The initial idea doesn't seem so important now. What's interesting is what has been accomplished, and the conditions under which these things have been done.
With four computers at the outset, I began with computer training. Finding skilled trainers on site is possible, but the employment packages required were beyond my means, especially as I was looked upon as someone "from France", and therefore, rich. I worked through this problem by recruiting people who wanted to learn about computers, training them, and then training them in the basics of training. This approach allowed me to more easily identify those who could potentially go on to work for the center. It's a qestion of time. The same approach was used for the technical staff (maintenance worker and secretary). Financially speaking, computer training alone wasn't enough to keep the center running, because even if the desire to train is strong, the financial means aren't always available. For this reason, different services were added as we went along. For example, we created a space with Internet access via the RTC ( it was the only option availableat the time, outside of extremely expensive solutions using access via satellite), buying and selling of second-hand computer equipment, diversification of our servics. All of these efforts are intended to satisfy the real needs of people in the isolated place where the center is located.
These are the conditions under which the NGO was able to attain part of our goals :
Discovering computers with junior high school students
Professional training and job hunting assistance for young people who have dropped out of the school system
Sponsoring an educational radio program for adolescents and the promotion of the Internet broadcast on Radio AdoFM
Participation in promoting the African Web (ThinkQuestAfrica Project). This is a contest for the best web sites in Africa. Adintaf participated in this event by training 20 contestants in web design.
- Event organization. For 2 years we were Secretary of the Organizational Committee for Benin's National Internet Celebration : Cofib.
The 2005 edition was in 3 cities in the Collines department (Dassa-Zoumè, Savalou and Glazoué). It was a demonstration of how to bring Internet to geographically "disadvantaged" areas (especially due to hills). I would like to extend personal thanks to
- the BorgouNet telecom operators (Internet Access Service Provider), Benin-Telecoms SA (National Telecommunications operator), Sobiex (Satellite Internet Access Provider)
- The institutions promoting New Technologies in Computer Science and Communication (Francophone Digital Campus and the Center for Distance Education)
- The mayors' offices of Dassa-Zoumè, Savalou and Glazoué for their help in getting people involved, and for organizational assistance.
- The associative organizations promoting New Technologies in Computer Science and Communication : laraignee, runnetwork, adintaf, the PAJE project.
- Mission to promote New Technologies in Computer Science and Communication in Democratic Congo with directors and teachers from the University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), the National Institute of Pedagogy (INP) and the Catholic University of Kinshasa (UCK), for informing about Distance Learning (FOAD). Interest in the specific congolese context. This mission was accomplished in partnership with the A6 Mediaguide Group.
Visiting the "Backbone" project at UNIKIN
Visiting the V-Sat station at UCK
Photo-souvenir with the representatives of IPN
