In most cases, the people I am teaching have never even touched a computer. Nevertheless, they are very, very eager to learn. For students, it seems to be a much wanted connection to the rest of the world. For teachers, it is an unprecedented resource for the knowledge not contained in their outdated textbooks. For community members, it is a way to connect to other villages and receive advice on, for example, growing bananas. At first, I will admit, I was a little skeptical about how helpful these computer centers would be in rural villages. After 2 ½ weeks, my skepticism has very much turned to optimism. Being able to use a computer is a skill many, many people want. The trainings and available computers provide a means through which people can earn money, gain knowledge, and see what exists outside of their community. The only thing holding them back, really, is how many trainers and computers we can get in the field.
I am doing a home-stay with a Rotarian named David. It is just me, him, and his brother Stephen living in a small two-bedroom house. Stephen and David are both really nice. Stephen laughs all the time and is trying to help me learn the local language, which I butcher with style on a daily basis. There is a nice lady named Evelyn, who only speaks the local language, that comes and cooks for us. It is pretty good traditional food, mostly beans, rice, posho, peas, “greens,” or, once a week, fish stew. Last week she was sick with malaria and everyone quickly missed her when the kitchen became a black hole. I tried to help cook, but had no idea how to prepare the local food or even use the charcoal stove they have. Needless to say, we are extremely happy she has returned. Unfortunately, I don’t know the words to tell her how much we missed her.
The internship is with an organization that David works for. (If it wasn’t for him, then I would most likely still be on the busy streets of Kampala.) The organization is attempting to bridge the barriers that exist between rural communities and the rest of Uganda/the world. To do so, it has developed solar powered computer centers in around 20 sites thus far. The majority of these sites are in schools and community centers. Each site is connected to the internet via a signal sent through antennas around the countryside, many of which are on water towers. All these communities are not only connected to the internet (which is unprecedented for their location, considering most do not even have electricity), they are connected to an intranet community site which allows them to communicate with other villages on the network. Through this site, villagers can, for example, share stories, ask questions about health issues, receive agricultural advice, and sell products. It provides a way for people to bridge the gaps between villages.
My internship mostly consists of training students and teachers in how to use a computer and take advantage of all the resources it has to offer. Thus far, it has been great! In most cases, the people I am teaching have never even touched a computer. Nevertheless, they are very, very eager to learn. For students, it seems to be a much wanted connection to the rest of the world. For teachers, it is an unprecedented resource for the knowledge not contained in their outdated textbooks. For community members, it is a way to connect to other villages and receive advice on, for example, growing bananas. At first, I will admit, I was a little skeptical about how helpful these computer centers would be in rural villages. After 2 ½ weeks, my skepticism has very much turned to optimism. Being able to use a computer is a skill many, many people want. The trainings and available computers provide a means through which people can earn money, gain knowledge, and see what exists outside of their community. The only thing holding them back, really, is how many trainers and computers we can get in the field.
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