Today we passed through Mpika again and went to go see Gift at the Cama Centre. We trained Gift on printing for a second time and this time with an even more in depth look at how to vary size and quality of printing as well as the type of paper they print on.
It was interesting because the girls wanted to simply charge a set fee for printing and a set fee for copying. But I explained to Gift that their costs were essentially labor, paper and toner (and eventually perhaps electricity and rent). I told her that the larger the image and the higher quality the print job, the more toner they use and the more it costs them to produce. I developed a pricing matrix for Gift based on the following:
• 3 varying levels of quality
• 3 different sizes
• paper type (glossy versus matte)
• black and white versus color
• printing versus copying.
Although it seems confusing at first, I do believe their customers would be scared away by some of their pricing if they did not adjust the pricing based on these elements. I was motivated to do come up with this price matrix when the first 24 black and white matte paper copies that we made on Chanda’s request came to 96,000 Kwacha (K) - that is $20!!
We trained Gift on using the solar panels and small battery. Gift is an extraordinarily bright girl. She is very observant and she does a great job teaching the other girls. It is clear she is bright, has a very strong character and is a natural leader. The Cama girls really look up to her and she seems much more mature than her age. On top of all of this, she is striking in appearance, with beautiful, prominent cheekbones and standing just short of 6 feet tall. I told Melody that if Gift lived in the U.S., she would have already been scouted by someone to do runway modeling. Someone pointed out that she is small breasted. “Cheekbones and legs”, I said, “That’s what they really want.”
Melody and I discussed the possibility of creating a database for the Cama girls. The DB would contain detail such as suppliers, goods and services, cost of raw goods and services by region, etc. I think that the Cama girls would find some great information if they had a way to lookup what other groups had done in terms of purchasing, contacts, sourcing goods and services and other data essential to starting and running the businesses.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tanzania mania
This morning we have a day off in Nakonde. The Deputy DEBS, Mr. Manga, took us over the border to Tanzania where we wanted to do some shopping, as it is very cheap to buy goods which are imported from Dubai through Dar Es Salaam to Tanzania.
Getting me over the border was no small feat as I ended up requiring 4 different customs stamps in order to enter. Sadly, none of them ended up in my passport because none of it was truly legit. They wrote my name on a small piece of paper along with the number of people I was entering the country with and our vehicle license plate number. They then proceeded to stamp the life out of that small piece of paper.
Once we passed over the border we were swarmed with boys wanting to be our “escorts” who would take us to the best shops and carry our bags for us as we accumulated a gluttonous amount of the best goods Tanzania had to offer. As I disembarked from our vehicle I could hear the calls of “Muzungu” being cried out from everywhere around me. Immediately after we formed a small group to discuss who would shop with whom and how long we would stay, another group of about 12-15 boys swarmed us like bees to honey all of them eager to be our escorts. Little did we know then that the majority of them would stay along our side no matter how desperately we tried to discourage them from doing so – eventually, Mr. Manga resorting to swatting them away like flies.
We then proceeded to divide into groups and poor Mr. Manga ended up with me and Melody. Although I planned on buying nothing at all, I did end up buying a new suitcase because it was huge and well made and I do not have one back at home. It probably cost me 30% of what it would in the US and 10% of what I would have paid in Geneva.
Melody, on the other hand, emptied much of the stores of their merchandise. She handed bag after bag to poor Mr. Manga who ended up holding at least 6 or 7 of Melody’s bags of merchandise. Just for her father alone she bought 3 suits, 3 pairs of shoes, 3 shirts and 3 ties. She went from store to store and bought whatever her little heart desired. Poor Mr. Manga ended up buried in Melody’s merchandise as he struggled through the Tanzanian streets carrying it all. And after she got back to her hotel room and started proudly displaying everything she had purchased, we pointed out that she, too, would require a new suitcase just to transport it all back to Zimbabwe…and so back she went to do just that.
Mr. Rain had been admiring my shoes and said that he wanted to buy a pair for himself so I ended up buying them for him. He was very happy. And it made me very happy.
Once back at the guest house, I plopped down on the bed in exhaustion from shopping but mostly from the tiring week of travel and working very long hours. There I comfortably caught up on my blogging and emails and watched a couple movies in a very comfortable room with cable and hot water and a fridge. It was a little slice of heaven and felt great to chill out for a day.
Getting me over the border was no small feat as I ended up requiring 4 different customs stamps in order to enter. Sadly, none of them ended up in my passport because none of it was truly legit. They wrote my name on a small piece of paper along with the number of people I was entering the country with and our vehicle license plate number. They then proceeded to stamp the life out of that small piece of paper.
Once we passed over the border we were swarmed with boys wanting to be our “escorts” who would take us to the best shops and carry our bags for us as we accumulated a gluttonous amount of the best goods Tanzania had to offer. As I disembarked from our vehicle I could hear the calls of “Muzungu” being cried out from everywhere around me. Immediately after we formed a small group to discuss who would shop with whom and how long we would stay, another group of about 12-15 boys swarmed us like bees to honey all of them eager to be our escorts. Little did we know then that the majority of them would stay along our side no matter how desperately we tried to discourage them from doing so – eventually, Mr. Manga resorting to swatting them away like flies.
We then proceeded to divide into groups and poor Mr. Manga ended up with me and Melody. Although I planned on buying nothing at all, I did end up buying a new suitcase because it was huge and well made and I do not have one back at home. It probably cost me 30% of what it would in the US and 10% of what I would have paid in Geneva.
Melody, on the other hand, emptied much of the stores of their merchandise. She handed bag after bag to poor Mr. Manga who ended up holding at least 6 or 7 of Melody’s bags of merchandise. Just for her father alone she bought 3 suits, 3 pairs of shoes, 3 shirts and 3 ties. She went from store to store and bought whatever her little heart desired. Poor Mr. Manga ended up buried in Melody’s merchandise as he struggled through the Tanzanian streets carrying it all. And after she got back to her hotel room and started proudly displaying everything she had purchased, we pointed out that she, too, would require a new suitcase just to transport it all back to Zimbabwe…and so back she went to do just that.
Mr. Rain had been admiring my shoes and said that he wanted to buy a pair for himself so I ended up buying them for him. He was very happy. And it made me very happy.
Once back at the guest house, I plopped down on the bed in exhaustion from shopping but mostly from the tiring week of travel and working very long hours. There I comfortably caught up on my blogging and emails and watched a couple movies in a very comfortable room with cable and hot water and a fridge. It was a little slice of heaven and felt great to chill out for a day.
Friday, February 26, 2010
For the non-technical
Yesterday we saw Cama groups 4 and 11 and this morning we went to Isoka. We met with group 6. For all three groups we trained on using the internet and email over their mobile phones. We also setup their T1 computer outdoors for training in a venue which had no power. Needless to say, the solar panel and battery came in very handy. Overall, the training sessions went very well and we are starting to get a good flow to the sessions.
However, during the training it became evident that even some of the most basic skills were lacking. What’s more, with some of the girls and some of the businesses (such as the baked good business) there seemed to be disconnect with how using phones and computers would aid and ease doing business.
Some of the girls who have never touched a computer cannot effectively maneuver a mouse and it causes the training to slow down to a sometimes painfully slow pace. However, I keep in mind that this is an iterative process – that each time the girls learn more, they will take on more and push themselves further.
I expect that the next time I would see any one group after a training session that their skills will have matured and even the concept of subtly moving a device on your desk with your hand so that an animated arrow on your PC monitor moves will become easier and easier. I have to remind myself of how foreign the concepts and even motor skills can be for a first-timer. It will be exciting to see how quickly they become technology enthusiasts. It also makes me wonder if some of them consider growing their business with technology or even focusing their business on providing or training on technology.
Later that same evening we drove to Nakonde which is essentially as far Northeast as you can drive before entering Tanzania.
However, during the training it became evident that even some of the most basic skills were lacking. What’s more, with some of the girls and some of the businesses (such as the baked good business) there seemed to be disconnect with how using phones and computers would aid and ease doing business.
Some of the girls who have never touched a computer cannot effectively maneuver a mouse and it causes the training to slow down to a sometimes painfully slow pace. However, I keep in mind that this is an iterative process – that each time the girls learn more, they will take on more and push themselves further.
I expect that the next time I would see any one group after a training session that their skills will have matured and even the concept of subtly moving a device on your desk with your hand so that an animated arrow on your PC monitor moves will become easier and easier. I have to remind myself of how foreign the concepts and even motor skills can be for a first-timer. It will be exciting to see how quickly they become technology enthusiasts. It also makes me wonder if some of them consider growing their business with technology or even focusing their business on providing or training on technology.
Later that same evening we drove to Nakonde which is essentially as far Northeast as you can drive before entering Tanzania.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
AK-47, Flash, Fanta, Rain and Mayaya
I have given nicknames to most of the others I am traveling with.
Fatuma is now “Flash”, as she is never without a memory stick around her neck or three in her pocket. Fatuma started off very shy but has really come out of her shell. She has an amazing passion and persistence working with computers and seems to love IT. She laughs and smiles very easily and her laugh is contagious. She sometimes speaks so quietly I have to push my ear straight to her mouth to hear what she is saying. But as her confidence grows, so does the strength of her voice. She is a real pleasure to work with.
Alice is “AK-47” because she looks like Alicia Keys (really she does – lucky me, right?). What’s more, she can eat 47 chicken bones in one sitting without stopping for a breath. Yes, you heard me right – chicken bones. She can then go on to finish the scraps on the plates of the 47 other people sitting in the restaurant we are eating in. If that is not justification enough for the nickname, she can also sleep for 47 hours straight even while we drive 47 miles per hour driving over 47 potholes in the road that are each more than 47 inches deep. She does this while she lovingly hugs her snuggle buddy next to her on the car seat which she uses as a pillow - a large metal cube shaped pillow. It is a computer which is at least 47 years old.
“Mr. Rain” is the name we have given Lazarus, the driver. Actually, his family gave it to him, because his last name is Mvula which means “rain” in Nyanja. He is an incredibly proficient driver and a very responsible person and an incredibly hard worker. He can drive in anything, sheets of rain or hot sunshine. But he is much more than a driver. He is a great assistant for our IT tasks, shopping, eating, picking out guest houses, helping with just about everything. He told me he has never been in a plane before and, hence, he has not ventured far beyond Zambia in his travels. He is a very nice guy and very funny. We laugh a lot together. I don’t know what I’d do without him during my time in Zambia. Mr. Rain is married and has three kids and I am sure he is a very good family man. However, he has only received one very short phone call from his wife after 8 days on the road. I think she is trying to teach him a lesson. You see, Valentine’s Day has just passed and this year, as he does every year, he bought her a single red balloon. But this year she was mad – she said it was not sufficient. So now he plans to bring her back something very nice from his time on the road – he will bring her back a solar panel with some jumper cables - and he’ll be sleeping on the couch for a very long time.
Melody is “Mayaya” (pronounced “my eye”) because that is all she eats…that and Orange Fanta. Mayaya in layman’s terms is basically chips (American thick-cut French fries) in a tomato, pepper and onion egg omelet. It is frankly delicious. But that is all she wants to eat and she is very particular about the way it is prepared. If it is not prepared just so, she will not like it. With her Orange Fanta she is a little more flexible. She is an amazing person. She has an enormous smile which is easily evoked and she has a huge amount of energy. She lights up a room when she walks in and gives a big hug to everyone she sees for a second time. And her laugh…her laugh can be heard 5 kilometers away. It is more of a high-pitched scream than a laugh, and she laughs all the time. We all know Melody’s laugh very well – in fact I am sure most of Zimbabwe (where she comes from) knows it very well – surely all the surrounding villages from her own, at a minimum, know Melody’s laugh. I, for one, really like her laugh and it is definitely contagious. But I must admit I like it a lot less before 9 AM.
Melody calls me Mr. Fanta Nice, because I once bought her a Fanta, and she says I am a nice guy. Just wait until she sees me after 30 days on the road. It might change to Dr. Pepper Mean.
Fatuma is now “Flash”, as she is never without a memory stick around her neck or three in her pocket. Fatuma started off very shy but has really come out of her shell. She has an amazing passion and persistence working with computers and seems to love IT. She laughs and smiles very easily and her laugh is contagious. She sometimes speaks so quietly I have to push my ear straight to her mouth to hear what she is saying. But as her confidence grows, so does the strength of her voice. She is a real pleasure to work with.
Alice is “AK-47” because she looks like Alicia Keys (really she does – lucky me, right?). What’s more, she can eat 47 chicken bones in one sitting without stopping for a breath. Yes, you heard me right – chicken bones. She can then go on to finish the scraps on the plates of the 47 other people sitting in the restaurant we are eating in. If that is not justification enough for the nickname, she can also sleep for 47 hours straight even while we drive 47 miles per hour driving over 47 potholes in the road that are each more than 47 inches deep. She does this while she lovingly hugs her snuggle buddy next to her on the car seat which she uses as a pillow - a large metal cube shaped pillow. It is a computer which is at least 47 years old.
“Mr. Rain” is the name we have given Lazarus, the driver. Actually, his family gave it to him, because his last name is Mvula which means “rain” in Nyanja. He is an incredibly proficient driver and a very responsible person and an incredibly hard worker. He can drive in anything, sheets of rain or hot sunshine. But he is much more than a driver. He is a great assistant for our IT tasks, shopping, eating, picking out guest houses, helping with just about everything. He told me he has never been in a plane before and, hence, he has not ventured far beyond Zambia in his travels. He is a very nice guy and very funny. We laugh a lot together. I don’t know what I’d do without him during my time in Zambia. Mr. Rain is married and has three kids and I am sure he is a very good family man. However, he has only received one very short phone call from his wife after 8 days on the road. I think she is trying to teach him a lesson. You see, Valentine’s Day has just passed and this year, as he does every year, he bought her a single red balloon. But this year she was mad – she said it was not sufficient. So now he plans to bring her back something very nice from his time on the road – he will bring her back a solar panel with some jumper cables - and he’ll be sleeping on the couch for a very long time.
Melody is “Mayaya” (pronounced “my eye”) because that is all she eats…that and Orange Fanta. Mayaya in layman’s terms is basically chips (American thick-cut French fries) in a tomato, pepper and onion egg omelet. It is frankly delicious. But that is all she wants to eat and she is very particular about the way it is prepared. If it is not prepared just so, she will not like it. With her Orange Fanta she is a little more flexible. She is an amazing person. She has an enormous smile which is easily evoked and she has a huge amount of energy. She lights up a room when she walks in and gives a big hug to everyone she sees for a second time. And her laugh…her laugh can be heard 5 kilometers away. It is more of a high-pitched scream than a laugh, and she laughs all the time. We all know Melody’s laugh very well – in fact I am sure most of Zimbabwe (where she comes from) knows it very well – surely all the surrounding villages from her own, at a minimum, know Melody’s laugh. I, for one, really like her laugh and it is definitely contagious. But I must admit I like it a lot less before 9 AM.
Melody calls me Mr. Fanta Nice, because I once bought her a Fanta, and she says I am a nice guy. Just wait until she sees me after 30 days on the road. It might change to Dr. Pepper Mean.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Muzungu
Today felt unproductive relative to yesterday in Timba. We went to the Chinsali High School for girls. The shipment of computers they received from Aleutia was all wrong. They received 8 monitors, 7 E2 computers, and 5 flash cards. As the flash cards are the “brains” of the computer (there is no hard drive), it meant they really only had 5 functional machines. We did our best to copy from one flash card to another, but after several hours, and opening up an E2 and adding the second flash card as a secondary drive in the machine, we failed to get 5 working flash cards copied to our new flash cards which we brought with us. So again, compared to yesterday, today seemed unproductive.
Nevertheless, the teacher we worked with seemed very grateful that we stopped and made the effort. He did indicate that even with the new computers that there were simply too many students for each computer that they had at the school. Unfortunately there was not much we could do about that at the time…only to communicate this back to Camfed. He also mentioned that there were viruses on the Windows machines that were causing problems.
We plan on sending him a new E2 (for the 8th monitor that is missing a computer), 3 flash cards with the full Ubuntu installation, and a memory stick with AVG free virus scan software on it so he can clean the Windows machines.
During the evening I decided to walk around the village a little bit. Chinsali is tiny and so a short walk and you’ve essentially covered the entire village. Nonetheless, I could not help but notice I was being stared at. Back in Lusaka people are used to seeing “Muzungu” or whites, but here, everyone was not only staring but my attempts at a “hello, how are you” were literally going unanswered. Zambians are incredibly friendly and a simple smile and most will answer back with a wide smile and bright eyes followed by a “Hello! How are you?” In fact, the word in Bemba for hello is “Mulishani” which literally means “Hello. How are you.” “Muli” or “Shani” taken on its own makes no sense. In Bemba, you greet not only with “hello”, but always accompanied it with “how are you”.
However, here in Chinsali, my hellos went unanswered. But it was not out of rudeness or disrespect, but rather a general shock at seeing a white man. And for some, their very first white man. All of this was indeed a very unique experience, but it did not change the fact that it made me feel very uncomfortable. And it made me wonder how a black man walking around a remote Swiss mountain village feels. Does he feel the same? Probably not.
Though I was stared at and kept hearing “Mazungu” being called out and whispered as I walked past the Chinsalians, I realized it was most likely (or most usually) not said with any degree of prejudice. They would say it or whisper it, but it was out of shock or being startled by something or someone so rare, but I think I can safely say that it was not out of fear. But in the case of a black man walking through a remote Swiss mountain village, no one would ever dare say aloud, “A black man!” or point and exclaim “Hey look at him”. But many if not most would have preconceptions or some degree of prejudice. And unfortunately, and perhaps I am not being fair here, but I feel I am being truthful and downright honest; it would come with some level of fear or mistrust. So I could not relate to the experience. Mine was totally different from what a black man in a remote Swiss mountain village would experience.
Nevertheless, the teacher we worked with seemed very grateful that we stopped and made the effort. He did indicate that even with the new computers that there were simply too many students for each computer that they had at the school. Unfortunately there was not much we could do about that at the time…only to communicate this back to Camfed. He also mentioned that there were viruses on the Windows machines that were causing problems.
We plan on sending him a new E2 (for the 8th monitor that is missing a computer), 3 flash cards with the full Ubuntu installation, and a memory stick with AVG free virus scan software on it so he can clean the Windows machines.
During the evening I decided to walk around the village a little bit. Chinsali is tiny and so a short walk and you’ve essentially covered the entire village. Nonetheless, I could not help but notice I was being stared at. Back in Lusaka people are used to seeing “Muzungu” or whites, but here, everyone was not only staring but my attempts at a “hello, how are you” were literally going unanswered. Zambians are incredibly friendly and a simple smile and most will answer back with a wide smile and bright eyes followed by a “Hello! How are you?” In fact, the word in Bemba for hello is “Mulishani” which literally means “Hello. How are you.” “Muli” or “Shani” taken on its own makes no sense. In Bemba, you greet not only with “hello”, but always accompanied it with “how are you”.
However, here in Chinsali, my hellos went unanswered. But it was not out of rudeness or disrespect, but rather a general shock at seeing a white man. And for some, their very first white man. All of this was indeed a very unique experience, but it did not change the fact that it made me feel very uncomfortable. And it made me wonder how a black man walking around a remote Swiss mountain village feels. Does he feel the same? Probably not.
Though I was stared at and kept hearing “Mazungu” being called out and whispered as I walked past the Chinsalians, I realized it was most likely (or most usually) not said with any degree of prejudice. They would say it or whisper it, but it was out of shock or being startled by something or someone so rare, but I think I can safely say that it was not out of fear. But in the case of a black man walking through a remote Swiss mountain village, no one would ever dare say aloud, “A black man!” or point and exclaim “Hey look at him”. But many if not most would have preconceptions or some degree of prejudice. And unfortunately, and perhaps I am not being fair here, but I feel I am being truthful and downright honest; it would come with some level of fear or mistrust. So I could not relate to the experience. Mine was totally different from what a black man in a remote Swiss mountain village would experience.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Solar Dreams
Today we traveled to Timba Basic School to install solar powered electricity and 8 new energy efficient computers in a place that had never before had electricity. Needless to say, they had never seen computers before either.
I was on-site to install 4 solar panels, a large battery and a DC-AC inverter for converting DC battery power to AC electric sockets for connecting the computer equipment. All of this was so I could then install 8 ultra-efficient T1 Linux computers running a free version of Linux called Ubuntu. The monitor and PC are incredibly efficient and run on less than 1/10th of the power of a regular PC/monitor combo.
I had never worked with any of this type of equipment before in my life and I knew nothing about installing any of it. But I felt it would all be fine as I had been consulted by two separate solar power experts on how to connect and install everything. So I followed exactly what they consulted me to do and set everything up without a glitch. Except for the fact that it started to pour rain and the roof started to leak water and drip onto the new equipment, it all went swimmingly well.
A few hours later, when the headmaster, the teachers and the students saw the 8 computers start up and the screens come to life, their eyes opened wide and lit up. I am sure I will never forget the smiles on their faces and the expression on their faces - the proclamations of gratitude they gave me when they saw it all up and running. The headmaster, Mr. Mutale, reached out with two hands and fiercely shook my hand as he profusely thanked me and all of us for what we had done here for them. All of them were so incredibly grateful and excited. And so was I. For them these computers were magic. And for me the experience was magical.
That night I had the most amazing dreams. I was in a nice deep sleep when all of a sudden I was awakened by a bell or a "ding" followed by a person calling out my name. It was as clear and vivid as any words I have ever heard while being totally awake. Loud and clear I heard a bell and then my name spoken - "Craig" - and immediately I woke up and my eyes opened. I thought there was someone in my room. I was sure of it. But I quickly realized I had been dreaming and that a voice had awakened me. Was it someone at my door? No...it was right next to me, almost like a spoken whisper in my ear.
I awoke to the revelation that the solar panels and DC-AC inverter that I had installed in Timba the day before were setup incorrectly. The amazing thing was that I have never set them up before in my life and knew nothing for sure and the fact that 2 experts had consulted me on setting up everything exactly the way I did made me second guess my revelation. But in my dreams it was wrong.
And just like that, as clear as day, I knew what I had to do to correct the installation of the solar panels and inverter. I was now anxious and could not go back to sleep, so as soon as the sun came up, I woke up the others and told them that I had to go back to Timba to fix it. The team asked me why and when I told them I had a dream that it was wrong and how to fix it, I am pretty sure they thought I had lost my shit. But again I assured them that I my dreams told me it was wrong and I had to go back and fix it.
So our driver, Lazarus, agreed to take me back to Timba which was more than two hours roundtrip across rough dirt roads which we could not pass over without the use of his Toyota 4 X 4.
So we went back. And I followed my intuition that came to me in my dreams. And I fixed the inverter. And everything was setup correctly. So now this small community in the Northern District of Zambia will continue to run their computer centre on solar power and an inverter. Now the students will learn how to operate PCs and will enhance their learning experience and their potential for building a career for themselves through the help of this small data centre. And I was happy for them.
And I don't know why all of this came to me in a dream. Nor do I know why I heard that voice. Nor do I know why I was sure I had to go back and change the setup against the advice of experts. But I did.
On the drive home an Impala ran across the path just ahead of us as we bounced along the rough dirt road. Moments later we saw a stealth-like zebra tucked into the woods along side our vehicle, desperately trying to avoid the straining roar of our engine. And when I finally returned to my room back in Chinsali to turn in for the night, I decided to check my email before going to bed. And it was then that I saw an email from a girl I used to be in love with - she had written telling me she had to tell me about the vivid dreams she had about me = dreams of wisdom and light.
And although I was amazed, it all made complete sense, somehow.
My trip has been magical. I feel so fortunate to have been given this opportunity and this experience.
I was on-site to install 4 solar panels, a large battery and a DC-AC inverter for converting DC battery power to AC electric sockets for connecting the computer equipment. All of this was so I could then install 8 ultra-efficient T1 Linux computers running a free version of Linux called Ubuntu. The monitor and PC are incredibly efficient and run on less than 1/10th of the power of a regular PC/monitor combo.
I had never worked with any of this type of equipment before in my life and I knew nothing about installing any of it. But I felt it would all be fine as I had been consulted by two separate solar power experts on how to connect and install everything. So I followed exactly what they consulted me to do and set everything up without a glitch. Except for the fact that it started to pour rain and the roof started to leak water and drip onto the new equipment, it all went swimmingly well.
A few hours later, when the headmaster, the teachers and the students saw the 8 computers start up and the screens come to life, their eyes opened wide and lit up. I am sure I will never forget the smiles on their faces and the expression on their faces - the proclamations of gratitude they gave me when they saw it all up and running. The headmaster, Mr. Mutale, reached out with two hands and fiercely shook my hand as he profusely thanked me and all of us for what we had done here for them. All of them were so incredibly grateful and excited. And so was I. For them these computers were magic. And for me the experience was magical.
That night I had the most amazing dreams. I was in a nice deep sleep when all of a sudden I was awakened by a bell or a "ding" followed by a person calling out my name. It was as clear and vivid as any words I have ever heard while being totally awake. Loud and clear I heard a bell and then my name spoken - "Craig" - and immediately I woke up and my eyes opened. I thought there was someone in my room. I was sure of it. But I quickly realized I had been dreaming and that a voice had awakened me. Was it someone at my door? No...it was right next to me, almost like a spoken whisper in my ear.
I awoke to the revelation that the solar panels and DC-AC inverter that I had installed in Timba the day before were setup incorrectly. The amazing thing was that I have never set them up before in my life and knew nothing for sure and the fact that 2 experts had consulted me on setting up everything exactly the way I did made me second guess my revelation. But in my dreams it was wrong.
And just like that, as clear as day, I knew what I had to do to correct the installation of the solar panels and inverter. I was now anxious and could not go back to sleep, so as soon as the sun came up, I woke up the others and told them that I had to go back to Timba to fix it. The team asked me why and when I told them I had a dream that it was wrong and how to fix it, I am pretty sure they thought I had lost my shit. But again I assured them that I my dreams told me it was wrong and I had to go back and fix it.
So our driver, Lazarus, agreed to take me back to Timba which was more than two hours roundtrip across rough dirt roads which we could not pass over without the use of his Toyota 4 X 4.
So we went back. And I followed my intuition that came to me in my dreams. And I fixed the inverter. And everything was setup correctly. So now this small community in the Northern District of Zambia will continue to run their computer centre on solar power and an inverter. Now the students will learn how to operate PCs and will enhance their learning experience and their potential for building a career for themselves through the help of this small data centre. And I was happy for them.
And I don't know why all of this came to me in a dream. Nor do I know why I heard that voice. Nor do I know why I was sure I had to go back and change the setup against the advice of experts. But I did.
On the drive home an Impala ran across the path just ahead of us as we bounced along the rough dirt road. Moments later we saw a stealth-like zebra tucked into the woods along side our vehicle, desperately trying to avoid the straining roar of our engine. And when I finally returned to my room back in Chinsali to turn in for the night, I decided to check my email before going to bed. And it was then that I saw an email from a girl I used to be in love with - she had written telling me she had to tell me about the vivid dreams she had about me = dreams of wisdom and light.
And although I was amazed, it all made complete sense, somehow.
My trip has been magical. I feel so fortunate to have been given this opportunity and this experience.
Monday, February 22, 2010
All aboard the training train
This morning we went to the Musakanya Cama Centre in Mpika. We met Cecile and Gift, the Cama Centre trainers. They seemed to be quite savvy on the computer which was a T1 that was already installed at the school.
We brought a new color printer/scanner along with us to install at the Cama Centre. One of the groups we were training and mentoring was running a photo printing business. We trained them to install the printer and the software for editing photos. Then we trained them on using the scanner, the printer and the software to edit the photos. The girls were so happy to have a new color printer that could be used in their new business. They differentiated themselves by being able to print instant photos, whereas their competition takes two weeks to do so.
We trained the girls on using their phones for email and internet usage. Using the phones for email and internet can ease communication between group members and suppliers as well as potential customers. It does seem that the groups sometimes seem a bit baffled as to how email over a telephone will help them in their business. These girls are creating business and building skills for doing finance, accounting, understanding loans and microfinance and grasping costs and profit, but as for email, I am not sure they see the real benefit yet. They use the phones to call one another, but typing emails into a telephone is slower and more cumbersome than simple texting. I will speak with Hawa and Catherine about this and see how we can perhaps facilitate using technology within the groups. It may be a little premature, but we need the girls to start grasping the concepts and considering the implications and opportunities.
We stayed in nice cottage style guest houses at the Mango Grove. It was the first accommodations I stayed at outside of Lusaka, and so far, so good. We ate at a place called Cim’s and the food was very good…great fried chicken! But the TV was so loud I felt like I was sitting in a hearing aid convention.
We brought a new color printer/scanner along with us to install at the Cama Centre. One of the groups we were training and mentoring was running a photo printing business. We trained them to install the printer and the software for editing photos. Then we trained them on using the scanner, the printer and the software to edit the photos. The girls were so happy to have a new color printer that could be used in their new business. They differentiated themselves by being able to print instant photos, whereas their competition takes two weeks to do so.
We trained the girls on using their phones for email and internet usage. Using the phones for email and internet can ease communication between group members and suppliers as well as potential customers. It does seem that the groups sometimes seem a bit baffled as to how email over a telephone will help them in their business. These girls are creating business and building skills for doing finance, accounting, understanding loans and microfinance and grasping costs and profit, but as for email, I am not sure they see the real benefit yet. They use the phones to call one another, but typing emails into a telephone is slower and more cumbersome than simple texting. I will speak with Hawa and Catherine about this and see how we can perhaps facilitate using technology within the groups. It may be a little premature, but we need the girls to start grasping the concepts and considering the implications and opportunities.
We stayed in nice cottage style guest houses at the Mango Grove. It was the first accommodations I stayed at outside of Lusaka, and so far, so good. We ate at a place called Cim’s and the food was very good…great fried chicken! But the TV was so loud I felt like I was sitting in a hearing aid convention.
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