Cyber Host: the Budalangi village women post office

Author : CYBER HOST: -The Budalangi Village Women Post Office Project
Date added : 2001-03-12

Brief Project Background

Cyber Host was founded to provide and promote "universal access" to Information and Communication for sustainable development to the poor rural population in Kenya. It achieves its objectives through working with the local administration and local communities to establish functional, effective and efficient community-based Information and Communication access points (telecentres). It also advocates for the government to adopt policies which enhance the development of ICTs and play advisory role to policy- and decision-makers to improve access to information to citizens in order to participate fully on all sectors of development including Social and Economic development, public health, Public education, Agriculture, Trade, Tourism and Entrepreneurship. The project began in early 1999.

It is an indigenous project, whose initiator is a Kenyan aged 28 and is an Information Technologist having trained in the United States of America, Japan and Switzerland.

Kenya like any other developing African Nations has a poor Information infrastructure with the rural areas which are inhabited by the poor is completely neglected. Communication facilities even the traditional ones are rare, only in towns or big market centres, which unfortunately are far away from villages. In rural areas the people left back at home are women as men go to urban areas in search of employment, others go abroad for employment and further studies.

The initiator of this project, Denise Odhiambo hooked around him and saw how people were living in sheer poverty with no access to information and means of communication. Because of the poverty, rural folks could not afford the use of the modern communication technologies which are computer based.

Denise mulled over this grim puzzle in deep thought and arrived at a daring solution. In the first place the project was going to use a combination of cheaper modern communication technologies and cheaper older means of communications.

The initiator realized that the Internet provides a cheaper, faster and safer means of communications through the electronic mail globally while the traditional mail systems is affordable, less expensive and can be distributed over a small area faster. These village folks were soon to be trained on how to use and operate E-mail systems and combining it with the traditional snail mail.

The project involves receiving E-mail for the member of the community through the Internet, then printing it out using a printer and distributing it in envelopes like the traditional letter system to the owners. The owners will then reply the mail using a pen and a paper and forward it for e-mailing through the Internet. This centre acts as "post office". Villagers would come to check for mail and to send. Others would just send the hand written letter to the centre for e-mailing. This was a community post office that combined both the use of Internet Mail and the traditional mail system to communicate with people around the world. This system was faster and easily accessible given that the nearest Post office was 45 KM away. The Centre was on a radius of about 5-KM from the members of the community who stayed far a way. Others were of course residing next to the centre and distance was not a problem. The mails were collected and distributed by three people on bicycles, the most commonly mode of transport here. All the members left their physical addresses with the co-ordinator of the project at the project office.

The co-ordinator would type for those who do not know typing their e-mails while the trained women folks would type and send their e-mails and check for new ones. The Internet mail takes care of the long distance, while the traditional Mail takes care of the short distance without forcing the recipients to have computers or Internet connection at home.

Results

We needed access to the target-group, computers, a printer, Internet connection, an office space to work in and a phone, a co-ordinator, publicity, 3 bicycles, and of course money.

To reach their target group, the Cyber Host team needed local residents and expertise. It was agreed to work with Budalangi Women group, with 3,000 members within the Division. Budalangi Division is one of the poorest areas in Busia District. It is in Western Kenya and it boarders Uganda to the West. The activities for the rural folks include peasantry farming and small-scale fishing. The area has no access to electricity.

The women group was made responsible for electing women taking part in the Project. The Women group was responsible for the continuation of the Cyber Host project. To extend the knowledge to other women and to new members of the group through mentoring program. We worked together with the local administration that provided a location for the project. We used an abandoned Health Centre clinic building as the working space for the project. Besides, Teleafrique sponsored the Internet connection and also provided the technical support.

The project was publicised through the Provincial administration in the area through public meetings, health centres and churches.

Josephine Wafula, the Women group's leader agreed to train with us and co-ordinate the project for the rest of it through train the trainer program. The plan was set to start in April 1999. We signed a memorandum of understanding between Cyber Host, the Budalangi Women Group and the local administration. After creating all these agreements and partnerships the Cyber Host team set down to the hardest part of the project; getting financial sponsorship for the project. This was in November 1999, we sent funding proposals to various funding institutions and organizations. This was done through e-mail. Some of them kept quiet without any reply, others sent a regret, saying that the funds were not available for such projects and others thought that the we were non-starters. Notably, we sent the proposals to the following organizations: The African Development Fund (ADF), The Liberal, Poverty eradication Trust Fund, the Women Funds and many others. The one that struck me most was the Liberal and I quote " Dear Denise, we appreciate the role of the Internet in economic and social development, we also know that no meaningful development can occur without information, we also know that you are doing an important work for the people, but we are sorry we don't provide funds at the moment. Should you have other projects in future let us know".

We were running out of schedule with no imminent funding in sight, three weeks before the scheduled dates, we received the first financial support from a friend working at Keio University in Japan, apparently where I was trained, followed by Africa Connections of the US, the Network Startup Resource Centre of the USA donated Network accessories and a modem; and the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Nairobi.

The project began:

The project began in March 2000 with setting up the equipment and Networking 8 computers and a printer. We used 3 solar panels and 3 re-chargeable 24V batteries (for storage) to provide power for the project. The computers were cnnected through the UPS and the phone was in the abandoned Health Centre clinic building. Thereafter we started training at least 90 Women participants on the usage of e-mail and the Internet over a period of 3 Months (30 per month). We were having 2 groups of participants trained daily. Each class had around 15 participants for a period of 4 hours daily. They were trained on the computer basics, word processing, E-mail and the Internet. I was assisted by two others, one web designer and the other computer scientist. By the end of Three months each participant had learnt computer basics, word processing and was able to communicate with each other through e-mail.
They had joined mailing lists and discussion groups on the Internet; others made contacts with "friends" on other continents that would soon be interested in their wares. They also learnt to print, photocopy and basic computer maintenance.

Hear what they learnt from their own mouths! Perhaps this would move some; " I used the e-mail a lot during the Ebola outbreak in Gulu, Uganda. Some of my relatives are staying there. The border between Kenya and Uganda was closed by the Kenyan Government due to the outbreak; there was no movement between two countries. I used to get updates thrice a day through e-mail from my besieged relatives in Gulu. Sometimes I wonder what I could have done had it not been for this e-mail," says 50 year old Debra Ingotsi. "I have learnt so many things in computers since we started this training. I have now seen for myself what we have been missing. The problem is that you never know what you are missing until you get it. I don't think we are poor as such, the reality is that we are information poor" Teresia Namusonge says." I have made a lot of friends through the Internet; we never even knew each other even within our own locality- Perres Otsieno says. I will take some leave from pen and paper, now I can write my letters through typing, which means saving money on buying papers and pens" Says Nancy Obuya. I am able to communicate with my children in Nairobi through the e-mail. It takes a few minutes before I get a reply," says Margaret Yaola. E-mail is very interesting, it is real time. Surely it was said that Information is power but now it is wealth", says Agnes a 48 year old and a grandmother of two.

Lessons

lessons learned

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• We have had problems with the refurbished computers, they were not very fast. They took time to boot up and to install new programs. We sought the support from Teleafrique to support our machines.
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• There was no Electricity in the building but this did not stop us from going on with the project that depended on power, so we had to use the solar panels. We had to move them on the roof every morning and remove them in the evenings. A combination of the batteries for the Solar panels and the UPS helped us to have very minimal interruptions.
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• About 2 computers were not protected due to overload on UPS. May be in future bigger UPS could be used.
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• Some participants were slow learners while others were fast learners, this reduced the tempo of learning. I had to learn the hard way to strike a balance between the two so that all the categories benefit. May be in future categories could be drawn so that first learners are taught on their own and slow learners are taught also on their own.
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• A few of the participants would miss classes and would lag behind in the next class. I would urge them to study extra time to cover what they missed.
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• Being in a rural area, there was a security risk for the equipment at night. We engaged the services of watchmen from the local community to take charge of the building.
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• Problems with the Internet connection. We were dialing a server in Kisumu town, some 300 Kilometres away. Sometimes the connection proved difficult especially at peak hours. This was a trunk call, but we did not have any alternative, as that was the nearest Internet server. And because of this, technical support would delay. We gave basic training to one of the volunteers in troubleshooting the network to reduce the down time, if the problem was minor, she would sort it out. Perhaps in future the project could use a backup Internet connection as well.
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• We did not have software backups at the start, we had to CD-write the backups for future use incase there were problems with programs and Operating Systems (Windows95).
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• My advice to others who are interested in starting a project like this is that they should involve the local community in the project by asking them to contribute towards the project, like donating a working space, security and co-ordination of the project. This prevents resentment and an attitude that the project was planted on them.
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• Second advice, It is good to employ the use of modern ICTs together with the old traditional media. They still work best if utilised in an intelligent manner.
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development aspects:

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• The training has had a huge positive impact on the community. A part from the participants, their family, friends and co-members of Budalangi have become acquainted with computers and the Electronic communication.
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• The Women of Budalangi used the E-mail to communicate with their relatives in Gulu, Uganda during the outbreak of the deadly Ebola disease. The Gulu area was then closed, no one could enter or leave Gulu (quarantine).
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• Some of the women will be able to train computer applications, with the high demand for computer and Internet literacy. The first phases of the project have all been achieved. Now, the Women group is looking for ways to make the project self-sustainable and commercial. The women group is levying a small fee for the services. Sending one e-mail cost $0.1 CTS while receiving and printing mail cost $0.1 CTS. This is still ten times cheaper than the normal Post office rate! The proceeds are divided among the members.
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• The project has created employment opportunities. About 10 residents have been directly employed by the project (2 watchmen, 3 mailmen, 1 co-ordinator, and 4 assistant co-ordinators). This is economic empowerment, thus reduces poverty.
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• This community is able to communicate with friends, relatives and business associates. This is social and economic development.
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• The Centre has started offering training in basic computer applications. Other services include typing CVs for job seekers in towns, photocopying and typing services at a minimal fee.
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• Together with the women group we are making plans to develop Cyber Host towards profit making while facilitating continuation of Networking with friends, relatives and business Associates a cross the road, in another town or City, another country or a half a World away.
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• We have been approached by the neighbouring Funyulu women group to install for them a similar project. Right now we don't have funds, anybody out there who is willing to assist, please contact me on denise@arcc.or.ke.
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Project Information

Organisation : Cyber Host Project
Country of activity: Kenya [KE]

Contact Information

CYBER HOST: -The Budalangi Village Women Post Office Project
denise@arcc.or.ke

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