UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
From: "Arthur R. McGee"
Yorke Rodda from South Africa asked me to forward the message below to
the WG 9.4 distribution list. People who know about packet radio links,
or who are interested in the educational efforts of CAN in Mamelodi, or
who have some good advice - please get in touch directly with Yorke at
the address below.
Mikko Korpela mikko.korpela@uku.fi
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 5 Jun 94 11:24:15
From: Yorke Rodda
Dear Mikko
I am keen to subsribe to your list - Mike Lawrie told me about it. I
think it is called the IPIP WG9.4. I use a UUCP link via the telephone
line so if there are large docuements - that come often - I would need
to wait untill I got a better (cheaper) type of link.
The main need that I would like to ask you to consider helping with is
to get us into contact with people who use Packet radio to connect to
the Internet. Pretoria University is about 70 km from Holy Trinity
School in the Winterveld. The school has no telephone and so a link to
the Internet would be a tremendous blessing.
Much of my work has been based at CAN, a development agency based in the
DRC (Dutch Reformed Church) in Mamelodi, Pretoria. The following is the
Mission or Vision of the Computre Section of CAN. Some of your readers
may be interested in this.
CAN Computer Centre
Vision and Mission 9 May 1994
What we are basically doing
We are aiming to meet the aspirations of young men and
women who are keen to enter the technology age. About half
the 14 full-time Computer Literacy students come from rural
areas and they are boarders. We also cater for Computer
Studies for pupils in Std 8, 9 and 10 from local schools.
CAN is the only place in Mamelodi to offer this school
subject.
Working with other organisations
At present we are working closely with SOS Village,
Eersterust Secondary School and soon we hope to be able to
help Mamelodi High School establish a computer facility as
well.
Focus on rural schools and sending graduates out
CAN has many projects in the rural areas with the result
that we have had requests from rural schools and
institutions with regard to their need for computer
training and advice on hardware and software. Recently,
Holy Trinity School in the Winterveld asked to help
establish a computer centre and train the staff. This we
are now doing.
Good but old PCs from Business to schools
We are trying to start an initiative of getting very old
PCs - like XTs and ATs - donated directly to schools by
companies. This can be a messy business - and so we will
try to bring people with needs and people with unneeded
equipment together, without being too involved ourselves.
The older software required for the older equipment is also
a need that we should address. There has been a
significant start to the training of teachers by Statech at
St Alban's College and we want to build on this.
Standing on our own two feet
As a general principal all the projects that CAN initiates
should be able to stand on their own feet after two or
three seasons. The education (human development) projects
of CAN find this very difficult and we do need help to
sustain the work we are doing. (At the end of 1992 the
lack of finances brought the Computer Literacy Course to a
temporary end. Lotus Education Trust saved us! Since then
our shortfall has been carried by CAN.) We will be asking
local (i.e. South African) companies to help us sustain the
courses.
All students pay fees - for the full-time course (5 months)
this is R 1 150.00 and the Computer Studies students pay R
80.00 p.a. This covers the very basic running costs (e.g.
1.5 meals per day for full-time students). Many cannot even
afford this basic fee.
More room for more computers
The present computer room has room for 10 PC's and we need
to double this - and we also need some office and storeroom
space. Plans have been drawn up and in time we will be
looking for ways to finance this.
PretNet (Pretoria Educators Network)
CAN is playing a leading role in training and helping
schools link to each other and the rest of the world via
Electronic Mail. Pretoria University is giving PretNet the
gateway to the rest of the Internet world. Chris Marabe of
CAN is on the PretNet committee.
YORKE RODDA
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalms 118:24 NIV)
Yorke Rodda Pretoria in South Africa (za)
P.O. Box 905-163 Telephone: +27 12 348 7696
Garsfontein 0042 E-Mail: yorke@alban1.frcs.alt.za
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