Family Alliance For Development And Cooperation, Tanzania

FADECO ICT INSTITUTIONAL PLANS AND CAPACITY

FADECO is actively involved in the promotion f ICTs as a tool for sustainable rural development in line with the Millenium Development Goals (MDGS) and Tanzania National strategy on Poverty Eradication . Going through a series of experiences, FADECO has now been able to bring internet connectivity to remote Karagwe, in the far north west of Tanzania. It implements several ICT related projects.

Information resource Centre

FADECO has a well information resource centre and is well known as a one-stop point for information resources. It has information in various formats (CDROM libraries, Audio-visual materials, books, journals) and all these are available to the public. Last year, the resource centre was upgraded to provide online resource with broadband Internet access via VSAT.

FADECO established an information resource centre way back in 1996. The idea sprung form a collection of books, news letters, journal and books that were received by the organisation from various sources (CTA, BookAid-UK, ILEIA, FOOTSTEPS, HDRA, ITDG.. to mention but a few). Whereas majority were offline resources, in 1997 FADECO received the first CDROM library from the Human info project.

In 1999, FADECO included in its resources audio-visual materials (AIDS videos from ARHTAG and other videos related to environment, water, sanitation, food security and farming. From then, FADECO has received more information materials including compedia from CABI on animal health, crop protection, and many others

Sensitization in ICTS

FADECO has been involved in a campaign to create awareness about the use and importance of ICTS in development. Several seminars have been conducted at various times to different target groups.

These sensitization campaign have been a collaborative effort of FADECO with the following institutions: ALIN-EA, Nairobi and IICD, Netherlands.

Rural Internet Connectivity:

FADECO has spearheaded rural connectivity in Karagwe through the introduction of VSAT technology. Although very expensive, FADECO has been able to deploy this technology and provides several IT based services to the rural communities in Karagwe. One issue to be addressed is: How can FADECO sustain its services? In order to respond to this challenge, FADECO is contemplating offering the following services to its clients in Karagwe:

• Local dial-up facility (using telephone line)

• Website hosting and Domain registration

• Internet café services at affordable rates

• Consultancy in resource centre management

• Use of OKN and the World Space technology

Support in establishing LAN in school labs

FADECO has been able to provide support to 5 secondary schools by donating refurbished computers (5 schools) and networking computer labs (2 schools). FADECO has now a plan to connect these schools to the Internet via wireless radio link. There is a need for setting up a wireless transmitter and several access points.

STAFFING:

FADECO has 5 staff members all of whom are involved in the project. These have all been subjected to intensive training in ICT at various levels. FADECO has also a volunteer program of students to its IT department. Currently 2 students from Engineers Without Borders (EWB)- Canada are doing their internship with FADECO.

UPendo Thomas - Resource centre Manager did an advanced course in resource centre Management from Arusha MSTCDC.

Program Assistant did courses in basic PC maintenance and trouble shooting from Bukoba University

John Kibuuka IT Manager has done several years in Computer training including programming, PC maintenance, website designing and Networking. He is in charge of our Network and is responsible for troubleshooting and regular maintenance.

Joseph Sekiku Director of FADECO and chief Executive Officer: Has done several training in basic computer operations, PC maintenance, software development, networking and website designing using dream weaver. He has been the father of ICTs in Karagwe and has taught several people how to use computer since 1996. He is involved in website designing and is Webmaster to several websites. He is now working for an ICDL certificate.

Titus Itegereize Is our Senior Project officer. He is responsible for the administrative part of our operation. An economist by profession, he is involved in business/ entrepreneurial skills development training.

Volunteers Students

FADECO has established a working arrangement with Engineers Without Borders (EWB)- Canada for placement of interns every year. For 2005, two students: Stephen Young and Jane S. are providing IT skills to FADECO.

Technical update seminars:

FADECO has participated in various technical update training organized by IICD, Learn IT and COSTECH. FADECO has enough resources at its disposal and is continually receiving updates from renowned computer experts.

INFRASTRUCTURE at FADECO:

a) Training facility :

FADECO has a training facility equipped with a LAN with 10 PCs (all of them Pentium 1s). The room can accommodate 25 participants comfortably with 2 persons sharing a PC. The training room also is equipped with a web cam and an LCD projector. In this was, it is possible to make power point presentations and video/ tele conferencing.

b) Workshops for repair:

FADECO has a room reserved as a workshop in which repairs and maintenance of computers take place. On a weekly basis, FADECO receives like 1-2 PCs for repair. Some of these are the very old stuff with either WP5.1 or Windows 3.1 series. Some of them have very low specifications needing the knowledge of dos based operations.

c) Storage facility:

FADECO has a store facility the size of a 20 ft CMB container. This is available to store parts of computers, etc.

d) Technical Capacity:

Like has been mentioned, all staff at FADECO are knowledgeable about computers and can provide needed technical competence to repair or trouble shoot computers. This is supplemented by volunteer students who come for their internships at FADECO.

Future plans

1. FADECO is in the process of setting up a technology transfer centre at Nyakasimbi, where it is planned to transfer skills in computers as well as other technologies.

FADECO is in the final stages of construction of the centre. This will be a skills-transfer centre is planning to offer training opportunities to youths and other interested people in Karagwe district in particular and Kagera region as a whole.

The centre would need to offer both day and residential training.

Two classrooms, an office, store and residence for centre Manager are ready. A resource centre is also nearing completion by Nov. 2005.

The centre would need the following:

•  A LAN with at least 15 PCs

•  A wireless internet connection

•  Electric power supply preferably SOLAR PV

•  At least 2-4 hubs and cabling for the LAN

•  A computer lab with at least 10-15 networked PCs .

•  2 Router

•  At least 2 printers and a photocopier

2. Provision of IT support to Education Institutions in Karagwe District:

FADECO has been approached by several schools about an easy and cheaper to get access to computers to be able to establish computer labs and to start offering computer studies at O'level. Out of 15 secondary schools, only 3 have computer labs. No primary school out of the 187 schools has a computer.

FADECO seeks to be a distribution partner to place refurbished computers in some of these schools in addition to providing the following services:

•  training of trainers (ToT) from among potential recipient schools

•  training of more technicians

•  training of teachers to teach IT in schools and other institutions

The exact requirements for the schools in Karagwe district has to be worked out, but at an average of 10 computers per school plus the requirements for the Multi purpose training centre, this bring together a total of about 200 computers.