Projects Supported by DNS.be
On September 12th 2008, Close the Gap Int. vzw and DNS Belgium vzw have signed a cooperation agreement for a partnership program relating to two projects: Close the Gap’s National PC Solidarity project on the one hand and Close the Gap’ International Program in the East African Community on the other hand.
The Close the Gap – DNS project serves some general goals that apply both to the National and to the International project:
First of all, the project aims to contribute to reduce the digital divide. Secondly, through access to information technologies, the project hopes to develop people to integrate more easily in the knowledge society.
Thirdly it wants to support institutes and programs that work with underprivileged target groups and ameliorate the capacity building programs they have in the field of ICT for development.
In brief, the DNS project aims to use ICT to increase the employability of people and empower them to meet the challenges of the knowledge-based society. It aims to develop a critical mass of empowered knowledge workers that have difficulties to learn to use ICT’s as a tool to improve their living.
Activities in UGANDA
Project Date: 2008-2011
Local Partners: Computers for Schools Uganda, IICD, Ministry of Education and Sports Schoolnet Uganda, UConnect.
This project aims to train teachers, head teachers, deputy head teachers and the director of studies on the use of ICT to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
In particular, the project raises awareness of the importance of using ICT for Education, of training teachers technically and pedagogically, of providing digital content and of monitoring the project schools use of computers for learning.
Computers for Schools Uganda has identified partner schools able to join the IT programme. It also distributed Close the Gap computers to the recipient institutions and set up a maintenance programme to ensure that ICT labs are properly set-up and maintained in the schools. A partnership between IICD and Schoolnet Uganda additionally ensures that the IT equipment will be used effectively and that the teaching staff is in a position to make full use of the benefits of ICT for educational purposes.
Equipment sent:
Computers for Schools Uganda: 800 desktops
IICD: 500 desktops
Schoolnet Uganda: 500 desktops
Mountains of the Moon University: 150 desktops
International Health Sciences University: 115 desktops
BTVET: 300 desktops
UConnect: 300 desktops
Activities in Kenya
Computers for Schools Kenya (CFSK) is a non-governmental organisation that was formally registered in October 2002. Their vision is the establishment of an information-rich Kenyan Society actively participating in sustainable development. They hope to help achieve this by facilitating the development of information and communication technology infrastructure and capacity in educational and training institutions as well as community information access and resource centres access centres. In the seven years that we have been in existence, CFSK has sourced over 18,000 personal computers that we have deployed in over 600 public secondary and primary schools, technical training institutes, teacher training colleges, medical training centres and several universities. We also operate a comprehensive preventive and curative maintenance programme for these computers to ensure they are fully operational all the time. In a number of these institutions, we have also placed electricity generators, Internet access and the WorldSpace Direct Media Service. Being cognisant of the need to conserve the environment, we developed an effective system for handling electronic waste, for which we received recognition by the then Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
Equipment sent:
CFSK: 700 desktops
Seed Samburu: 80 desktops
Activities in Tanzania
In Tanzania Close the Gap partners with 3 organisations:
Viafrica Tanzania is a not-for-profit based in Moshi executing the CLASSworks program. CLASSworks, an abbreviation for ‘Computer Learning And Sustainable Support works’, guides secondary schools through all the essential parts connected to the management and usage of a computer lab. CLASSworks starts with the preparation of a suitable computer room, the training of teachers and the management of hard- and software. Viafrica trains teachers and supports schools with the usage through seminars, trainings, maintenance and end-user support. Schools are responsible for the running costs, teachers and infrastructure.
Viafrica Tanzania wants to implement IT in 15 extra schools in 2010 through the Classworks program.
The International Institute for Communication and Development is a non-profit foundation that specialises in information and communication technology as a tool for development.
The Tanzania Country Programme started in mid 1998 with a national ICT Roundtable, but it was not until early in 2000 that the programme really started to take off.
Today, the Tanzania Country Programme has a wide range of projects, and regular activities include capacity building, knowledge sharing, and monitoring and evaluation. The programme is currently active in four sectors: governance, education, livelihoods (agriculture), and health. It is primarily in the field of health that IICD and Close the Gap will cooperate.
The Dutch Foundation UKENGEE targets on installing computers and launching internet in Tanzania because Internet is extremely important for education, emancipation and information. Ukengee looks for projects especially in areas without electricity-grid and heavy weather conditions. Conditions like dust, moist and high temperatures make it difficult to achieve those targets of installing computers and launching Internet. Ukengee has a partnership with Inveneo, a non-profit social enterprise, that realized a special computer for these areas.
In 2010 Ukengee plans to install 32 Inveneo computers in 2 classrooms in rural Tanzania. Close the Gap and DNS have committed to fund the infrastructural costs for this equipment.
Equipment sent:
ELCT: 200 desktops
Hivos: 15 desktops
Activities in Burundi
In collaboration with project AESTP from the Belgian Technical Cooperation Close the wants to ameliorate the technical education in Burundi.
The project AESTP works on 2 levels: a hard level with regards to infrastructure and equipment and a soft level that focuses on pedagogics and training.
- With regards to the infrastructure AESTP looks to rebuilt some schools and create extentions to avoid overpopulation. In 2010 the infrastructural work ended with building a new technical school in Rugombo. In total 10 schools have been rebuilt and can now enjoy new classrooms.
- With regards to equipment these schools have been re-equipped with the necessary didactic and technical equipment for a total value of 4 million euro. Close the Gap contributed by sending computers equipment.
Equipment sent:
AESTP: 100 desktops
Activities in Rwanda
During June 2010 Close the Gap has undertaken a project identification mission to Rwanda. In the light of Close the Gap’s strategic partnership with VVOB, in a meeting with VVOB Rwanda the basis of this project document has been made. It has been planned to carry out a first pilot project with VVOB in order to gain experience on how Close the Gap’s contribution can fit in best with the demand from Rwandan stakeholders.
VVOB is active in two programs of interest to Close the Gap: School Management and TVET. Both programs are executed in close collaboration with the Rwanda Ministry of Education.
The School Management program aims to train the head management, accountants , secretaries, the “préfêts des etudes” and the “préfêts de discipline in all secondary schools in Rwanda.
The Technical and Vocational Educational Training center is a priority program in poverty reduction in Rwanda. In 2008 a Workforce Development Authority has been established in order to support the goals of the program aimed at improving the employment rate for Rwandan people. VVOB partners with BTC and APEFE for this program. Integrated provincial regional centers (IPRC) will be created as coordinating bodies. Between 2010-2013 a first IPRC will be established during the pilot phase in the South province.
Equipment sent:
VVOB: 57 desktops and 57 toughbooks