Mon, 2007/09/03 - 12:22

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for the update :-)
Seems to fit without a doubt and it may save the business case for the first phase. I'm eager to hear Paul's thoughts.

I'll try to find a scanner and a printer before shipping the computers.

Printer: I think HP Laserjet would be a good choice? They seem to print forever for low cost.
Scanner: any suggestions?

Not sure how big chances are to fit a copier in the available 2 m3

Pelle

Mon, 2007/09/03 - 12:23

Yes Daniel
I see a very good cnstractive advise i thank you very much for the idea we are looking forward to getting one trainer who will train us to be the the trainers in the centre
Thank you

Mon, 2007/09/03 - 17:07

hi
my name is Ali Baasit one qeustion directed to paul
is any water available on the side ?
if there any .let say a little of shower paid one . and libreray to add as source of income . any person who accass the books . can be levey. to increased read program for children.
thank u :-)

Mon, 2007/09/03 - 18:00

hi
my name is Ali Baasit one qeustion directed to paul
is any water available on the side ?
if there any .let say a little of shower paid one . and libreray to add as source of income . any person who accass the books . can be levey. to increased read program for children.
thank u :-)

Mon, 2007/09/03 - 18:01

hi
my name is Ali Baasit one qeustion directed to paul
is any water available on the side ?
if there any .let say a little of shower paid one . and libreray to add as source of income . any person who access the books . can be levey. to increased read program for children.other source of income watching of television. or dvd movies some one had to donate on dvd or televation and check the network sutuation.old dvd can be donated that can icreased income hire and sales of cd or dvd. :-)
thank u

Mon, 2007/09/03 - 19:19

Hi everyone,

I'm glad that discussions have started on the project, I would really like to see things actually happening!
However, I don't understand very well which were the reasons you decided to let go of the idea with the internet cafe for ensuring some revenue. You mentioned the needs of the target group, but it's still a bit unclear to me which needs are they? What exactly is impeding you to run the cafe? Is it costs? Lack of personnel to run the cafe? Time? Regulatory issues?
Ok, if you think my questions are irrelevant, feel free to say so, I was just trying to define the problem, in order to figure out a solution or something. I think Dennis really has a point about clearly definings the strengths and weaknesses :)

Dennis also mentioned the Anai-Acoke project and attracting income from the community involvement... well, as far as I understand, the centre already provides some sort of vocational training for the orphans in the village. Why not try to capitalize upon this and develop some sort of lucrative activity out of it? Theoretically, this should:
(a) not require too many additional skills
(b) enable people out there to use existing personnel
(c) build upon existing know-how base somehow.
I don't know very well what type of vocational training does the centre currently provide, but I'll try to think of something. A detailed description of the situation might help :)
I'll probably find it in the revised business plan, but, for some reason, I've had technical problems with downloading it. But I'll try again, I'm a fighter! :))

By the way, how is the centre currently sustaining itself?

regards,
Paula

Wed, 2007/09/05 - 18:04

Dear all,

Attached you'll find the promised Quickscan of the project. Paul and I filled it in together. I'll post a questionnaire with questions about the IT training centre too. This is all relevant input for the discussion about the business plan.

Paula, to answer your questions:
BEHOD takes care of orphans and disabled people in Jinja. They want to improve their chances on having a decent job by providing ICT training. For example in secretarial services, web development...

Indeed training is something they are good at - so want to capitalize that. Paul has already gotten in touch with some schools. BEHOD could provide a course 'basic computer use' to the school kids.

Initial investments for an internet café are very high. A few thousand dollars for the connection, monthly costs for the internet connection and the need for backup power. With these big investments, the risks are also pretty big.

That's why Paul suggested they start with ICT training first.. and try to grow as they go.

Of course, the internet connection was also supposed to generate most of the income. That's why we're looking for alternative ideas now.

Pelle

Wed, 2007/09/05 - 22:33

Hi everyone

I am unable to open the documents. I am not sure if it is a problem on my end or the web site. Is anyone else having this problem? Perhaps someone can help me. I am anxious to get started on the project as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Elizabeth

Wed, 2007/09/05 - 23:35

Hi Elizabeth

I can open both of them. What operating system/word processing software are you using?

I have copied the text below so you can read it - format is not as good as Word doc, but at least you will be able to see what is going on!

Quickscan Jinja Central.doc

Quickscan – Jinja Central

Village name Jinja Central

Number of times you are in touch with neighbours/fac in nowadays
Neighbours: incidentally
Facilitator: multiple times a week

How is this contact, by email or through your village page
Email and village page

Do you need extra coaching in your role as LR?
i think i have been doing well, but if you have time i wouldn't mind to learn more

Where do you connect to internet
Internet café

Do you have a digital camera?
No

Quick scan of the project

What have you achieved so far in your project (make a list) what we have achieved:
- we have 15 orphans in formal classes
- we have 5 hand capped now i vaccational doing tailoring , and one orphan ,
- we have graduated four hand capped and one orphan and we got them a startup kit (sewing machine),
- we got wheel chairs for three hand-capped
- we have a place where we can train our member using the computers and the internet if we get the support

What are the strengths of your neighbours (make a list)
they have helped me to know the approach of somethings i.e the knowledge of setting up the ICT centre (what is needed, pitfalls etc)

Right now a lot of neighbours have joined with lots of skills, including:
- IT
- Business management
- Journalism

What are the strengths of the people working locally (make a list) the strength of my people:
They are very useful to advise me we are working together. I can't do anything without their approval.
They are very hard working.
We have the skills to run this school. Joseph has been running the tailoring for more than 20 years. He has the experience.
Joseph is an administrator.

What are your personal strengths (make a list)
I have been working with an NGO for 9 years with people who have nothing but I have been able to help where I can.
I am a mobiliser, I have good communication skills and i can teach.

What are your weaknesses (make a list)
My weakness the financial support. The start is difficult as i have never run an ICT centre before. That’s why if we get someone who can tell us how to run it, then we will be able to put in our strengths and experience.

What are the weaknesses in your project, and what is the reason (make a list)
Sometimes some children are not doing fine. Mainly when the support is not on time (i.e schoolfees), children are sent out of class when they lack materials

Previous Bottlenecks

Which difficulties have you overcome to reach this point in your project
We had a big number of neighbours at the beginning but they fell off for they thought we cant make it so many discouraging words.
the speed of the project has been low for a while, due to absence of the facilitator and the local representative. Right now the activity level is rising very fast

What are the difficulties you are experiencing at this moment in your project?
Because we are still in a starting stage, it’s difficult to find funds to get started. Sustainability is an important issue.

Goals for 2007

Before the end of 2007 we want to reach the following targets:
- Set up ICT training for disabled and orphans (project phase I)
- Set up promotion for Jinja Central: website & articles
- Prepare / Plan project phase II: internet café

Additional Comments/Remarks
In order to make the computer training sustainable i have contacted the schools around that we can teach them computer lessons at a fee to cater for the special groups.
Each child will be paying 1000 UGShs ($0,56) per two hours, and we will have many.
We are looking for funds to paint our building and the timber for the furniture is already at site.

Questions ICT training centre.doc

Questions about the ICT training centre

Trainees
1. How many people are awaiting computer training?
28 at first, more later (50)

2. Can you give a breakdown of these people? Sex/age/special groups?
female 20 ,male 8, total 28 of which 12 are orphans and 8 are disabled.

Site
3. Is there a site available where the training centre can be established?
Yes, available

4. If yes, what are the sizes?
62f by 32 feet

5. Do you own the site, do you have to buy it or do you rent it?
Yes we own it

6. How much do you spend on rent every month?
N/A

Utilities
7. Is electricity available?
Yes

8. Do you often experience power failures?
Pretty often (about twice/three times a week)

9. Is the available electric installation sufficient for 20 (?) computers + monitors + printers and network installation?
Yes, it can supply even 40 computers

10. Is broadband internet connection available in the area?
Yes

11. If so, how much would it cost to have your own connection?
Figures will be communicated later. Providers are UTL, CELTEL, INFOCOM

12. Does the site you would use have locks on doors and windows?
Yes

13. Which additional security measures would you take to avoid theft?
Burglary proof bars to enforce the windows and doors

Furniture etc.
14. Would BEHOD be able to arrange the needed chairs & desks / office equipment?
Yes, BEHOD is able to arrange furniture

15. If not, where do you think the furniture should come from?

Staff
16. Does BEHOD have members who are knowledgeable in ICT/computers?
Not yet, but we have members that could be trained.

17. Do you have experience in office administration/management?
BEHOD exists since April 2003, but was only registered last year (2006)
(more info in Quickscan)

18. Please give an overview of this experience.
dito

Training
19. How much would an ICT trainer ask for providing training?
$100 per month

20. Where would you find an ICT trainer?
Available in Jinja

Costs/Income
21. How much would electricity needed for the computers cost (per month)?
About $400 per month

22. What other costs would you have to make to sustain the training?
(please provide an estimated budget)
- Installation of software, 20 dollars per computer
- Service of computers, 30 dollars a week
- 2 attendants, 2 dollars a day
- training for BEHOD staff in ICT skills, in preparation to take over the maintenance and training
- stand by power supply

23. Can BEHOD cover these costs, or will additional income be needed?
Additional income will be needed

24. If additional income is needed: what ideas do you have to generate income?
Scanner, photocopier, printer, digital camera, training for school youth

BEHOD
25. Please provide an overview of the activities of BEHOD since it was established in 2003
since we started some three years ago we have been helping people from where they are with the small resources we have ie. helping prisoners get started those who had just come out of prison
then orphans who don't have any one to help we tried to take them to formal schools to get some education

26. How/where have you found the means to perform the activities until now?
we got some well wisher last year she came visited us she is from USA and she gave us a hand after seeing the needs so she has been supporting our ministry
we have not been having much but we have been using our small income to help others

Hope this helps!!

Mary

Thu, 2007/09/06 - 13:55

Paul
thank u for news letter
well my contribution is on part of bissinees plan
well to add
community defining the needs in information contect
Intregration information need into the community development proceess. internal information knowledge.tradutional thing like photos tradition chiefs or rulers local information of their ledears or role model .external information such as woman leaders they have to travelled five kilometers to fecth water but if the resources are avaible to them they can change the situation by developing new strategy may look for new water bo to serve the problem .things like libraries can store such information . one should be a sustained resource . other games and culture that can help to identify those children who are skilled and got potential . source for income genaration are as follows.Selling water
2communal shower service
3)selling drinks
4)room rental
5 telecomunication public phones for internstionsl call or local
thank u :lol:

Thu, 2007/09/06 - 14:52

hi all
there two forms of bussiness plan i olso agree
well sumary to community plan
let me break it down as follows plan a
income genaration plan
1. selling of water
2. commununal shower service
3. selling drinks
4.room rental . cheap accomadation for start e.g lodge
5 telecommucation and internet public phones international and local
others usefull services are
1 indoor games e.g chess . monopoly
2 television and video services
3 mini media : broadcasting from 6;30 to 7:30
using amplifier radio broadcaster to 6;30 to 7:30
about community program
4. reading room
drama and music
5 public meeting such wedding and meeting
other outreach activities dacing and debates .competetions and poetry
that is my submition for now thank u :-)

Fri, 2007/09/07 - 00:02

Hi everyone,

First of all, Pelle, thanks for answering my questions. However, I still think that the description of the current
situation of Behod is rather vague.
I have the following questions that would help me understand it better, in order to come up with feasible ideas:
- what is meant by "helping" orphans and disabled people?
- Financial suport? (I think not, but I must be sure)
- Training classes? On what? (we're talking about tailoring, as far as I understand) How much does a course last ? (weeks? months?) How are they provided? (In mean how many days a week, how many hours a day?) By how many trainers? Are the trainers paid?
- Anything else?
- Does the centre have any income source now? Does it generate cash? Are there any incomes from prior periods that can be invested in order to sustain this ICT centre in the very first weeks / months?

I'm asking this in order to see if there is a possibility of generating some income from current activities, in order to avoid various extra costs. I also assume that any revenue from ICT services will come with a certain delay, while expenses surely won't.

Solutions would be (I'm waiting for anyone to confirm to what extent they are doable):
- offering current coursess to other target groups as well, for a certain charge. The question is whether tailoring is a rare or needed skill in the region, and if there is a potential market that would be willing to pay for these classes. Another practical aspect would be the time & space for providing these courses. If the Behod premises are occupied 7 days a week, from morning until evening, this would be a problem.
- using the current courses in order to manufacture products that can be sold on the local market. Behod may already be doing this in order to generate cash, OR it may be doing this, but the revenues may go to the orphans/ handicapped people themselves.
Can any of these things be done before the start of the ICT centre?

Will come with a new message in the next few days!

Have a nice week-end, everyone ! :)

Paula

Fri, 2007/09/07 - 01:41

Dear Paul

First, let me congratulate the management team at Jinja for all they have done and their commitment.

I note the goals for 2007:

I think that the essence of Ali's suggestions is that there will be virtue in looking to many things that can be done. A business with many legs stands straighter. These things may also help with getting people with disabilities accepted in to the mainstream. Is that one objective.

Like Paula, I feel I do not yet see clearly the situation. the answers are, I presume, to questions that are raised by Nabuur in setting up the Featured Village. My observation is that local communities connecting to Nabuur often are reluctant to say they have weaknesses because they fear this will mean they will be rejected. But it is precisely the weaknesses that we need to help with. It will not be good for the project simply to deliver something, or some things, that do not get used.

The three things wanted in 2007 all require strategy and planning. I have made some suggestions in the discussion about training content, including suggestion for community consultation about what they might want from computers. Too often people (here, in my street, too) get computers and then look at them and say "What for? That thing is difficult/useless/*+/?!

As to a web site, it is very easy to 'have' a web site, it is very difficult to have useful content and get good results. Nabuur still struggles for results. This week there are about 94 million 'blog' web sites on the internet. Most of these are just 'talk,talk, talk, look-at-me!' Getting beyond that is difficult, very hard work. I have done some experiments with www.aplaceof.info/acoke and www.ourcongo.net but both of those now need redesign and my brain is tired from that. I have given my personal domain name www.aplaceof.info over to trying to build concepts far and wide based on the Nabuur strategic review just begun.
http://www.nabuur.com/modules/news/news_details.php?newsid=151&type=news
You never finish strategic review, you always need to adapt. Everyone, every successful business everywhere.

The critical issues for articles are content and purpose. For a web site the issues are content, purpose and structure. Structure of a web site is a huge discipline - how do I explain to other people who we are, what we are doing, why they should be involved. It must grow from self-awareness, the clarity of your own evolving vision and action. And also an ability to step out of your knowledge and habits and try to look at it from outside, as a stranger. We have volunteers come to our place to help with farm work. I find it enormously valuable to have to explain to them what I am doing. Often I open my mouth to speak and then realise that I have done something by habit and need to review it. So important to step outside your busy-ness, and say "What is it that I am trying to do in all this?"

Paul, as a start to such structure — structure of plan, guiding purpose of projects and structure and purpose of web site — can you please provide us with your three top strategic objectives. Not the goals for this year, the overall purpose. If I have missed these somewhere in the text of this project I apologise. Thank you again for all the information you have supplied to Pelle.

very best

Dennis

Fri, 2007/09/14 - 21:38

Hi all,

Just got back from a short trip last week... and have been busy with arranging the computers.
I'll try to summarize comments, ideas & questions over the weekend.

Thanks for all your efforts!!

Pelle

Sun, 2007/09/16 - 22:09

Nitin has also posted his ideas in the project room:

I've already arranged a scanner, an inkjet printer and am currently trying to get a laserprinter for this project.

:-D

Pelle