Observations from Rural Africa

リーベン湖

2011-11-15T05:12:00.007+02:00

On my way to Wall Street, New York, coming from New Brunswick, New Jersey, I get lost in Penn(sylvania) Station. Although it is day time, I have seen little daylight since hitting the tunnel under the Hudson River. Now I roam searchingly the mole's labyrinth of Penn Station, New York, New York.

Finally I end up on a subway pier, unclear if I the coming train would bring me to lower Manhattan or the middle of the earth. At the quay, the first two persons neglect my inquiries, engrossed in mobile phone and/or music via earpieces. Inquiring from the third person hits humanity, resulting in a person fishing a (guide?) book from his pack. It is in Japanese katakana I think. The text apparently confirms this is going to be the right way.

“Where do you come from”, I ask the rhetorical question. “Anchorage, arrived at 02.00 hours at JFK today. Now on my way to the Statute of Liberty, and then maybe to Ground Zero, and tomorrow fly to ...”. I lost the name in the noise of the approaching train, but am sure it is a location in a far away land.

“I live in Tokyo” is now added. The book and New York map thus must be in Japanese, indeed. “That is good, I am from Zambia, on my way to meet a friend living in the tents of Occupy Wall Street I think”. “Zambia? I will be in Uganda in three weeks I think”.

Where has this world turned into? Who is from where I am now, or where I am going, are we all travelers? Undoubtedly we (all?) are..

Assimilatedly - and seemingly like what people do - tomorrow I will be in Denver. The next day in San Francisco, and then Macha.

History "Gregory Mweemba" (2003)

2011-10-13T18:02:00.009+02:00

Greg peers around the corner of my closet. The closet, the pantry of our house, is claimed to be my full fledged office. It contains a desk, a plank of 1.2 x 1 meter, hammered between the walls, with equipment stacked up to the ceiling. When I wiggle around and hold in my stomach, I can even close the door to have privacy in my office. Today the door is open, and there is Gregory. He is in the house getting a glass of water while doing piecework in our garden, slashing grass.

“Can I use such a computer?”. Tough question, as computers are scarce in Macha. Maybe five in the whole village, of which two in our house. One, a fourth-hand Pentium I is Janneke's personal computers, set up on the desk in our living room. The second one, a two years young desktop, operates in my closet.

“Why do you want to use a computer, Greg?” “I have seen and touched one at school, a laptop owned by an international missionary teacher. I would love to learn how to use a computer so I can train others”. “OK, and when you have trained others, what then?” I probe further. “I want to start an internet cafe, we need an internet cafe in this rural community!”. “There is no internet in our community, Greg, not even telephone line. I am trying shortwave radio to send messages, and mostly that does not even work!”. “No problem, it will come to pass one day. Can you assist me to use a computer, please?”.

Greg sits in our house, every day, for he next five weeks. Quietly and diligently he pushes himself, working on Janneke's computer in our living room. He works within his own user account. At the end of the day he erases his trails. He resets the computer so Janneke can use it for her work in the evenings.

Within five weeks Gregory has conquered all the computer can manage. Self taught, as I am much to busy getting onto my feet in this resource challenged environment.

“Greg, sorry, we have to leave for a few month. We travel abroad to be with relatives, awaiting the arrival of a new family member”. “No problem, I will see you when you come back”. “What do you want to do now you are being able to handle a computer very well, Greg? Do you want to make money for you and your family, or what?” “No, I want to serve the community, and open the internet cafe.”.

“Let's make you a deal Greg. You know Choma town's internet cafe. They are growing well, and have an urgent vacancy for computer literate staff. I met them and did recommended you. It provides for a well paying job. Or, when you really want to continue in Macha, I suggest you spend your time on further studies. For instance, enroll for official training in Lusaka. I promise to pay for your expenses when I return. Yes, it is expensive. However, you must find funding yourself. Just bring results and receipts when I am back.” Greg responds: “Good deal, see you when you are back in Macha.”

Upon returning to Macha, my heart is heavy when Greg does not show up the during the first week. I do not dare to investigate if he accepted the lucrative job in the internet cafe in Choma. Two weeks later, Greg at the door... “I heard you did return. I was delayed as to finish much computer training. Here are the receipts”.

Together we refurbish a large, run down building and turn it around for the proposed internet cafe. A container arrives with donated goods. In it we find a pile of twenty written off Pentium I computers. Without delay they are deployed in “Vision Internet Cafe”. Right upon arrival of internet in Macha, Vision Internet is wireless connected. Gregory is in charge of it all.

History "Fred Mweetwa" (Apr-2003)

2011-10-11T15:25:00.003+02:00

“Knock, knock” goes the door. “Who is there?”. “Fred”. “Fred who?”. “Fred Mweetwa”. I stumble to the kitchen door. Another knocking on the door today, what will the story be now?

“Would you like to buy trees?”. “Trees, let me think, do I need trees you think?” “Yes, you need trees, there is much room in your garden to plant some trees”. “OK, let us plant some trees, where do you think they should go?”. It turns out that Fred nurtures trees from seed to seedling in discarded milk packages. “What do they cost Fred?”. “Give me 2,000 Kwatcha per tree please”. ZMK 2,000 equals USD 0.50.

Fred enthusiastically markets his trees, and other activities. I learn of his vision of the importance of planting trees, especially fruit trees, as the community is used to pluck the fruit, and take the wood, but not used to facilitate a process of replanting trees they harvest. He continues by explaining more and more initiatives and works, for instance the one bringing together communities to exercise the art of bee-keeping.

“Fred, such a tree brings in little turnover. There might not be a very big tree market in this rural community, and it seems you are able to do much more then that. What would you do if you were free to choose your carrier now now?”. “I would be a journalist”, he replied. “Journalist? What are you knocking at my door selling trees then? Why don't you knock on my door and ask me to be active in journalism? I will buy your trees, but let's start over and reacquaint!”.

Four weeks later Fred knocks at that door again. With two handwritten reports, expanding on the agreed journalistic tasks. One report provides insight on “What does the community think HIV is?” and the other “What does the community like to be educated in?”. Fred explains how he loves the tasks at hand, how he organized a good number of community sessions in which the questions under investigation were discussed, in communities near and far. Also he eludes on how the whole exercise has made all involved enthusiastic, including himself. “People were happy to be asked questions, and felt valued. They are keen to discuss these kind of issues further, it was a worthwhile exercise. What else could I investigate?”.

“Fred, what do you think you should be next? Do you need to be selling trees, work in journalism, or what?”. His heeding to calling: “I need to lead the community Radio Station”.

Mystory "Welcome to Zambia" (Mar-2003)

2011-10-11T06:02:00.005+02:00

African border crossings are not for the fainthearted.

The official looks at the Temporary Import Permit for our vehicle and asks “What are you bringing into Zambia?”. Indeed, I did not yet fill in the part where one must declare goods that are being brought in. Quite a dilemma what to write down, as the box is only one centimeter high and a few more wide, while our car is packed up to capacity including a large cupboard on the roof rack, and our sturdy bush trailer carrying many more of our valued possessions. Chairs and a couch protrude skywards.

In Zimbabwe we got fined by road traffic police for 'dangerous overloading', although in comparison with some of the really overloaded buses traveling our African roads we thought our loading was quite acceptable.

Here we are, at the border of Zambia, changing home and country. After a period of two good and challenging years in Zimbabwe - with Zimbabweans capably taking over all our tasks - it is time to move on. Zambia is the virtual option we choose. Virtual, as there are no promises, no dwelling place, no upkeep, just a vision: let's eradicate malaria.

Without a work-permit, or even proof we are wanted 'in country', we just got a 30 days tourist visa stamped in our passports. Subsequently we settled payment for road tax, car insurance, and what not, for our Zimbabwe registered car, and now the last hurdle is in front of us: getting all our stuff through.

So we chat; Explaining our situation, that we are about to move country, are invited to come to Macha and see, and that we take quite some stuff along. “Please note down what you bring in, in this box, which exists for that purpose, Sir”. “Thank you”, I say, take up a pen, and write down in large letters “Everything needed to fill an empty house”. The customs official looks up, nods and smiles, and applies the appropriate stamp to the document. We go back to our car.

The gate to Zambia is still closed, awaiting of inspection of documents and goods. Not much movement, as not many travel between Zimbabwe and Zambia these days. We drive to the gate and wait. Although it is hot, purposefully an official walks to the car and we hand him the pile of documents upon his request. He inspects them carefully.

Unexpectedly the border post erupts with noise and running people. Big baboons invade the area, pinching goods from piled bags on the sidewalk. People react, trying to chase the scary looking animals away. An other person tries to jump the line and makes a run for the person entry gate to Zambia. Our official hastily hands me the documents and vanishes, making a bee-line for the gate to halt the fleeting person. We wait.

An other border official arrives at the scene, oblivious to the commotion and walks to our car. “Have your papers been inspected?”. “Yes, Sir, they are.”, I reply. “Welcome to Zambia!'. He opens the gate, and off we go, into a new era.

Information Divide

2011-10-07T17:20:00.006+02:00

So, here we are, in Zambia, trying to study and learn, to get en par, and even try to prepare publications about our findings. Of course, we try to review and deduct knowledge from those that went before us by assessing experiences, studies, and subsequent writings of them. Unfortunately, often, we cannot.

Try, for instance, to search for the following citation: Linda van der Colff, "Leadership lessons from the African tree” (2003). A website called 'deepdyve.com' pops up and provides a one page teaser. The document can be accessed for USD 5 per page, USD 25 for the Portable Document Format. Apparently it is published in “Management Decision , Volume 41 (3): 5, Emerald Publishing – Apr 1, 2003”. A journey to the Emerald website: 'USD 25 for the pdf please'.

We virtually never see magazines - even if one subscribes or buys - as most do not make it through the postal system. We pay almost USD 10,000 per month for a limited 2 mbs internet connection to provide information access for about 300 users in our community. Such cost is stretching us beyond limits already.

Notwithstanding the difficulties of internet payments from a country without credit cards and relative low amount of debit cards – after 5 years of filling in forms and persistence I got my fist debit card one year ago - who would I actually pay, and for what? Is this a write up of study results, and if so, who paid for its execution? Emerald? Who did participate in the work? I cannot access, thus do not know, but I can imagine that our African communities did contribute. Did they get paid for that? I doubt it. Do they get paid when I furnish hard currency to be able to read about them? I doubt that too.

What I normally do is hope someone, somewhere, put a scanned PDF on the internet, and that Google finds it. And then I download, from wherever. Gratefully, this is the case quite often, but for this case Google does not give me any link. Again, no clue what the document contains, only 'non-constructive thoughts' remain, like ones depicting exclusion, 'not being invited to the party', being disadvantaged. Such thoughts discourage and do not harmonize nor motivate.

USD 25 represents a lot of money in our community. It represents half a month salary for many persons around me. Thus, is it ethical to send that money to Deepdyve or Emerald, or to others that often pop up, like Springer or Elsevier? Actually, these are names of companies or magazines that I have never seen, nor have been able to access, nor read any of its articles.

Where to investing our precious financial resources that have arrived in rural Africa, often involving much hard work from the community. The choice is rather easy. I just do not know these magazines, nor the publishers, I have never seen any of these magazines, thus I can only guess to what I miss. Only feelings remain, like 'I miss something, I am being excluded, others in the West whom are able to pay or be lucky to be near a library do have a head-start, however am I up-to-date?'.

The people around me smile, and I am grateful to live in a unique context and culture. We have acquired some knowledge to their needs based upon our own observations. All this balances, and I have no difficulty choosing for investments benefiting my neighbour, and regard the other information as if it does not exist. Actually, it does not exist for us in Africa, as if we live on a different planet.

Cross-pollination

2011-10-05T15:17:00.003+02:00

The philosophical design of Western thinking - with its essentialistic focus (getting to the essence of things) - feels normal in a western setting. It utilizes definitions - abstracting qualities of things encountered - and then looks at a reality in light of such definitions. Combining definitions result in theories, mostly within a particular discipline. Theory provides guidance as to the content of the study of anyone wishing to be fluent in the a subject matter. Theory is augmented by techniques, providing exercises to enhance performance and facilitating measurements. This approach seems to work quite well in Western realities, where all is geared towards this approach (e.g. with language and literacy mostly socially constructed within this view of reality), and congruent with a definition of humans being 'rational animals'.

Rural Africa, featuring an existential focus, is not used - nor adapted - to this kind of reasoning. Its view is validated, for instance, by local ability to easily articulate indefinable qualities and humanitarian values of reality. Of course, the definition of humans being 'rational animals' does not stick either, as in rural Africa one regards 'a person is a person through people'.

Clearly, essentialism brings benefits of understanding the World-of-Things, as shown through successful abstractions as literature and mathematics. On the other hand I have found existentialism to benefit understanding the World-of-Humans, as it interacts fluently with context and culture and naturally facilitates, for instance, oration, hearing, feeling, memory, harmony, and rhythm.

In our shrinking world caution is needed for hegonism as it can be destructive to other views of reality, which loss would deprive us all of alternatives and diversity. We must continue to endeavor on innovative ways of interacting, overarching diverse philosophies, as I strongly believe that respectful cross-pollination can support either side to be inspired to face the multifaceted challenges in our complex world.

Partnering Accross Borders

2011-10-01T10:29:00.003+02:00

Partners think, want, and act interdependently.
Partners subscribe to true partnerships and jointly managed endeavors, from conception till reality.
Partners share the lead.
Partners connect peers first, then administrators.
Partners implement workable financial balances.
Partners consider bilateral arrangements as well as multilateral connections.
Partners value diversity of cultural experience.
Partners deal with risks without compromising social interaction.
Partners replace short-term stints with long-term (professional) development.
Partners treat all interactions as a learning experience.

Partners do in Zambia as the Zambians do.
Partners adapt to culture and context, which emerged from centuries of struggles, trials and victories by those that went before.
Partners adapt to local ways of communications.
Partners adhere to national and traditional rules and other regulatory facts of life.

Partners target friendship, peace and cooperation.
Partners trust.
Partners respect mutually.
Partners grow relationships through thick and especially thin.
Partners share experiences.

Enshrined Higher Education

2011-09-29T12:41:00.002+02:00

Education is the cornerstone for progress. It is pivotal to advance. All agree. But what to be educated in, and how, that is an other matter.

In contrast with current practices, a Higher Education based upon social constructs applicable to the continent of Africa can provide answers for current dichotomies between local relevance and vogue knowledge, disciplinary skills segmentation and holistic needs, and the incorporation of humanity.

My take? Independent thinking, un-copying of 'one size fits all' disciplinary (Western) approach, and reorientation towards enshrined education, sensitive to calling, context and culture.

How would this look for Africa?

African higher education provides thought leadership in the relational world, for instance in Community Science and Sustainability Science, by incorporating locally enshrined indigenous knowledge. Its universities are organised in a unique and appropriate way. In practice this means that the Vision for African Higher Education incorporates:

thinking in terms of “Inclusiveness”;
structuring in terms of “Hybrids”;
outcome in terms of “Cooperation”;
valuing in terms of “Engendering in Humans”.

In the day-to-day activities one experiences:

curriculum centering around postdiciplinary, inspirational learning;
integration of higher education with society;
assessment of values and ethics, to guide understanding of responsibilities of membership of the human race.

In such vision, the World-of-Things provides the physical tools to facilitate unlocking the potential of all people on earth. It connects us all, everywhere, everything, all the time, with any information. Of course communications channels provide for the time/place-independent connection with wellsprings of education.

African students, no doubt, will also be part of a world wide and distributed university, spending much time virtually present somewhere else, in individual strives to gain further knowledge, especially in the fields of communications skills (including reading, writing, and mathematics). However, students' prime time is spend in appropriate communities, honing skills of reasoning and cultural alignment.

Thus focussed and equipped, African Higher Education plays its unique and important role in scientific research, can lead multidisciplinary teams assuring universal acceptable approaches, engendering of communities of practice, incorporation of overarching checks and balances, targets benefiting all, assuring human measures, responsible execution, incorporation of complex mental and ethical traits, preservation of humanity, long term stability, resource balances, multi-path communications, authorized leadership, multifaceted embeddings, and incorporation of paradoxes. In short, assuring trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and global citizenship.

Based upon its context and culture, African higher education has a unique opportunity and responsibility to assure incorporation of good qualities into our collective existence to be able to respond human, regardless of circumstances.

Internal Drive

2011-09-16T11:52:00.002+02:00

Disempowered communities are commonly deprived of means of production. Without power no engines run to multiply mussels, without communications there is no amplification of intent, without transport cooperation and teaming up is thwarted. And without access to other enablers like capital or knowledge, what would anybody do? It is no wonder that persons in dis-empowered communities focus on immediate needs, for immediate livelihood, and react to the here-and-now in concrete, tangible and pressing tasks at hand.

Appropriate interaction within the mix of context and history enshrined in local culture leads to interaction with the inner self of people. A context and culture with sense of solidarity, subordination of economics to human needs, a focus on human relations, and a sense of security. Such is fundamentally different then contemporary western context and culture formed through Greek philosophy, renaissance and reformation.

Let’s aim to embrace the local context and culture and find ways to grow talents' internal drive that reaches out beyond the immediate, harnesses intelligence, initiatives and responsibility to benefit the local community and beyond.

On Those We Stand

2011-07-28T09:46:00.002+02:00

When looking around where we are right now, it remains important to recognize that we stand on the shoulders of those that went before us. It is the permeating respect for ancestors, recognizing their lasting-presence as is being exercised in our rural environment, which reminds me daily of this universal truth. Those before us sculptured us, incubated our life, taught us language, and provided us a heritage to work with. We are who we are today, also because of them.

The prime cross cultural teaching method and the prime way of education in our environment is storytelling. It transfers memes of our great leaders, from history. Our collective and individual memory is thus full of tales and guidance provided by these persons. Frequent revisiting this guidance, also with respect to current developments and progressing knowledge, unearths grounded view points, and fuels sustainable innovation.

We better take heed and recognize this guidance, as it can provide valuable insights for our future efforts embedded in principled stewardship.

Communocentric Culture

2011-07-18T11:31:00.003+02:00

What about environments where we search for common values, where service is the fundamental quality of leadership, where tolerance in diversity is the norm, where sufficient consensus is the aim, were empathy and compassionate inclusiveness colours human interaction, and where contradictions are embraced? Where 'we' goes before 'I', where the community is the soil in which outcomes germinate, where history and its heritage is the fertilizer for future development? A society pragmatic yet idealistic, introspectively humble, compassionate and empathetic, embedded in kinship.

In Macha, we are members, live with paradoxes, reason with fear, empathize through non-rational instinct, frown at insisting self-interest, we share, arbitrate, reconcile, have compassion, come out together, and use problem-solving to build relationships.

Actually, these are virtues of Ubuntu-thinking, a hermeneutical approach and African receipt for co-existential collaboration, engendering of trust, and teamly co-creation.

Education Works-in-Progress

2011-07-13T16:08:00.005+02:00

Education is changing, all over the world. The traditional, mechanic repetitive, rota education method in rural African schools are about to change too.

We hope to inspire communities to empower their children to become creators of jobs, to be builders of communities, to be engineers of tools for main stream activities, and to be humanness though-leaders. All in the aim for education to be relevant in the local context, in rural Africa too. Thus also addressing issues like agricultural practices, animal husbandry, and cultural expressions, which techniques are put in practice daily, but not necessary at school though.

Education is instrumental in raising change-makers to counter the 'bad three': poverty, ignorance, and decease. Of course, focus on Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic will remain, however, Reasoning and Rhythm are to be added to the mix. The latter two to understand the difference in thinking in the world at large, and to empower the search for harmony with traditions of history of mankind in Africa.

In my view it is always time for breakthrough in education, on all levels. Innovations that help to think local, act global - telling stories of the past that shape the future – feeding brains with wholesome thoughts – engender success stories by and for students, that entice holistic post-disciplinary thinking – utilizing all border slashing and assistiveness Information and Communications Technologies can bolster – supporting true life long learning, wherever one is – involving the whole community in all aspects of education – and using the strength of youth.

Are we caught in chicken and egg situations? Where are the bold ideas, where the future bringing visions? We are working on them, and I like it!

Harmonized Outcome

2011-07-10T14:25:00.004+02:00

During recent encounters in France I noticed French appreciation of individual thinking, as during interacting with philosophic treatise. I met francophone intelligentsia passionately espousing the value of pursuit of purely academic activities, as in entering new grounds in mathematics.

At the same time, close encounters with German intellectuals showed how their passion grew attacking tangible situations, in pursuit of emerging of tangible products.

I am thus re-sensitized to what the African culture mostly values as the result of its toils: relationships.

Yes, the most important outcome of activity is relationship. Aiming at that outcome, the Chief arbitrates. Thus the community conduits opinions and needs. Thus local culture probes stakeholder positions, keeps verbal record of communications, and stores ingredients for building unity. Thus correctness surfaces in terms of harmony.

In Africa I notice that value is recognized in those that facilitate problem solving approaches, affect joint gains, and bring together differing parties. Those who engender relationship.

Macha Works Citations

2011-06-19T23:47:00.005+02:00

Fully connected Macha tweets(1)⁠, feeds(2)⁠, and meets(3)⁠. Macha Works' theory of change(4)⁠ is made practical through the Macha Works model(5)⁠.

LinkNet(6)⁠ executes its masterplan(7)⁠, bringing Internet connectivity using a collaborative approach(8)⁠ for use in rural areas of Zambia(9)⁠ in line with locally expressed needs for Information and Communications Technologies(10)⁠.

Engineering in Macha has impact(11)⁠, for instance through rural implementation of a mixed wireless mesh network(12)⁠ and internet usage and performance analysis of the wireless network(13)⁠ and its traffic characterization(14)⁠. ePiano, a case of music education via internet(15)⁠, is one of its innovative uses. More featured in BBC Clicks' documentary(16)⁠, fueling outlooks on futures of technology in Africa(17)⁠ and scores like finalist of the Stockholm Challenge(18)⁠.

Research and Development findings appear in blogs(19)⁠, local reports as Integral International Development Case study: Macha(20)⁠, eLearning for rural communities(21), and internet as non-monetary incentives for human resource retention in the health sector(22)⁠. Further deliverables are invited articles like 'an inclusive world'(23)⁠, presentations, among those for Zambian regulator(24)⁠, IEEE(25)⁠, House of Chiefs(26)⁠, CTO(27)⁠, conferences(28)⁠(29)⁠, and universities(30)⁠, posters(31)⁠(32)⁠, and book contributions(33)⁠(34)⁠.

1. Macha Works. Macha Works (machaworks) | Twitter [Internet]. [cited 2011 Jun 19] Available from: http://twitter.com/#!/machaworks

2. Vision Broadcasting. Macha Broadcasting | YouTube [Internet]. [cited 2011 Jun 19] Available from: http://www.youtube.com/machabroadcasting#g/u

3. Macha Works. Macha Works | Facebook [Internet]. [cited 2011 Jun 19] Available from: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7101983147

4. Macha Works. Theory of Change | Macha Works [Internet]. 2011 ;[cited 2011 Jun 18] Available from: http://www.machaworks.org/en/what-does-macha-works-do.html

5. Van Stam G, Van Oortmerssen G. Macha Works! [Internet]. In: Frontiers of Society On-Line, April 26-27th, 2010, Raleigh, NC, USA. 2010. [cited 2011 Apr 1] Available from: http://journal.webscience.org/339/

6. Co-operative Societies R of. Certificate of Registration LinkNet. 2007 ;

7. Van Stam G. LinkNet Masterplan, Communications for rural Zambia [Internet]. 2006 ;(February):33.Available from: www.link.net.zm

8. Matthee K, Mweemba G, Pais A, Van Stam G, Rijken M. Bringing Internet connectivity to rural Zambia using a collaborative approach [Internet]. In: International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development. Ieee; 2007. p. 1-12.Available from: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/wrapper.htm?arnumber=4937391

9. Van Hoorik P, Mweetwa F. Use of internet in rural areas of Zambia [Internet]. In: Cunningham P, Cunningham M, editor(s). ST-Africa 2008. Windhoek, Namibia: IIMC International Information Management Corporation; 2008. p. 1-14.Available from: http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/CPSI/UNPAN031149.pdf

10. Chief Chikanta HRH, Mweetwa F. The Need for Information and Communications Technologies [Internet]. Macha, Zambia: 2007. Available from: www.share4dev.info/kb/documents/4782.pdf

11. IEEE TV. Tryengineering “Careers with Impact”: van Stam [Internet]. IEEE TV; 2010. [cited 2011 Apr 5] Available from: http://ieeetv.ieee.org/Careers/tryengineering-careers-with-impact-van-stam

12. Backens J, Mweemba G, Van Stam G. A Rural Implementation of a 52 Node Mixed Wireless Mesh Network in Macha, Zambia [Internet]. E-Infrastructures and E-Services on Developing Countries. 2010 ;32–39.[cited 2011 Apr 1] Available from: http://www.springerlink.com/index/q14v1w1317501062.pdf

13. Johnson D, Belding EM, Almeroth K, Van Stam G. Internet Usage and Performance Analysis of a Rural Wireless Network in Macha, Zambia [Internet]. In: ACM Workshop on Networked Systems for Developing Regions (NSDRʼ10), June 15, 2010, San Francisco, CA, USA. 2010. Available from: http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1836001.1836008

14. Johnson D, Pejovic V, Belding EM, Van Stam G. Traffic Characterization and Internet Usage in Rural Africa [Internet]. In: Proceedings of WWW, March 2011, Hyderabad, India. 2011. Available from: www.www2011india.com/proceeding/companion/p493.pdf

15. Shoemaker K, Van Stam G. ePiano, a case of music education via internet in rural Zambia [Internet]. In: Society On-Line, April 26-27th, 2010, Raleigh, NC, USA. 2010. [cited 2011 Apr 1] Available from: http://journal.webscience.org/340/

16. BBC Clicks. BBC Clicks - Macha Works [Internet]. BBC; 2011. [cited 2011 Apr 5] Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDVAxJLVFOE

17. Grosskurth J. Futures of Technology in Africa [Internet]. The Hague, the Netherlands: STT Netherlands Study Centre for Technology Trends; 2010. Available from: http://www.stt.nl/uploads/documents/192.pdf

18. Stockholm Challenge. Macha Works, Finalist 2010 Stockholm Challenge [Internet]. 2010 ;[cited 2011 Apr 5] Available from: http://www.stockholmchallenge.org/project/2010/macha-works

19. Van Stam G. Observations from Rural Africa [Internet]. [cited 2011 Jun 4] Available from: http://gertjanvanstam.blogspot.com/

20. Bets J. Research Series: Integral International Development Case study: Macha, Zambia. 2009 ;165.

21. Pais A. eLearning for rural communities. Africa. 2007 ;(April):1-22.

22. Van Stam G. Report on Non-Monetary Incentives for Human Resource Retention in the Health Sector. 2006 ;(July 2006):

23. Van Stam G. An Inclusive World. IEEE GOLDRush. 2008 ;4.

24. Van Stam G, Mweemba G, Mweetwa F. A Vision for Rural Telecommunications Connectivity in Zambia [Internet]. 2008 ;[cited 2011 Apr 5] Available from: https://sites.google.com/a/link.net.zm/20081218--communications-authority-of-zambia/

25. Van Stam G. IEEE Technology for Humanity [Internet]. 2008 ;[cited 2011 Apr 5] Available from: https://sites.google.com/a/link.net.zm/20081018-ieee-technology-for-humanity/

26. Mweetwa F, Mweemba G, Van Stam G. A Vision for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Rural Areas [Internet]. 2009 ;[cited 2011 Apr 5] Available from: https://sites.google.com/a/machaworks.org/20090514-house-of-chiefs/

27. Van Stam G. Investments in ICT transforms Rural Economy [Internet]. 2009 ;[cited 2011 Apr 5] Available from: https://sites.google.com/a/machaworks.org/20091210-cto_invest_in_ict/

28. Van Stam G. Experience in ICT roll out in Rural Zambia “It is all about the Local Talent” [Internet]. 2009 ;[cited 2011 Apr 5] Available from: https://sites.google.com/a/machaworks.org/20091203-africomm_2009/

29. Van Stam G. Rural Development with Information and Communication Technology as Key Enabler [Internet]. 2008 ;[cited 2011 Apr 5] Available from: https://sites.google.com/a/link.net.zm/20081203--innovating-across-borders/

30. Van Stam G. Case: Village Turn Around in Rural Zambia with ICT as Engine of Change [Internet]. 2008 ;[cited 2011 Apr 5] Available from: https://sites.google.com/a/link.net.zm/20081023--ucsb-have-u-got-what-it-takes---rural-africa/

31. Stam G van, Oortmerssen G van. Macha Works! [Internet]. Available from: http://machaworks.academia.edu/GertjanVanStam/Talks/20323/Poster_Presentation_Macha_Works_

32. Shoemaker K, Van Stam G. e-Piano, a case of music education via e-learning in rural Zambia [Internet]. Available from: http://machaworks.academia.edu/GertjanVanStam/Talks/20324/Poster_Presentation_ePiano

33. Geelhoed J, Samhoud S. Be Useful. Academic Service; 2011.

34. Samhoud S. The World into Connection. &Samhoudt; 2010.

Rural Africa's Rhythm sustains Progress

2011-06-17T12:22:00.005+02:00

The solidity of every day life in rural Africa never seizes to impress me. The strength to stand tall amidst tidal waves of difficulties, enshrined in the collective search for wise guidance in situations of change, humbles me each day.

It is the strength of rhythm, the tuning into local culture, which sustains balance. The sense of belonging aids in finding equilibrium, time and again.

Daily I am taught in the rewards reaped from honoring birthed connections with one's family, the community, the nation, the continent, and humanity at large. In such environment ethical behavior is defined and regulated, and works measured and evaluated.

Human values as love, solidarity, and empathy fuel caring for the other, the environment, and ecology. This yields balance in expressions of humanness, also in music, poetry, dance, and sports.

In such solid basis, change only occur when roots go deep, like well grounded, slow maturing hard woods. Then change will allow for fair play, and sustains courage in times of difficulties. Then change will last. Of course, no quick results, nor short lived fruits.

Change in rural Africa can and will sustain change in towns, change in country, change in continent, and change in humanity.

Post-disciplinary Research

2011-06-12T08:34:00.002+02:00

While studying, debating, and writing on the evidence witnessed in rural communities, senses of excitement and frustration intermingle. Discoveries and additional knowledge are butting all over the place, accelerated because of good connectivity. Regrettably, what I witness and interact with in my daily routine does not to relate well with outcomes from current research.

Current science provides models, languages, into which realities are translated for dissection and scrutiny. Such floats on post-modern paradigms, tossing individual – supposedly aggregated – parts, through filters of compartmentalized theories and vogue methodologies, to scientific disciplines that questioning them to pieces.

How to understand the holistic and oral rural African realities through such thinking and processes?

How suitable is the current approach to transform the many relationships and operations of existing rural African reality into scientifically described relationships and operations in a disciplinary dissected image - to transform from one domain to an other domain, as if it is a mathematical Laplace transform operation? And, after formulating findings in the transformed, disciplinary image, does an inverse transform to reality really work? Misses and failures of many systems of intervention, projects that do not scale (up), and technologies whom function start to deteriorate right after implementation seem to point in a different direction.

Disciplinary approaches seems to lose crucial information on dynamic issues and human ingredients. And its outcome often has limited applicability in the holistic environment of real life in rural environments:

Human ingredients? Think of, the social codes as in practices, politics as in human interaction, collective knowledge as in culture, inclusiveness as in hospitality, and religion as in worldview.
Dynamic needs? Alignment as in values, job creation as in existing domestic environments, bridging as in social and economic divide, engagement as in poverty alleviation, and esteem as in progress.

Instead of focussing I am drawn towards widening. The interlinked and interdependent society is just really complex, and is difficult to see even when using multi-diciplinary lenses.

Lets get on with it, and engage in post-disciplinary research.

Respectfully Yours

2011-06-03T15:12:00.002+02:00

Everyday I am thrilled to be able to interact with people in rural areas, to witness characteristics of individuals and communities, and see rural leaders and members wielding their power of choice.

How valuable people and rural areas are! What a privileged times, in which we are connected, together focussing on inspiring each other to reach our common and individual potential.

I am thankful for the local communities to open their societies, and provide welcome to me and my family. I am grateful for the national leadership for permission and guidance, to associate and live. It is instructive to live up close and see structures of leadership - how chiefs and headman work in governing their subjects – and to appreciate the complexity of tasks at hand in national government.

I am humbled by the support provided by many, often from far away. I recognize the sacrifices, made by individuals and associations, to support rural communities and people they do not even know.

I thank all persons in authority – local, regional and national civil and social leadership - and numerous partners, for abundant blessings, and for allowing us to partake in rural life, which is life to the fullest!

Impact Indicators

2011-05-31T12:27:00.007+02:00

Is an intervention worthwhile? What is its impact? Resounding questions, often resulting in hefty debates when answers are being posed. Questions that demarcate real battle grounds, and rightly so.

For me, a world-dweller living in rural Africa, these questions are almost existential, providing the basis or justification of our very presence. And thus they tend to lead to big boosts when agreement about the answer is found, or to stress when answers are being challenged.

Of course, I have got lists with indicators to watch and communicate about. Their relevance are presumably based upon conclusive research, that did prove causality with the higher goals set.

It is actually a daunting process to (have to) accept or (less often) set indicators! To be able to do so well informed, we follow much research on many subjects. I try to assess applicability and relevance of proposed indicators for specific activities to measure our performance on inspiration of people in rural communities to reach their collective and individual potential.

However, I have a lingering feeling of uneasiness about most indicators. Is it because the underlying process of deconstruction feels so foreign to the holistic nature of the rural African reality? Is it because underlying research seems to be done from desks placed in the North, from an expatiate subculture, or in locations conveniently near hotels or airports? Is it because it feels that indicators and goals seem more based upon priorities and supply from the North, then requests from the South? Or is it because they point to outcome only, not to process nor culture?

Progress, or impact, results from a process. They are not a product that can be purchased. A process must being experienced collectively, by all stakeholders involved simultaneously. Processes lead to change - from situation A to situation B. Most indicators are helpful in quantifying each of these situations. However, they do not describe the process, nor impact within specific cultural environment, and thus do not necessarily give indication of local worth, nor value, or impact.

In the rural African setting the process within its specific cultural setting is most important, as it indicates the attainability and sustainability of the outcomes, and possibly replicability. Thus I propose indicators that, for instance, measure welcome of the change by the majority of the community. Indicators depicting if a large number of people has come to support the change within existing cultural realities wholeheartedly, with individual community members displaying explicit comprehension of the change and its benefits, and each testify about having a hand in the change. Such, in my view, provide for real indication of worthwhileness and impact.

Cultural Bumps

2011-05-30T13:16:00.005+02:00

I have seen quite a number of international people leaving rural Africa, quite a number preterm. After a extensive period of investing and giving it all, they are often depleted, disheartened, or even cynical. Also I have seen the rural community query international people, wary of motives, highlighting misunderstandings, and resenting interference. These are all hurts due to cultural divides.

It is not a pretty picture.. In rural Africa, foreigners are still mythical creatures, considered equal to having money. People from wealthy countries – and, remarkably, nationals from major towns, arriving in private vehicle - are considered as having unlimited resources, and consequently approached as such. Explanations of resource limitations fail to register. Possibly, only local persons living long term and close with such mythical people might dare to attest to certain levels of resource limitations.

On the other hand, international people often have little knowledge of the local environment, or even the country. Communication is difficult due to language barriers. Further there is a gaping divide in levels of experience making evenly matched dialogue practically impossible. Also, international people in rural Africa are limited in their abilities to extend relationships to the middle class, mostly living in cities, whom possibly address identical contingencies.

Due to the cultural divide, local and not-local people are hampered to interpret answers received on questions from each other. Knowledge of social codes and structures are imperfect, and understanding of the context, within which 'who communicates what', 'how does communication takes place', and 'why does communication takes place' is limited. Therefore assessment of answers is heavily challenged and underlying reasoning is often validated only after a long time of observation.

Frequent resource sharing requests by local people lead to mutual frustration, with international people not recognizing communal inclusion offers, and local people not recognizing the others' intend. Of course, the local environment is pervasive, and people from outside face the issue how to assimilate or risk emotional depletion and separation.

Theory of Change

2011-05-23T14:08:00.006+02:00

In a changing world, the rural and deprived areas in the world seem to get the 'short end of the stick'. There are numerous calls for action, in all disciplines, but little change is being observed in most rural areas in Africa. However, need for change continues to persist, to attack the lack of availability of skilled people and prohibitive high costs of service provisioning in rural areas.

Based upon an innovative and methodical approach, in Macha change resulted from action and consistent focus on people. Documentation followed, seemingly in a paradoxical process involving well thought/discussed-through interventions with on-the-fly model adjustments. This interactive learning processes, consistent over eight consecutive years, is based upon action research using observation methodologies like appreciative inquiry and backward mapping. The resulting Theory of Change now guides the overall process and fuels programs aimed at special user groups or at large-scale capacity building, all designed to bring about community-wide change.

All in all, the focus remains – and must be - people, in our case 'the local talent' (or local hero, or change-maker, whatever you call them). A local talent sacrifices an imminent, and often hallowed, ambition for western/urban self-development to a season of personal growth benefiting traditional/rural community-development. The local talent has reached a measurable level of fruitfulness when that person is training her/his successor.

The organisation facilitates this process by capacity building in both human and engineering assets – involving values, training and funding - and aiming for retention capacity thus created in the Works Group. We learned that when the local talent is supported within a respectful learning environment, whether on site or remote through e-learning, while taking care of bare existential necessities (food, shelter, health, etc), personal growth can be explosive. That growth of local talent is aligned with a process of involving all stakeholders deciding on local priorities and focus within recognized local cultural expressions.

And the local talent, seeing the environment progress sustainably, with quality of education and healthcare for her/his children improving, is encouraged, and stays, and leads.

Reminiscense

2011-03-01T11:43:00.003+02:00

Almost one year after formal hand-over of leadership at Macha Works to Fred Mweetwa and his team, I look back with gratitude. It has been a roller-coaster ride for the team, from the word 'Go' being brutally tested by suppliers, stakeholders, and users alike. Against all odds, and with much discouragement from those apparently in denial that Africa-Can-Lead, Fred and his team have shown unique aptness in leading a rural based African cooperative organization forward.

There is still lots to learn and innovate, for instance on African relatio management styles, and how to reconcile such with dominant rational approaches. Also there is need to grow the collective environment to embrace both the intangible and the tangible, so all will be able to recognize the team's great achievements.

Of course, in successful institutes, usually the originator is not there five years later. Maybe the person might be on the board, or somewhere else, but the person is out, usually with bitterness. "At its inception, a company is often the 'lengthened shadow of one man,'" Peter Drucker wrote in Practice of Management, "But it will not grow and survive unless the one-man top is converted into a team." Inspiring team work is not an overnight event. It takes time, and maybe even more so in a resource-challenged environment as rural Africa.

In my perception, from its inception, LinkNet/Macha Works has been a team effort. From a western perspective it might have looked like Drucker's description. But from an African perspective it has not looked like that at all; From that perspective the governing attributes are clearly seen, encompassing inclusiveness, cooperation, flexibility, and care. Thus, there is no room for bitterness, there is real joy.

Focus on progress of Local Talent has resulted in teams of highly talented persons, set free to progress towards reaching their collective and individual potential. These women and men are taking their commitments seriously, and develop competences in a thoroughbred African culture inclusive of innovation. As such a wonderful future is assured, whatever the circumstances.

It's About People

2011-02-19T07:36:00.005+02:00

It is all about People. We need remind ourselves about that, consistently, and certainly before interacting. All-the-rest is supportive to this notion.

People are the context for technology, change models, and subsequent investments. And dealing with people necessitates contemplation and apprehension. Assessment of the outset, potential, and the capacity to reach it.

And with humbleness, servitude - a pile of those desirable human attributes - oh yes.

People's voices are now being heart globally, and we are stunned by the sheer magnitude of differences in the world, by trauma experienced by so many, on both sides of the equator; People dwelling in plenty virtually impotent in connecting with those living with so little. And a thin veneer between a smile and frightful discontent.

It is amazing what a great variety of cultural contexts exists in our global village. So much I hear and read in The West makes so much sense in The West, but makes no(n)sense in The South, and so much I hear and read in The South makes so much sense in The South, but makes no(n)sense in The West.

What to say and write when commuting between the two? Let's translate, build bridges, amend, augment, and transform. How to reach the potential? Appropriate technologies? Very much so! Exposure and guidance? Of course! All in context-appropriate ways, that is.

Thus the need for applied, transformational research. Inquisitive, cross cultural, exiting research. Research Education Developments (RED), The North filling the void for appropriate (rational?) technologies that fit the context and needs of people in The South, The South filling the void for appropriate (relational?) technologies that fit the context and needs of people in The North.

Living in a connecting world, with abilities to feel different worlds can be discomforting. However, we are all people, and that is where it is all about.

What is Going On?

2011-01-31T21:41:00.004+02:00

Interact with the underneath to find what how Macha Works!

Demand Driven Solutions

2011-01-28T09:07:00.004+02:00

Many well intended solutions are showered benevolently upon communities in which I roam. Upon implementation, these solutions often end up dormant and discarded. Although from certain perspectives these solutions did seem to make sense, locally they have an extraterrestrial ring to them as tangible representation of mismatch emerging from prevailing deconstructively dealings with 'the What' in contrast with local demands holistically expressed through 'the Who'. It appears that often stuff (= what) are put into communities without thorough consideration of people (= who) aspects.

A prerequisite for a solution is a demand. Thus prerequisite for implementation of a solution is a satisfying answer on the question "Whom is asking?". Without real expression of local demand there is only shaky ground for implementation of local solutions. A-person-or-community-asking is necessary infrastructure over which solutions, including resource alleviations, can be rolled in. Possibly only those whom ask - whom express demand - have the initial capacity to recognize an intervention as a solution. When no-one expresses the local demand, no-one recognizes the local solution.

A multidimensional balance is involved, including aspects like exposure, anticipation, communication, equality, relationship, freedom, and more. Also, involvement of all stakeholders, leadership of the person-or-community-asking, sustainable use and growth of existing resources, and strengthening of already existing capacity are part of the mix. Implementing solutions involves piecemeal expansion of the local resource base, aimed to grow capacity and capability, also in preparation for local demands and their local solutions that will inevitably follow.

Although time is runs fast, it is still one-step-at-a-time, with cooperation, collaboration, in unity. Thus our focus on (local) demand driven solutions.

Awe-struck, Jaw-dropping Wonder

2011-01-15T12:18:00.005+02:00

Today I saw a grandmother wheelying her handicapped grandson in a broken wheelchair through slush and mud to the Kids-club in the Care House. Purposefully. I saw a list with tens of volunteers from the Macha community noting their willingness to assist in keeping the transitional care flowing, with nobody asking anything in return. I went through the community and saw people palavering with other people, nodding, often with displaying smiles on their faces. I heard of equipment being blown up by lightening and electricity surges, and saw concerned engineers wondering about how to help people going without service. I heard of ideas and plans how to alleviate difficulties. I heard a call from exotic birds. While standing outside I heard the rain approaching. I heard nice words spoken by many, and saw most people trying their level best to bring out the best from themselves to serve others. I used four different computers linked to the Internet, I communicated from the rural African bush with peers around the world via various means of media. I saw a photographer taking pictures with a digital camera, documenting what is happening.

Wow, and we are not even halfway through this day. When news papers would report on all positive news, they would be too thick to read.

Each day is worth living, a memory to cherish. A Wonder.

Here and Now

2011-01-12T17:25:00.003+02:00

4.200 km, 13 day car-with-trailer round trip brought me from rural Zambia through rural Zimbabwe to South Africa and back. We went as a family to meet and greet, and get supplies to Murambinda Works (Murambinda Foster Trust) in Zimbabwe. Now back home remains a lingering amazement over the time-factor.

When traveling vast distances over ordinary, single lane roads one appreciates distances. Covering 300 kilometers a day is a significant achievement. And when covering large distances with a family, while tenting along to keep cost down, in challenging conditions - for instance 130 mm rainfall a day - one encounters many and various uncertainties. This did accumulate into a three days delay in returning, thus we came back later than planned. And here nobody minds or comments on it.

This experience combines with observations from Local Talent from rural areas that visited the West. They mentioned the time-factor as one of the most impressive impressions they witnessed. In the West people keep time, with time seemingly superseding relationships. This in contrast to rural Africa where relationships influences (keeping) time. They testify that after witnessing this phenomena in person, they are able to position the high pressure from people oversees. That pressure is not readily understood as it confusingly seem to interfere with relationship building.

It is good to travel, to be exposed. Again I experienced the particular challenges that people face in rural areas. And in coping it boils down to how one experiences time. In view of the many challenges, and fragile availability of resources, it appears fundamentally difficult - almost impossible? - to say something definitive about the future. One thus best pivots in the present time, in the Here-and-Now. And that is where we all live.

Strengthen Those That Drive Progress

2010-12-23T14:15:00.005+02:00

The 20/60/20-rule talks about performance. This rule-of-thumb predicts that within a community 20% of people will show strong performance, 60% perform on average, and 20% of the persons will show weak performance. Thus 20% drive forward, 60% coast, and 20% slow down progress.

As technology in essence amplifies human intent and capacity, it is imperative to focus on the first 20% group: empowering those whom drive progress. Hence our focus on Local Talent, whom almost per definition roam that category. By supporting such persons one anticipates that the environment change to 30/60/10, as average performers get inspired and energized, and weak performers improve.

Thus, when resources are limited, non-discriminatory role out of technology, including Information and Communications Technology is not the way to go. One needs to carefully look which communities show healthy and positive intentions, vision and real collaboration, with capable persons committed to their environment, and support that local vision with technology. In Macha it has been shown that such contributes to rural communities and its people reaching their collective and individual potential.

Scientific Proof

2010-12-22T13:25:00.000+02:00

From following conferences through Twitter Hashtags, with ICT possible while nested in my rural African habitat, I notice many, sometimes rather desperate, calls for scientific proof for the impact of ICT implementations in (rural) Africa. Consensus seems to grow that it is not simple to proof impact of complex intervention as bringing (ICT) infrastructure into new frontiers, but there is little guidance on how to do it.

It is a matter of the realm within which one wants to define/proof impact. In a Western mindset scientist mostly aim to contribute to comprehensive mathematical models, preferably with conclusions in the realm of economics. Implicitly, those models focus on short-term effects, and give clear guidance on risks. They do not necessary cater for long-term effects, nor give clear guidance on uncertainties. Those models have proven track record, working well under standard circumstances.

As there is still much less known of (rural) African realities, for modeling purposes these circumstances cannot yet be defined as standard. Effects of enshrined cultural focus on history, communities of people and inclusiveness, effects of infectious deceases, and dominance of closed societies, are most significant for long-term effects. Thus, necessarily, proof of impact in Africa starts with assessing long-term significance.

We witness changed lives, spurs in local innovation, and inspired communities and people that emerge as players prone to have long term effect in the(ir) world. How does one proof that? I suggest by registering and study of facts and stories of communities and individuals concerning the intervention, evaluating their social consequences seen from various stakeholders' distinct historical and society perspectives, and possibly, when circumstances can thus be modeled, in economic terms.

I consider myself privileged to work with many scientists and students in multiple disciplines, from Africa and the rest of the world, whom dare to go in these uncharted, deep waters. Although we have come a long way, it feels like we are just starting. No wonder! Long-term assessments can take long! And as we aim for scientific proof in these varied cultural contexts, is is good take take time in assessing the results then to rely on elevator pitches only.

Being Together

2010-12-14T16:01:00.003+02:00

The notion of technology being external, and of limited relevance, of one's personality is shifting. For instance, one's interaction through technology on Social Networks is becoming recognized as part one's (perceived) identity. Deprived of technology, one is not able to build such identity, and thus one exists partially. Facebook's recent picture depicting friendships worldwide is a striking example of showing those that exist.

Reasoning from radical African communalism, one could provide a new answer to the dominant rational view on identity, that, for instance, an internet search (or services like Gist) of a person now shows. As an antidote to the thus growing distance between individuals stands the African traditional view that 'reality of the communal world takes preference over the reality of the individual life'. Many might heed to such, hence, I guess, growth of building communities on the Web.

In my view, researching technology within the realm of traditional African thought could open new ways as how we perceive, and thus develop, technology. For instance, African social-ethical ideals might provide answers to technology development that otherwise focuses quite singularly on empowering the individual at the expense of the collective. Of course, such research is to be conducted in a different manner, using inclusive, collaborative methods, with open source and non-competitive approaches.

Seeing the difficulties that ensue with the prevailing Western view, I would like to encourage that technology could aim to unite people among themselves to facilitate Being Together.

TryEngineering Video

2010-11-01T20:27:00.002+02:00

Intergration of Cultures

2010-10-27T10:49:00.003+02:00

Vindicated by experience in rural Africa, and glancing over world news, the message is clear: "integration of cultures is floundering".

Within resource abundant settings there is lots of documentation available for anyone interested to understand what is. Cultures as they are can be known. Now pops the challenge to understanding what is becoming. One does so by interacting with the existing information, setting up networks of relationships to facilitate this process. Basically one shares information and guards relationships.

In resource limited settings all this information is not available. No books, no news papers, little Internet, and communication channels are just opening in privileged places. It is the past experience with cultural differences, so strongly felt during colonial times and often blamed for current inequities, that one must reckon with daily. It is by knowing history that members in rural community say they view current events, and contemplate the future. Such history is transmitted via oral means, within the given set of relationships. As private space is thus freely shared, the community views exchange of new and external information with apprehension.

In Macha I recognize the helpful existence of well defined world-views. This acts as third culture - a neutral ground - where one travels to from different cultures. Such world-view, properly defined with its thought patterns and models, provides for a space where individuals meet and information can be shared.

No doubt communications are instrumental. Living during current times of greatly expanding information networks - bridging gaps with cables, wireless signals, social networks, and other emerging means of communication - is very exiting. I am privileged to witness it all from an environments where its impacts are reverberating through all aspects of community life.

The Relationality Of It All

2010-09-16T08:32:00.003+02:00

In our activities for progress and lasting partnerships, we often go through periods of monitoring and evaluation. These are important times, involving independent experts or peer-review. Positive remarks boost our energy, and constructive criticism help us in focusing areas for improvement.

Limitingly, monitoring and evaluation is mostly executed from a predominantly rational view point. Such emanates from the predominant western setting, where the relational tends to heed towards the rational, where people follow the agreed upon action. This is quite different than the reality in my rural area, where the rational tends to heed towards the relational, where action emerges because people are together.

A western newspaper recently published a few lines on the importance of mutual respect, in the context of issues encountered in integration of different cultures in western societies. It was explained that “respect within collectivistic (non-western, GvS) societies means one not always says the truth. This is because the truth can hurt someone, and the feelings of someone are seen more important that the saying the truth".

This short monitoring and evaluation statement shows handling of truth singularly defined in light of rationality. In my view, truth fundamentally is defined in the relational realm. For instance, even in view of the statement above, there is even a difference between the (rational) truth and saying it. For instance, in a situation of where saying the (rational) truth can hurt a relationship, the best course of action can be to delay mentioning it, and first build the relationship to be able to address the issue later. Such is quite feasible in respectful, open relationships, where questions are being asked carefully, people listen, and all are focused on holistically assessing both the relational and rational.

I propose to recognize the relationality of it all, and to aim to be able to echo the words of Horatio Spafford, 'Whatever my lot, it is well, it is well, with my soul'.

Internet needed in rural Africa

2010-09-15T15:03:00.004+02:00

It is nice to witness more and more leaders stating that Internet connectivity is urgently needed in developing worlds. UNESCO, Jeffrey Sachs, and many others join the choir that sings the benefits that Internet connectivity and bandwidth bring to Africa. This is a far cry from the 'why' question predominantly asked until recently. With the emergence of policies in the West that broadband Internet connectivity is a right for all its residents, it is good to now see the 'why Internet in Africa'-question fading away.

Also it is exiting to see that satellites are being launched and (sea)cables being rolled out to connect Africa. We are eagerly awaiting lower costs of bandwidth, as up to now we have not seen a decrease in pricing; We continue to pay well over USD 1,000 per month for a dedicated 128 kb/s connection. The ever growing demand for bandwidth - even to be able to keep doing what we already do - effectively means the cost of service continues to rise.

The causes of the continued high prices of bandwidth are known: Investors recuperate their investments first, urged to do so in these perilousness times and unknown territories. It also becomes apparent that the costs of transporting 'the last mile' (or in our case the last hundred kilometers) is the next hurdle. Quotes for terrestrial connectivity between rural areas and the 'backbone' in urban areas are surreal, multiple times the cost of bringing the (international) bandwidth to that urban area. And thus a 1 Mb/s committed connection, costing less then USD 200 per year in London, still cost us more then USD 80,000 per year. Although we (also) need such bandwidth – actually much more to satisfy the live saving needs in our rural community - this kind of money is just inconceivable.

Then, all this does not take into account the investments in equipment, the cost of transport, and the cost of local staff performing in operations and maintenance. We have witnessed that current equipment raises major hurdles to perform in rural areas. Circumstantial facts generate often at leasts one major 'show stopper', making most equipment to fail in a rural African environment.

I am glad that with students of the University of Zambia, and the Copperbeld University, and with collaborating applied research and expert partners from all over the world, we are venturing on the path of applied technology research. Through such long term activities we will be able to sustain an inspirational role. Also it provides hope to generate real technological breakthroughs which can perform well in the rural African environments, and thus, on the long run, will facilitate the role out of Internet on this continent.

Virtual Realities

2010-09-03T08:24:00.003+02:00

After an other bout of globe trotting, I am keenly aware of the various parallel existing and diverse realities.

While dwelling in rural African areas, it is difficult to contemplate a world where individual consumer demand is being satisfied with abundant and tuned availability, with shops that seemingly stock up everything. Where food is in abundance, water – cold and warm – never stop running from multiple taps inside a home, where there is little dust, everything appears aligned and clean, a world were people cherish individuality before community, where money comes in plastic forms, or out of a wall, and where people are busy have no time and appear to live in luxury and comfort. This seems virtual reality, only existing 'in stories'.

While dwelling in urban western settings, it is difficult to contemplate a world where basic commodities and resources are scarce and supply is erratic, activities are directed by weather and seasons, and markets offer more of the same, and time seemingly does not exit. Where gathering of food and water is a daily struggle, where written texts are not seen, activities are set by communities whom defines the individual. This seems virtual reality, which only exits 'in stories'.

These are no virtual realities, but worthwhile existing and real existences. Thus the challenge is to augment the visual or oral experiences - either by text or multimedia, or speech – with sensory information, with immersion, and real interaction.

Developmental Spiral

2010-06-16T10:39:00.002+02:00

The many interactions and connections we foster with scientists from within Africa and abroad, facilitated through our uniquely connected rural African environment, result in an interesting phenomenon; A scenario unfolds in which (pre)understanding of our rural African context is being refined, based upon the continuous flow of information. This availability of data leads to new interpretations of the environment and its challenges. Consecutively innovative approaches emerge, gently leading towards appropriate and progress-bringing interventions. This scenario appears to me as a developmental spiral.

The presentation of scientific paper on Internet performance at Macha, yesterday at NSDR10 in San Francisco, resulted in valuable interactions with leading scientists and practitioners. Obviously it is all about the interpretation of what we witness. And due to our enshrined culturally diversity, I postulate that both the facts being witnessed, and the observers witnessing it are being challenged. This iterative process hones existing models and lead to new insights.

I wrote earlier about the influence of preunderstanding. It is quite clear that facts reported from our environment do also work inside the recipient, in this case scientists. Preunderstanding in individual scientists and their collective is changing. Interestingly, querying the (same) data with this changed preunderstanding can further, possibly new, insights: enhanced understanding emerges. This is a spiral, not a circle, as it is a progressive and constructive process. Although the environment or context are not changing necessarily, as a result of studying and interacting with the information, over time, observers grow their ability to understand this environment and context in a new way.

Thus study and research is facilitatory in assuring that we spiral in the right direction. As the Macha Works Model is both subject of scrutiny and a facilitator of the same, research findings are bound to interact, refine and improve its tangible results.

Lessons Learned

2010-06-09T11:50:00.004+02:00

While thinking about the effectiveness of our formal training activities in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) – or perhaps for any activity one focuses on - I seem to observe that in our rural African environment a formal way of teaching seems less effective then an informal way of educating. This observation is being strengthened by observing the informal interaction of local talent on Social Networks on the Internet, for instance on Facebook or specific Twitter hashtags like #mwedu.

I see technicians at LinkNet acquiring ICT skills and growing in stature at breath taking speed in line with the Macha Works Model in the predominantly informal setting of Macha Works, while they are considerably slowing down and lose drive when going through - often costly and time consuming – formal, on western thinking based, training classes. Obviously, even acquisition of ICT skills in rural Africa can utilize the often well honed observation capabilities of people.

After reading a number of scientific papers, I was triggered to assess the phenomenon of writing as a representation of speech. As this is an oral culture, it is obvious that communications through writing is often ineffective, possibly because it basically is an abstract representation of reality. I have learned that in the rural African environment thinking and conceptualizing takes place in an existentialistic way. This is quite different that the essentialistic thought patterns enshrined in the West. In our environment, comprehension does not come through deconstruction of the matter at hand in layers of reality. Comprehension comes through an assessment of the whole, and then foremost in reviewing its relevance, and integration, and effect for groups of people in the community.

Thus it seems that practical skills are not necessarily acquired through imparting and absorption of abstract concepts. Actually, it seems that comprehension of such abstract facts are more related to foreign concepts of certification and individual remuneration, while observational and participatory interaction seem to relate to skills development for actions resulting in betterments in the local community.

Technological realities are now predominantly communicated through writings and deconstruction of various components that build the whole. Of course, it is not an issue of either this or that. However, it appears crucial that a complementary, humanized expression of technology is being developed. Real sustainability of technology can be witnessed in practice when an all encompassing description is recognized, described, and enshrined in the local language.

Visionary Drive

2010-06-08T08:30:00.004+02:00

Engaging with people and institutions in resource limited environments is engaging with groups of people in their collective decision making process. It is in the group interactions, equally on the local, regional, national, international, and various institutional levels, where the authorities, rights vested on the individual or a group of people, and formulation and application of policies are being expressed and tested. Thus the necessity to spend significant amount of time to understand the environment and its drivers resulting in a rationale for behavior, and understanding of existing practices of governance.

To be able to sustainably interact, participate, and ultimately collaborate in resource limited environments, one has to show one's colors, one's character. Of course, such is only possible in an atmosphere of respect for vested interests that are, while considering existing engagement processes, members and actors as the most appropriate setting under existing circumstances.

In my strive for sustainable progress, I recognize that one's vision - the clear, distinctive and specific view on the future usually connected with advances in technology or social arrangements - is important input in the engagement process. It is this vision that can transmit from one mind to another through speech, writing, behavior, or other imitable phenomena. Taking the concept of memes, the units of cultural ideas thus transmitted are the devices utilized to expedite and affect favorable support in the collective decision making.

Of course, this process can be tough and sometimes disheartening, especially in cross cultural settings. However, when all done in a humble, vulnerable way, is is not difficult be inspired by expressions and interactions that are true, are honorable, beautiful, and of value.

Community Disemination

2010-03-10T22:12:00.003+02:00

The term community is difficult to comprehend when seen solely seen through the lenses of individuality. Community is the arena in which many of the significant requirements for working out issues that affect us all are being nurtured. People do not work in a vacuum; a person is often not the first one to puzzle over certain aspects or issues. We require the enrichment, endeavors, and assistance of our peers as to check our perception and to affirm their validity. Likewise, our conclusions, if deemed correct, have importance for others.

Community is the first level that provides accountability; it offers the environment in which we can formulate our thoughts. This accountability guards against maverick and individualistic views. It provides a check against selfish and self-serving conclusions by those who lack the perspective to see beyond their own circumstances.

The term international community is even more difficult to wrap oneself around, as it crosses all cultural boundaries and local interests. Ideally it incorporates our African sense of community, where an individuality is defined through the collective, and the more Western sense of community, where the collective is defined by the sum of individuals. Embedding of knowledge needs communities, as in search of meaning it will make sense or ring true to others when evidence to reach conclusions are openly assessed. Thus the need for an international community.

In Africa the term community thrives tangibly. It is what make the environment tick. It is where one exists, where one regards to be member, and where one finds security. Now with Internet our rural African community expands innovatively. It is wonderful to see Facebook, Twitter and collaboration tools like Wave being embraced in our community. Now a most precious part of African Culture – community expressions – is augmenting the international community.

Preconceived Ideas

2010-03-08T15:25:00.002+02:00

Today I spend an other day communicating in various manners about the wonderful African environment, and how we work together to engender sustainable progress. In doing so, while anticipating the receiver or the communication, I am wrapping my mind around the many components enshrined in contemporary thinking. Realities of rural Africa appear so much removed from the preunderstandings of most recipients of my communications, that the barriers to be overcome are often staggering.

Being separated for many thousands of kilometers and with few communications paths or sketchy personal experiences, the information an audience possesses about rural Africa is quite limited. This is easy to solve by supplying the facts. But the disposition that most audience bring with its prejudices and biases about rural Africa is more difficult to address. Years of negative mass-media messages, pictures of disasters, and stories of mismanagement have taken their toll. It becomes even more complex when world views, and frame of references, and personal perspectives are taken into account. And, of course, than there are the approach/methodology issues.. That is where the rubber hits the road hard.

It appears that many interested in rural Africa already have figured out 'solutions' based upon their preunderstanding, even before communications take place. One wonder what is thus being missed, what is not being noticed? It is obvious the preunderstanding plays an influential role in the process of communications, and as such to challenge what one sees is an important part of the Macha Works road map. With the distinct phase of 'looking', we challenge preconceived ideas that often come unconsciously and can mask their own falsity. In the mean time, communications seem to serve mainly to either change or strengthen existing preunderstanding. With a large rift between the contemporary preunderstanding and the actual situation in rural Africa, it is imperative, though daunting, to communicate well.

Balancing Act

2010-03-04T09:59:00.002+02:00

My current struggle with jet-lag is aggravated with efforts to balance experiences at home in rural Africa with experiences of life in more affluent USA and South Africa as I witnessed the last weeks. The environment in which the struggle for progress in rural Africa takes place seems worlds apart from the environment in which many affluent and leading people live their lives. An old dilemma, albeit changing face in our current world with abundant travels and communications.

Among other activities, in San Francisco I discussed ideas, experiences and possibly resource allocation for activities in Information and Communications Technology in rural Africa for health, education and communities. Those discussions took place in situations of comparative luxury, with soft, easy comforts, quite removed from often awful conditions of the areas under review. Although gratefully experiencing pockets of true desire for participation, I could not help the notion of general selfishness of the affluent society and wealth. Reviewing my interactions over the last weeks, it seems that true understanding of needs necessitate close and personal contact with the environment in which those needs surface. Those that did so seem to deal quite differently than the ones who did not.

When looking around, one just wonders how current global economic processes could be sustainable. I read quite a number of reports on global warming, economic growth, and like, and they are not happy read. My travels induced virtual flashbacks into my previous luxurious life, full of ease and pleasure. Its trials and annoyances hardly compare with the difficulties, challenges, barriers, and trials that come people's way in the rural African environment. Well, for now this all just does not balance.

Personal Ethics

2010-03-02T12:12:00.004+02:00

As to be explicit on my stand in issues of ethics, I confirm my commitment to the following:

To be honest and ethical in all my communications.
To be faithful to my relationships.
To do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but to look out for the interests of others.
To refuse to elicit, accept or pay any bribes, and to report those who do.
To be a diligent leader without being harsh, and to remunerate associates what is just and fair.
To be a peacemaker.
To do my activities wholeheartedly.
To submit myself to just and ethical governing authorities.
To connect with the disenfranchised by investing generously and sacrificially in the broader community.
To collaborate with my peers to impact communities and nations.

What About The Children?

2010-02-09T14:08:00.004+02:00

Often rural Africa is in survival mode. Surviving the HIV pandemic, staying alive in situations roaming with malaria, TB and other deceases. In search - and often having to fight - for education, water, transport, communications, energy, and financial services. All to make ends meet, to entrepreneur it to the next day. Interventions are mostly focused on adults, the responsive group.

We gratefully live alongside, to join in inspiring activities, participate in connecting the unconnected and more, so people can play a local role in the current global society. Success stories feature adults mainly, the vocal group.

What about the children? In comparison, children in the West live in a world of possibilities and innovations. I witness young people visiting from the West in state of shock when experiencing our limited throughput on the Internet. When explained, they little comprehend life before we got connected, which was only few years ago.

When we set up camp in rural Africa there was no means of communications. Most places I visit today still have neither Internet or mobile phone networks. Children grow up in rural Africa unexposed, without comprehension of a connected world. This all goes way beyond generation gaps.

The New York Times states “If Your Kids Are Awake, They Are Most Probably On-line”, going on with “the average young American now spends practically every waking minute — except for the time in school — using a smart phone, computer, television or other electronic device”, apparently more then seven and half hours per day. Around me here in rural Africa I do not know any kid that fits that description.

Yes, there is need for exposure and use of communications by children in their formative years, also in Africa. African children and young people must be prepared for, and involved in, the information society and beyond. In Macha we give it a try: primary rural example school Macha Innovative Community School with computer education from reception class now working on replication in other primary schools; on-line chats on experiments and science lessons between rural secondary level school and western school; and students from Zambian universities joining the Macha Works while in tertiary education. These are our pebbles in the pond.

It is time to make Waves for connecting the young in Africa, as to build more and new bridges over widening divides, as to assure we can be together in the future.

The Art of Living

2010-02-02T10:43:00.003+02:00

These are fascinating times! Quite scary too, now information is growing at an explosive rate and how to cope with all that? And how to validate? Again, it is fascinating to access so much on what is happening, with all information at ones fingertips, everywhere (eh, almost), all the time, for everyone (eh, almost). I feel fortunate to be observing from a vantage point at relative distance, while profoundly feeling impact, based here in rural Africa.

With our organizations growing and maturing we enter new areas, possibly new arenas. It is obvious that the scare of the uncertain remains the same, the stakes only seem different, and the way these uncertainties are being addressed seemingly changes. For certain, big organizations have big inefficiencies, often seen in overheads and arm wrestling. Small organizations have big inefficiencies too, seen in lack of (economies of) scale and non-alignment of activities. In view of such inherent inefficiencies, it is amazing one sees any yield at all, a tribute to the greatness of entrepreneurship and action, wherever.

So many new, relevant questions come up, and they seemingly come up within shorter intervals. Quite a number of them utterly profound and existential. In whatever direction one looks there are these important questions popping up. For me, the issue of the finiteness of existing models we base our societies upon remains the most daunting. Although as corporate international community we still seem to shy away from the consequences, it seems obvious the earth will not continue to sustain growth. Energy extraction, dumping of waste, growth of population, it all puts heavy strain to our current models (of economics).

It is all about the are of living, is it not? Life is about living it, thus I gladly witness calls for more integration, harmonization, and inter-disciplinary activities in research and development. There is still a lot to be applied into that, as daily life in rural Africa time and time again shows. Interweaving the issue of relationships into all we do is, in my view, highly needed. It is, and remains, about human beings and how Homo sapiens relate. Well being, that is where it is about.

Just an example, it is said that the production of solar panels cost more energy then they yield over their technical usable life. However, if there would be no solar panels in the bush, the main source of energy in the bush would not be harvested. So producing solar cells can been seen as actually transporting energy spent at the production site - in an industrialized setting - to the user site - in a remote setting. Obvious, putting solar next to the production site is not done, but in the bush we cherish this relationship between industrialized and remote settings. Thus we welcome the transport of some energy from the production site to the bush. Thus reviewing the relationships component became part of the sustainable energy discussion.

Yes, I am enthusiastic about the 'Macha Works Model', as a framework for (re)action valuing relationships. The model calls to heed 'calling' first, 'commitment' second, and then come phases of 'looking', 'reacting', 'waiting', and 'interacting'. Although this takes time, it is wonderful to see that thus enshrined activities in the Macha area are there to stay. There hardly any of bankruptcy - thus no writing off of capital- and a continued and clear focus on sustainability and progress. The model inherently points towards Social Return On Investments, which I reckon is a viable way to save the current economic models, by introducing monetary representation of non-monetary results in communities.

Connectivity in rural Africa

2010-01-20T15:05:00.004+02:00

I have been involved with hands on internet connectivity experiments in rural Africa since 2000, have studied the satellite market since 2002, and Macha Works has had VSAT(s) operational since 2004. Prices have been high, and have gone even up during this period, up to and including December 2009. This has been one of the biggest inhibitions for sustainability, although sheer survival of LinkNet, with rural users willing to pay for extremely expensive and relative infinitesimal grade services, throughout this period is reason for celebration.

The telecoms and Internet industry in Africa is changing rapidly. The big event of 2009 has been the arrival of the Seacom and TEAMS seacables on the east coast of Africa. Although cause for hope, these cables have not (yet) influenced life in Zambia, let alone in African rural areas. 2010 promises more on the seacable front: Glo One, Main One (on the west coast) and EASSy (on the east coast) are likely to become available. Such will bring competition and redundancy, and fuels hope for lower prices and hopefully reduces the need for satellite bandwidth, easing up current congestion. 03B Networks is still around, and says to offer cheap satellite prices somewhere from 2011, we'll see. Thus the gap between the speed in the fast lane (the West) and the slow lane (the South) will get wider in 2010 and we must relentlessly push forward as to avoid 'no-lane' internet in the rural Africa of the future.

So far prices for internet connectivity have not come down. ISPs and telcos seem to stick to their old business models, selling low volumes for high prices. Backbone providers seem more concerned with recouping their investments quickly then building the market (and building up marketshare) through ambitious and competitive pricing. It is rumored that ISPs will offer customers more bandwidth while keeping the prices to users the same, we have not yet even seen that happening. With the little availability of teresstrial and cross border networks the moment for the big change appears to be(come) delayed. However, change must come one day. There are enough new players in east, west and southern Africa to hope that a stream of new players will be coming to market with both more bandwidth and lower prices.

Growth is inevitable, and I look forward to reaching a tipping point at which opportunities exist for niche market players who can provide adapted services and better pricing. Room starts to exists for Virtual Network Operations in Internet, Mobile, and satellite communications. Such will help all, as it provides for costs sharing in order to reach the marginal - for us the rural - markets.

The events in Macha has shown that Internet is not to be considered a luxury. Mobile Internet is an important and good development, but is not going to be enough for Africa. Equipment investments are (very) high and there will be services that are impossible to do because of speed and reliability issues of mobile internet. Africa needs what the rest of the world will have, and growth of availability of internet is crucial for sustainable progress in rural Africa.

The one-billion dollar question

2009-10-27T08:26:00.005+02:00

This morning, while cycling up a hill from bringing the children to school, a whole choir of children stood at a distance, screaming How are you? on the top of their voices. While jelling back I am fine! it struck me that they aired the one-billion dollar question.

Yesterday my partner Janneke van Dijk published a study on Barriers to the care of HIV-infected children in rural Zambia. A friend shared a diagnosis cancer after which we talked. And we filed a conference paper on Rural mesh network implementation in the village of Macha showing lots of real world constraints for implementing Information and Communications Technologies in an emerging region.

Why?

Well, it seems we have a desire to partner in situations for those saying 'I am not fine!' when they are asked that same one-billion dollar question. And that is worthwhile in itself: serving those who suffer. And sufferers abound, both in the South and in the North. We are all poor - in one way or the other - and fall short of being good.

Today I am planning to speak in Macha to a group of people about looking at realities, away from well worn paths, other paradigms and hypotheses. I will discuss the following:

Competition versus Collective and Individual Purposes.
'Tit-for-tat' versus Satisfying Needs.
Shortage versus Abundance.
Ownership versus Stewardship.
Hoarding versus Sharing.
Selfishness versus Collectiveness.
Losers versus Conquerers.
Loss and Waste versus Sustainability.
Truth being Adagium versus Truth being Relationship.
Authority derived from Power versus Power derived from Authority.

Challenging subjects to talk about in rural Africa. Seemly it is all about the former while striving for the latter.

I am fine!

Sustainability

2009-10-25T08:33:00.002+02:00

The question 'is it sustainable?' is the most asked questions in inter-institutional and inter-personal interactions. It is the main denominator for 'go/no go' decisions. The capacity of being sustained is an important key as we aim for sustainable progress. Wikipedia states, 'Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for future generations'.

I find it rather amazing that the primary measuring stick - seemingly singularly and applied unchallenged - is economics. The information in forms of business cases, financial overviews, and economic assessments should be showing whether or not an intervention is sustainable. Although I do not mean to diminish the enabling capacity of finance, and financial information has its value, it is healthy to critique the rather predominant outlook towards the assessment of sustainability by means of the economics only. What if the economics - like water, power, transport, and communications – are mainly providing measurements of an enabling factor? What would it be enabling? Maybe just interaction within context?

It is mainly about context. In my view the context - the interrelated conditions in which something exists or occurs with its cultural, social, historical data, intertwined with non-tangibles - that should actually lead the assessment of sustainability.

In the progress experienced in Macha, most significant to me are the many changed lives. Local Talent in driving seats are now enabled and recognized drivers of progress. And whether or not the vehicle itself goes forward or disintegrates, these local talent have developed capacity to remain drivers of progress. And thus there is the capacity to sustain, in people. I propose it was inspiration, the fanning of hope, the embrace of lasting relationships, explicitly positioned within existing context, and timely enabled, that were the main motivators for change. With African culture being preserved, maybe even strengthened as it is being watched, discussed, and exercised, I reckon this to be most valuable inputs in assessment for the sustainability of it all.

African context is not readily understood, and certainly its complexity can hardly be grasped in elevator pitches or short assays in language and concepts developed in context of western presuppositions, history, and agendas. Even in economics, disregard for the established, functioning systems of African ways of dealing with funds has led to a system of cross cultural interaction that is out of touch with basic cultural priorities.

Thus we search for contextual indicators which grab aspects important to show that roots have developed and the tree is well positioned. As we are all striving to establish the capacity of being sustained, its proof on forehand seemingly eludes us. Paradoxally, one seems only to be able to proof when it is does not exist, but is not able to prove that it does exists. Of course, afterwards a verdict can be reached. Sustainability needs to be carefully analyzed, taking the whole context into account. Without such careful analyses, and with narrow definitions, personal or institutional whims can surface with arbitrary, erroneous interpretations.

Sustainability assessment is an activity of both science and art, and interdisciplinary from the outset. It necessitate dedication and search for cross cultural expressions and cooperation. And such activity also deals with norms and values, whether implicit or explicit. We need to discover and employ more holistic principles that can bring true assessment, and guarding, of sustainability.

Nomad-ness

2009-09-10T15:32:00.002+02:00

The last weeks I have been traveling ‘in the West’. Our family spent a one week in Essex, UK with family and Janneke’s sister Ada and family. Although Ada was in severe pain due to cancer, we had a good week in beautiful surroundings. Then one week Netherlands, followed by urgent travel back to UK for untimely death and burial of Ada. Then back in the Netherlands again, spending time with family and friends, to return Africa at the end of last week.

All this now finds me with a true sense of being a ‘nomad’. Nomadic people or nomads is defined as a communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are three kinds of traditional nomads defined: hunter-gatherers moving between hunting grounds, pastoral nomads moving between pastures, and "peripatetic nomads" moving between customers. Apparently there are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. It is said that many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but traditional nomadic behavior is increasingly rare in industrialized countries.

Well, I think the amount of 'nomads' is growing again. We have ‘third culture kids’ and actually whole groups of people live somewhere else then where they were born, or stayed a couple of years ago, or even living in such fast change that they stay but the environment moves. And those are all nomads!

I am a nomad, and my home is where my head rests. Eh... where can it rest?

I am because You are

2009-07-20T13:30:00.001+02:00

Would it be possible that people in rural areas of Africa connect with people in urban areas around the world?

That one can walk into a scene and meet someone who walks into the same scene, even if it is geographically separated? That we explore and connect rural and urban worlds worldwide without anyone being forced into cultural suicide? That we meet around the globe and relate, embrace, love, and build meaningful relationships? That we find ways to be of significance and support to each other and together shuffle poverty and disease into the abyss? That we encourage each other to withstand drunkenness and drugs, bullying, self harm, and greed? That we share spiritual nutrition to deal with wealth, loss, alienation and pain in this generation?

That we unite through social networks overcoming divides and separations? That we share ancient, tested and new resources, opportunities, visions, and dreams that lead to knowledge, understanding and wisdom?

That we collaborate cross-everything to discuss, and make tools to balance the way toward, taking into account integral health of all systems? That we together, South and North, build capacity and accountability, and progress, for justice and fairness?

That I am because You are?

How DO you?

2009-07-17T17:58:00.004+02:00

What do you do? That question is proposed to me mostly by people from western snit. It tends to be part of a line of questioning, going like what do you do?, what do people say about you?, what do you have?. Answers to these questions supposedly lead towards the assessment and subsequently guides the measure of commitment of association. Thus challenged, I diligently write reports - both formal and informal - answering that question for many audiences. And still I will have to write many others, as the hunger for answers to this question is huge. Hence twitter.

Fortunately, I am privileged to sit in a hotel room in Cape Town, taking time off while my wife Janneke attends high level HIV-related conferences in this remarkable city. Intentionally I take time to reflect on what do I do?. I can state that I wander rural African lands, champion the poor, provoke people, and implicitly and explicitly call the international community to account, however, upon reflection all this vanishes in view of the question who are you?

I am grateful for being in Africa, where the question who are you? is the most important question and main course of every interpersonal interaction. The answer thus fuels collaboration and inspiration and guides groups of rag-tag and seasoned visionaries, dreamers, and hands-on load-carriers to implement its consequences into every day living. And as such fuels thedoing.

Well, who am I? The answer needs study, interaction, and, of course, is multi dimensional and to be discovered daily. However, it incorporates aspects of 'a broken person, crushed by, seeing the consequences of death through AIDS and other poverty related deceases, the profound pain and struggles during the uphill battle for sustainable progress by the poor, and, the many other extreme challenges that disempowered communities of this world face'. Also it contains 'a person, inspired by vision for empowerment of those in disease ridden communities, awed by the magnificence and strength of the poor, and, who has chosen to believe to be able to be together and seize opportunities that our amazing world provides to build bridges between cultures and circumstance over which we can interact and support one another'.

So, what do I do? Aiming to build relationships and communities, trying to conquer the challenges of relating. In that programs, platforms, projects and meetings are instrumental only, part of the arsenal of means to. I seek solutions and innovations that are more complex and less rationalistic than mainstream Western worldview seemingly dictates.

All in all, let us BE before we DO.

Broken Bicycle Seats

2009-06-12T08:44:00.001+02:00

Things break. Such is known. But the rate of how things break in rural Africa is hard to comprehend.

This morning I noticed that only one seat of our six biclycles is not broken: the seat on Elmo's biclycle. That one we replaced with a new one last week. My bicycle seat is broken, Janneke's bicycle seat is broken, Merel's bicycle seat is broken, Beauty's bicycle seat is broken, and the guest bicycle seat is broken too.

Then we were taking files off a laptop this morning, as the screen is faulty. We will continue using the laptop with an external display, if we can find a working one. And I struggle to keep a back up from my data, as three hard disks bigger then 500 Gb broke within one year, only one left - with all my data on it.

Rural Africa is harsh on stuff. It breaks at an unimaginable rate. Stuff that we get from the West, that normally lasts there, breaks here fast. Stuff that we buy in the South, often cheaply made, breaks even faster.

All in all, in rural Africa it is not about implementing really. That is just one step, a start. No, it is all about maintenance.

2009-05-31T14:14:00.002+02:00

This year and the past years we gladly welcomed a multitude of visitors to the works at Macha. Some came with an explicit agenda to smell the scent and to learn. Others came to help for periods of one week, several months, or even years. The effectiveness of these helpers is subject of this blog.

Seeing short term helpers come and go, it becomes interesting to attain a view on the effectiveness of this activity. Some have come, worked and their work did evaporate when they went or shortly after. Others came, worked, and their legacy continues to exist and bloom. This stark difference in sustainance, I think, can be linked to the mindset, the outset, the attitude of the helper.

It seems that mainly the works of those coming with a servant attitude have remained. Those whose motive was to edify the local community, to serve wholeheartedly, have been most effective. They focussed on being a blessing and did not focus on good report to bring home or on pleasing others outside of the local community.

Those that came with an attitude of knowing what to do had limited effect.Them that did ask what others could do for them have gone and their works did not linger.

Many made silent sacrifices to be able to come, put the needs of the local community first, and did accept all the arrangements made by the local community. They did not ask anything in return, and their names are still known. They earned the love and respect of the local community, these helpers truelly influenced the lives in rural Macha.

Intergral International Development

2009-05-05T12:50:00.006+02:00

We are blessed with many researchers and bright-minds visiting Macha. As such, one's precepts and ideas are tested and scrutinized, allowing for continuous progress in conceptualizing and lines-of-thought. All in all it become clear that the holistic approach at Macha can provide for input in discussions on how to participate in sustainable progress, especially by people coming from other cultures with a wish to help progress.

Volunteer researcher Jasper Bets came up with some tantalizing observations, and noted the need for 3rd culture perspectives in travelers, which allows someone to be perceptive and effective within the local value system. As such, bridges are build for both developed and under-developed countries to learn from each other.

In Macha an integral perspective is being implemented, with activities set-up horizontally instead of vertically and with investments simultaneously in many different fields. This vitalizes and enforces each other, sustaining the interdependence of structures and systems. Such is done in an environment focussed on trust, respect, emerging from integration with the local community. Leaders are holding the space for change to come, as instilled by a long term view on progress. In such setting, one guides and operates from the background instead of directing by telling colleagues what needs to be done. Also this allows for local talent to stand up and thus local initiative to be fostered.

Furthermore, proper respect for the local environment necessitates aligning one's life with local life conditions, valuing relationships, showing of commitment, living in the here and now, synchronizing resource availability with seasons, recognition of - and submission to - local authorities, and aligning of world views. This supports the sustainability as the local community will embrace, own, and operate.

It is great that these kind of thoughts and ideas can be tested, scrutinized and discussed. It is wonderful to live in today's world, where we now can share, expose, and interact real time through the internet in our search, discussion and communication of an effective way of living and working together in a global community.

Oral Communications Culture

2009-04-03T12:29:00.004+02:00

The last days and today I have worked with many local talent and teams on documentation. One realizes in rural Africa what oral communication culture means. In such culture information is processed differently than in those cultures where many had the opportunity of many years of education and are part of a 'book culture’.

One who reads widely, and has paper and pens in abundance, can easily assume that others receive information in the same way. Wrong! It cannot be assumed that one can work with rural Africa using the methods that are predominantly in writing, through literature, books, and abstract papers.

Elements which are essentially oral communication methods are to be included in all that we do. Thus there are significant gaps to bridge, new avenues to explore. It is exiting to bridge cultures using new styles of web communication, for instance in preserving African culture. Actually, that is a crucial aspect of my daily activities in Macha. In the plethora of activities, dedication to preserve the African heritage is prerequisite, and needs energy and dedication, certainly in our cross cultural and cross-technological environments.

What may work well for a professional in the West may not be very accessible to people in Africa. Lectures, books, and many of traditional western methods do not relate easily to people I live with. Actually, interactive communications via the Web is arguably often much nearer to oral communication than printed literature.

Of course, what you see - what you perceive to see - influences how you act. Living in an environment different than the one a person grew up into is something 'to get used to'. Especially for me, living in an oral communications environment, so radically different than the culture I grew up in, needs lots of time for contemplation and study of the culture. One has to be able to see reality from the perspectives of the local person, the common perspective as defined by the prevailing culture in the area. And that understanding is mostly available in oral communications format, with emphasis on stories.

So I wrote.

Ideas on involving grassroots levels in Africa

2009-03-31T11:24:00.006+02:00

After writing An Inclusive World, on the inclusion and empowerment of African engineers in the world wide developments, which content was subject in IEEE GOLDRush magazine March 2008, a lot of developments have taken place. Unfortunately, also a lot of development did not take place. After writing nice words and witnessing nodding heads in agreement, we run the risk of celebrating words and avoid the sweat that action brings. As the proof is in the eating, we continue getting our hands out of the sleeves, and take action.

Meetings on the needs in Africa are mostly done in convenient settings in the West. It might also be helpful, even more effective to get out here. Possibly meetings on rural development should be done in the rural areas themselves. Participants will be exposed to new experiences and issues, and one is prone to see and understand at a different level. Also, it helps for sustainability, as relationships are build and deposits in the relationship accounts are being made.

Let us think out of the box. My contribution on Innovating and Learning versus Reporting deals also with that, and the issues are real. Sustainable progress activities in dis advanced places can be pin pointed. It is also time for (social) venturing onto new roads. Such can be done with more cooperation, across expertise, geographical and cultural areas. As an example, see our list of partnerships, growing by the day. Partnerships are productive as we accumulating knowledge and understanding in a continuously accelerated manner, and - for the first time ever - we are really able to partner because we are connected! We embrace the challenges, agree that change is a constant, and seek to establish and maintain new equilibrium.

Africa's intelligentsia, like engineers, can be involved (and get back to Africa!). It would be great to assess how many resources for projects in Africa are actually remaining in the West. Donor syndrome can be countered by engendering and soliciting innovative proposals from Africa. We need to think from African user perspectives and might need to find ways as how to empower users. And African providers must gain access to wholesale pricing. Then social venturing is a good vehicle to assure plowing back of margin and results into the communities.

Current trends are think big, however grassroots level now has a voice, is empowered, and testing ideas. Connected communities explore ideas, and report findings. Initiatives are starting at grassroots levels, and ideas on solving issues at hand should be valued and allowed to be explored. Ways of interacting between the grassroots level and big, institutionalized bodies can be found, certainly now with the development of connectivity, and the Internet. Possibly definition of Internet's NET4.0 could come from grassroots level in Africa! The social networks for grassroots level interaction, utilizing the multitude of technologies and possibilities available, are empowering interaction across geographical and cultural divides.

Africa is really large

2009-03-30T17:04:00.002+02:00

Following up on my observations in "Africa is large", I recently noticed this drawing, which explains it well:

A Triangle of Partnerships

2009-03-13T09:39:00.007+02:00

A triangle of networking and relationships for progress and development of the Western World, South Africa and Southern Africa can be recognized to benefit all corners of the triangle. The following benefits result:

Southern Africa can execute indigenous ways of developing, which includes breeding new developments from within existing communities in an culturally adapt manner;
South Africa can support neighboring communities with resources and understanding of the African environment, being able to build and facilitate bridges between first and third world environments, relational and rational environments, and horizontal and vertical development approaches.
The Western World can support in culturally adapt development; visit African settings in an appropriate manners, and report on progress in a western culture adapt fashion.

Recognized issues of availability of empowered local leadership, holistic/horizontal approaches including aspects of health (hiv/aids), education, and communities play pivotal roles. Cross pollination of all parties by building multicultural (electronic) community exchange of mature concepts and ideas between the corners of the triangle grows mutual respect and understanding.

Focus on Getting It Done
Africa and the development world has seen many meetings, conferences, and other well-meant discussions passing without them leading to sustainable actions and progress. Now we can build upon a number of exiting and existing projects that are alive and kicking today, often build up in adverse circumstances, having stand the test of time and often well regarded in their respective communities.

Currently we witness a unique time of opportunities. South Africa can show an impressive list of practical work done in township and rural communities, over a period of many decennia in South Africa. Such has been done using indigenous South African resources, often aided with funding from oversees donors over an extended period of time.

Secondly, a large array of relationships are developed and developing with great potential for further growth. These relationships contain those focussed on using resources to getting the job done, and those with focus on participating and empowering those who get the job done, which often are the people in the areas of development themselves.

Developments in Macha, in the rural area of Southern Province in Zambia, have been interesting to national and foreign visitors. Zambia’s Vice-President opened Vision Community Center that did boast over 10 interdependent units, acting as an innovation hub in the rural area. Infrastructure development like those transport, communications, and energy are tackled in a manner empowering all in the local rural community, and supporting multiplication and growth beyond the rural Macha area, and is recognized by national government and the regulator. One of the projects, LinkNet – empowering rural communities including health and education institutions, by building and maintaining internet service provisioning - has branched out to other rural communities. A change process is defined, and a large and growing multifaceted array of partners in these developments is established.

In the West a conglomerate of institutions, private individuals recognize the unique situation at hand. Social venturing investments are made cautiously, with donor organizations empowering projects to grow beyond their current status, which ironically were most often implemented without institutional donor funding. Professional organizations in the West and South Africa are becoming aware of their own capabilities and resource for supporting developments in Africa, in their strive for global social responsibility and study of emerging markets.

All these developments are more and more supported by visionary, holistic, and inspired leadership on grassroot and national level, which is striving for culturally adapt management of programs, projects and resources. With the further emerging of transport and communication possibilities and resources at all corners of the triangle new ways of interaction and cross pollination of leadership is available.

Activities
It needs to be recognized that change in the developed world will emerge mainly from urban areas, while in the (Southern) African setting real change can emanate out of rural areas. Thus activities on several levels must take place.

First of all, on grass root level, projects have to emerge that show the feasibility and sustainability of progress in Africa. Concepts and activities as shown in Macha and (sub urban) South Africa must be guarded, nurtured and multiplied, going from ‘proof of concept’ via ‘proof of reproduction’ to ‘proof of production’.

Funding, Research, and Organization
In all corners of the triangle there is a growing understanding that current mechanisms of funding often do not align with the realities at grassroots level. African knowledge and growing understanding of the value of cultural diversity must lead to consideration of proposals for trust-based funding schemes, including output target funding.

Reviewing actual and sustainable projects established on the ground in Zambia and South Africa will show feasibility of a new approach, closely guided by experts from many nations. Existing and new relationships will act in benchmarking and active monitoring of the program and projects taking into account ethical and managerial frameworks.

Applied and fundamental research is encouraged in further understanding the ethical and African paradigms, cultural ingredients, and actual physics needed in African (rural) environments.

Greet and Smile

2009-03-10T07:39:00.004+02:00

The penguins in Madagascar movie got is almost right "Smile and Wave" is actually in Africa "Greet and Smile". Again this morning, while moving to and fro MICS to bring the children to school I met lots of people walking and on bicycles. With each one greetings were exchanged, and I was greeted with kind words and a Smile. How nice to start the day good words, recognition of each other existence, and broad smiles!

Heeding Calling

2009-02-17T09:13:00.006+02:00

Often I am asked: "why do you live in rural Africa". This in the context of having the option of living somewhere else, for instance in the West. This is the big WHY question. The answer is: I live where I sense my calling, I am within my purpose.

Purpose is the driver. Without purpose, what do we do? I believe we all have a unique purpose, and thus it is important to know that purpose. We are all unique, and thus have a unique purpose. Taking it to the extreme: competition signals that possibly one is doing the wrong thing (activity), is in the wrong area (location), or in the wrong season (time period).

When working in line with the purpose and calling one can be effective, and make sense of it all. It provides a strong inner drive towards action, whatever the circumstances.

Entities exits to be a home for where people are together, and combine their individual purposes to bring about a common purpose. It might need metaphysical or religious experiences to know one's purpose, and recognize where people combine in the common cause, the international community. This valid in the whole world, both in the South and in the West. In the West, where individuality is a driving force the common purpose will unite people. In the South, where people's individuality is an expression of the common purpose, it start the other way around, but all with the same result.

How does one find out the purpose governing one's life? There are many books in the subject and much motivational literature. I found Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life interesting, and Reuel Khoza's Let Africa Lead. A good talk among friends, time for introspect and needs assessment, contemplating and prayer in the fields of what does one hope for, where one does have faith for might lead somewhere. In any case, it is often a process of seeking and finding.

Calling will give the energy to stick it out, to keep going when the going gets tough, energy for breakthrough when there are obstacles. Calling will help to stand up for what is right, to shed inhibitions and ignites a person to be more then a conqueror. It also helps to live unhidden, wherever and whenever. It guides the environment - including family and friends - with a base for understanding the reason of otherwise sometimes difficult to understand action and perseverance.

Purpose will give reason to connect. It births optimistic action. Optimism gives energy. Negativism drains energy, so lets steer away from that.

Calling will allow dreams to be dreamed. It can provide sense of excitement, testing and weeding of burdens. It provides for hope, and engenders faith. It allows growth, entry into the impossible.

Knowing one's calling is prerequisite for engendering change, both internal and external. I have the privilege to live in a fast changing and challenging environment. Heeding to my calling is one of the reasons why I live in rural Africa and not anywhere else.

Excruciating costs of Internet in rural Africa

2009-02-10T21:44:00.002+02:00

Looking at budgets for operations in rural Africa the costs of Internet bandwidth are major and excruciating. Strangely, it seems one of the least known or understood hurdles for development. It is difficult to stomach that we pay thousands of USD per month for internet connections with 'speeds' that the West considers peanuts. In the West one gets 1 Mb/s connectivity wholesale for less then USD 20 per month. For us in landlocked Africa, such connection costs wholesale between USD 3,000 and USD 4,500. When one has to opt for lesser speeds and shared connections, significantly higher prices are calculated. Basically, we in rural Africa pay thousands of times more for Internet connectivity then one pays in the West.

There are not too many websites that mention this situation. In reviewing pricing of satellite capacity, like-for-like comparisons are almost impossible. When preparing for Macha over six years ago, I spend one year studying pricing and service options before being able to make an informed decision. Cost/benefit ratios are masqueraded in the plethora of price/offerings and quick overviews do not show multiple issues involved. In the mean time the situation on satellite capacity pricing, and availability, has significantly deteriorated. For instance per 1 January 2009 our prices have gone up with at least 10%.

There is some movement in the situation. Major institutions and companies show interest, and sea cables are emerging. There will be a learning curve, and there is lots to learn about the way Africa works, and it remains to be see what will really emerge.

The world must recognize the current role they play in keeping Africa in darkness. Current high prices for access to satellite technology, crucial for Africans to connect to the Internet, are really problematic. Of course, with economic principles, capacity constraints lead to higher prices. But, as also we at Macha Works are showing real and major social benefits, and growing demand for special user groups, breakthrough and more providers provisioning capacity over Africa must emerge, with prices going down instead of current rising of prices.

I will continue to write comments and air views on this issue, as in Free Internet for Africa and various websites.

Resource alleviation collateral

2009-02-03T12:48:00.003+02:00

Peculiar observations can be made in an environment where resources are being added within a situation of poverty. When resources appear - and a situation with nothing changing to something - there is a significant amount of new stress added to the scene. The stress of resource allocation.

Poverty - which is the shortage of common things such as food, clothing, shelter and safe drinking water, all of which determine quality of life - influences everything. Rural Africa has also major shortages in electricity, transport, communications, housing, finances, education, and health care, to mention a few. When such resources become available, often those with access to such (still rather limited) resource pay a high price, both financial and intangible.

One has to get used to the availability of the resource, even if it is just emerging. Complexity is added when the resource is shared, and it all becomes even more complex when it is shared across cultural or age boundaries. Often those with access to the resource harbor implicit or even explicit distrust of the other with whom the resource is shared. Resource limitations feed distrust that the other is misusing the resource.

Resource allocation, which is the assignment of the available resource, is mostly defined - and organized - in a rational way. Challenge is blending 'resource allocation' in the relational, rural African cultural way. In such environment resources are shared and catered for quite differently, with responsibilities valued higher then rights.

Currently we are fortifying the scaffolding for the works at Macha, with Zambian management and international volunteers. When that scaffolding is gone, wholesome grown resources should be environmentally sound and sustainably embedded and available. Scaffolding goes with rules and requirements, which go with expectations. Guilt, and shame, and judgment follow suit, and thus hurt, especially in cross cultural environments with wide varieties of people and expectations. Management in poverty situation often equals management of hurt.

Engendering trust, over borders and cross cultural, turning expectations based upon regulations towards expectation based upon relationships, that is what must guide resource allocation in resource limited environments; All tests of character.

Living at Altitude

2009-01-17T19:56:00.004+02:00

At Macha we live about 1,100 meters above sea level. Much part of Southern Africa is more or less on a plateau, and it often feels that reflects in our life. Life , almost cannot be more full with events and experiences, it is life to the fullest! Some of the ‘news items’ of the four weeks:

I drove about 6,000 kilometers in three weeks, through Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Most of it we pulled our trailer along, with goods from Zam to Zim and from South Africa. It was great to see many of our friends in these countries, and we stayed in their houses, or camped in their driveways. We found the team in Zim well catered for copying in their specific circumstance. Together with the local community lots of efforts are put in successfully improving the facilities. Of course, going it relative and tough. However, the local team effort is commendable, and requests for support by the local Social Welfare, and the Hospital are being accommodated to the best of capabilities. We are grateful for this collaborative effort.

All this driving around is now possible with our ‘new car’ available and operational. We received the number plates and assembled all paperwork - including registration papers, insurance, Interpol clearance, driver license validation, yellow card, letters of authority, and road taxes - just three days before commencing for the long journey. During this time we also had room for relaxing (our summer holiday) with family visits to Pilanusberg (RSA) and the Vumba (Zim). During all travels we had local talent from Zambia and Zimbabwe along, giving them a needed break and new experiences. All in all we already drove more then 10,000 kilometers since the car arrived in Macha late 2008.

Just before New Year large donor funds hit the accounts of PrivaServe Foundation, allowing us to settle all current activities and debts. It is wonderful to enter the new year with a clean sheet, and to facilitate the flush of activities that we expect to happen. The new year started with every local talent dived in planning and administration.

Professionally we started the new year with operational separation of units with different business models, to facilitate specialization, coordination, and growth. LinkNet's leader is now Gregory Mweemba and the Building activities are led by Cynthia Mumba. Leadership Academy and Transport branches also operate more or less independent, with 'Macha Works' overarching the activities in a coordination role, assessing local plans and reports. It is exiting to see the maturity of the team, and how they relish the opportunities ahead.

Also the past period gave me an opportunity to catch up on some reading. ‘The Shack’ is a best seller in South Africa and served as a cup of fresh water, I enjoyed the read.

The year also started with many hours in the air, facilitated by Flying Mission. Pilot family Rick and Tracy Rempel settled in Macha, with housing gracely provided by Macha Hospital. And, Macha now also has its own resident airplane, a Cessna 210, often flying over 150 knots an hour! Miracles and progress abound. With its connectivity, quality primary education, and abilities in transport, Macha even becomes attractive for international coordination activities. In that manner Mennonite Central Committee Southern Africa coordinators are settling in Macha for their work in coordination of MCC travels in Southern Africa.

More cooperation efforts are being established with joint activities within the setting of the Global Research Alliance. Applied research in rural internet connectivity is the agenda, and grant proposals, white papers, and the like are being penned down. Currently the cooperation includes applied research partners in Finland, Germany, South Africa and Netherlands. Even contacts with Australia are growing.

In the mean time we continue to grow our knowledge base of the rural areas, and as such I continued discussions in Lusaka, touched down in Loloma, and visited Chitokoloki (near Angola) last week.

It is high time that our Tonga Hut in the garden is being repaired. The grass roof caved in one year ago, but we did not work on it as all other projects were of higher priority. Good rains this year stimulated a full roof-collapse, and thus no escape than to really get going with this. Now the grass is getting on a new wooden frame, and we look forward to its completion.

The electricity company ZESCO started to deliver on its contract to connect Ubuntu Campus with an 11 kV line. It was 11 months ago that we paid the contract, but now we can see something happening, with three quarters of the poles standing. Let’s hope that we gain some more speed in this work, which will be a big relieve and support for the activities there.

Innovating and Learning versus Reporting

2008-12-14T06:23:00.003+02:00

While today sorting, packing, storing goods and resources received from generous givers all around the world, for pinpointed fueling of empowerment of the rural community, I was contemplating that the works in Macha evolved from a process of innovation and learning. Local talents were exposed, trained, mentored and supported in a process which was not planned nor documented upfront. Basically we were part of change 'on the fly', and maybe even were lagging in our understanding of what really is taking place during the wonderful progress we have witnessed. We have learned a lot, and now have an idea on 'how to be part of change', materialized in a change process that supports constant learning and action research.

While growing, all must be balanced with the often explicit and strictly implemented necessity to produce plans, contracts, reports and assessments. Basically it keeps me glued to the computer, typing many pages of text a day. And not only me is typing full time at Macha. Almost seven persons are already busy in administration for book keeping, accounting and reporting of our activities in Zambia. And then Dick and his group in the Netherlands should be added to this at well. It is good to tell the story, and to share the lessons learned. And of course, the pendulum swings forth and back between control and freedom.

Having gone through significant growth of organizations and activities this year, the feeling lingers that renewal of the value chain and value creation in development aid, with more attention for innovation and learning-by-doing, in a real time and fully connected environment is now due.

This year I have become even more convinced that Information and Communications Technology is a key enabler for progress, especially so in the rural areas of Africa. Preservation of African culture, transformation for those without chances, and in general giving local talent the chance to develop themselves all depend on 'being connected'. This, of course, both in figurative and technical sense. When connected, diversity is supported as well as the opportunity to specialize and join in ventures.

The horizontal, holistic approach in Macha has shown that many specialist parties can work together, and that specialism in providing for connections and flow of information - by means of Internet - between parties in rural Africa is possible, even from a base in rural Africa. We have shown that after priority to connect the rural communities and train local talent, we can deliver tailor-made community driven solutions, adding value to, and engendering, partnerships with expert organizations. Although heavily challenged by in vogue bureaucratic approaches, we must support learning, innovations, and entrepreneurship instead of overly focusing on reporting. It is quite frustrating to live in rural Africa and to spend much time on writing reports instead of being 'out there' doing the job. One just wonders where all those reports go, and if spending so much time on such work is 'all worth it'. Of course, full transparency and accountability is imperative. Such must lead to tangible participation in the work at hand, and not on 'reports to fill filing cabinets'.

Being connected, to work in a fully connected way, and reporting on the fly - multifaceted and real time, focusing on those things that 'make the difference' for the local community, well tuned in a holistic setting, building upon national and international relationships, from a solid and leading base 'in the South', that is the way we have gone and will continue to go in 2009.

Africa is Large

2008-11-27T10:36:00.003+02:00

On my way on a day-flight from Lusaka to London there was lots of chance to see Africa. The flight took almost 10 hours, of which more then 7 hours were above Africa! It is the Gall-Peters projection that shows areas of equal size on the globe equally sized on the map, and see: Africa is long!

When looking down, and thinking of the hundreds of millions of people living there, and all need to participate, and interact, it really dawned what massive task there is ahead.

The change of abilities of a community to participate after bringing Internet to a rural settings are significant. For instance, any of the capabilities underneath only became available after Internet was introduced in Macha. Before that event, they were not possible:

So, off I go again, from summer to winter, from South to North, on a quest to assure attention for the plight of the people in rural Africa whom need to be connected now!

Internet in African Bush Changes Lives

2008-11-19T22:10:00.009+02:00

Internet is a powerful engine for development. Today this became true again, making another big impact in our family life.

On the website of LinkNet there are many stories on how Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has been an engine for development at Macha. The story of how information was gathered through the internet that added sunflower growing to the agricultural landscape of Macha is well read. As is the information on the data entry work via the Internet at Macha. Interest often focus on financial significance.

The biggest impact that I experience of the full time availability is in inspired lives; Esther Kalambo is now certified pastor in the Brethren in Christ Church, after numbers of years hard study on a college in the USA connected from her home in Macha. She did so while uninterrupted serving Macha Hospital and the rural community at large. Fred Mweetwa is well underway in his Bachelors studies Public Administration at the University of South Africa. He does so from his tiny room in the Ark, while continuing to serve as emerging leader in rural Community Development. Doctor Sitali is studying for a Masters in Public Health from his house in rural Macha, while continuing to serve as medical doctor at Macha Hospital. And in Mukinge, the matron of Mukinge Hospital, Lynn Hacker has commenced an online MBA study. Most educators I know in these rural areas are now studying online, or are having plans to do so. This development in minds and skills of local people will have lasting impact on society.

Every day life of most professionals in Macha is now intertwined with the rest of the world. Sending and receiving e-mails is a continuous routine. Searching the internet for answers too. Exchange of pictures of medical cases to check with peers are nothing special anymore. We are all connected through Facebook and instant messaging, we post and discuss, and put Standard Operating Practices on Intranets. Local and online file servers, document servers, and application servers do their job, and internet libraries are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Some even buy cars in Japan, and almost all tickets and lodging bookings are done online. In Macha it is now news when the internet is down, not when it is up. It is like tab water, one only takes note when it is not flowing.

Of course, this is not applicable for everyone in Macha. Most people are not yet connected to, or using, the Internet. Like many do not have running water or a power connection. However, ICTs are now available and accessible. And most professionals in the community are able to use this connectivity to communicate with family and friends and do online studies. Through peer-to-peer communications with others the quality of work improves. One can even start thinking about 'efficiency' in rural Africa as personal effectiveness is enhanced.

We run between 4 and 10 Gb a day through the internet from this rural village. That is almost a DVD full of information flowing into this rural area, every day. It was ony a few years ago that the only way of communication was per weekly post batch or by HF or VHF radio.

Today, for our family, there was an apporteosis. At 17.30 hours, Merel sat behind her kindly donated, full size piano keyboard, glancing at the computer screen in front of her. Through the Internet connection she was able to see what her teacher Kristin was saying and showing on her piano, over 15.000 kilometers and 8 hours time difference away. Diligently she played on the piano keys for the first time, keenly watched over by her teacher in her music studio in Minneapolis. Merel played "kitten are we, cute as can be, playing the keys, miauw", and two other rimes.

We live as a family in rural Africa. This implies advantages and disadvantages for our children. I saw our daughter doing piano lessons today ..... there are no words to describe how I felt. Wow, thanks God, technology, all involved, and anybody else! This is life to the fullest, which should be available for all on earth, also to those living in rural Africa.

Existence Farming

2008-11-19T07:42:00.004+02:00

This morning while cycling with Elmo, Beauty and Merel to the primary school MICS, the air was full of noises of people working in the fields. Men cheered their oxen pulling the plough, and children joined their mothers and grand mothers in working with the how in the fields. Holes are being made, seeds are dropped, holes are covered and prayers go up for good rains and affordable fertiliser.

Yesterday afternoon the first good rainstorm hit Macha. And thus today people plow and plant. Last week we brought 1,200 kg of seed maize for the workers at Building Activities from Choma to Macha. Then all was still very, very dry. Today looks different, with muddy paths and messy roads. One big rain storm makes all the difference. People working in the fields, quickly doing their work in the fields from sunrise till going to work in the hospital, the schools or the mainy works at Macha. Any piece of land is being used.

The encyclopedia defines: "Susistence Farming: form of farming in which nearly all of the crops or livestock raised are used to maintain the farmer and his family, leaving little, if any, surplus for sale or trade." We might have to define 'Existence Farming' too.

This morning I turfed at least four power outages of the electricity grid, and electricity is gone since 05.45 hours. I am writing this blog while on generator. There are no banking facilities in Macha, and business loans are not readily available for people in tribal lands like Macha - hardly for anybody in Zambia actually. Heavy machinery and other production assets can only be bought in major towns, hundreds of kilometers away from Macha. Fuel and other consumables are not readily available. Most supplies needs 'imports' from other clusters of activities like towns. And transport is hardly available, and if so very expensive. So much for technology.

On the other side, the perils of the economic trouble in the world are hardly known to people in Macha; Its effects noticed only when taking a long term view on the future, which is not something kin to the local culture. It is all going by as an iceberg in the far distance. An analogy is climate change; Africa is the region where the impacts of climate change on agriculture are predicted to be the most severe. Well, a few in rural Africa know, will observe, and try to play part in preparing. Hopefully we become empowered to be through it all and be part of a solution.

About 20 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP is generated by agriculture. In many countries, agriculture is the main source of employment. Our next chiefdom Chikanta, with very poor infrastructure, no electricity what so ever, and even being further away from centers of activity, is reknown in Zambia for its production of maize, yes, maize for sale also!

Unfortunately, food production in most of sub-Saharan Africa has not kept
pace with the population increase over the past four decades. Lack of access to markets constitutes a binding constraint to the agricultural sector in most of the continent. [Source: United Nations report "Trends in Sustainable Development, Africa Report 2008-2009"]. Previously harvested maize produced the seeds for next year, now we need to buy genetically modified seed and thus have cash at hand. One has to evade this gloom picture and continuously go farward.

Well, this day people are planting again, in fields that were used by their ancestors and their ancestors. Given by the chief to the family in the oral tradition of the land. When we will be blessed with good rains, then we will harvest, and eat. Whatever happens or not happens with the electricity, heavy machinery, bank loans, buildings, and fuel, we will eat and live. Thus, there we go: early morning, digging and planting. And later early mornings: weeding. We will eat, understanding the works of our own hands, like our ancesters did.

I look forward to innovations in the area of agriculture. When we start planting oil crop for local and small scale production of bio-fuels, growing a diversified economy. When knowledge will emerge on new crops like sunflower and soya beans, indirectly stimulating crop rotation and thus yield of the land. To supply for local production of healthy, High Energy Protein Supplement foods, especially for those affected with HIV. It is about the 'human measure', the collective to understand and comprehend, to align with and preserve local culture. It is all about continuity of existence. Today people farm for their existence. We want and will be part of it. Let's put our hands at the ploughs.

Sports, part of Vision Community Works

2008-11-17T21:29:00.000+02:00

At Macha we have many students from various 'walks and activities of life'. They take time during their studies to be part of what is going on in Macha. Some do so as part of their studies, others as an intermediate activity. They are also human resource that can be focused on a task that needs attention. Most students to Macha come for activities in medical fields. Some students are easy going, some need lots of attention, but it is always worthwhile and a moving experience to be living within the rural African community. Students keep blogs about their experiences often, and with a Google search you might find several of them.

Today student Pim Herweijer gave his end-presentation of a three month period in Macha. He is student physical education at the University of The Hague and has been instrumental in helping the activities of Vision Community Works, Sports, an other leap forwards. He worked reporting to local community works expert Fred Mweetwa.

Sports offer important means in rural community development. It provides tools in the migration path between value systems pertaining traditional and ritual ways of tribal group life towards value systems incorporating higher authority and direct, absolutist rules. It trains participants in asserting self and handling of dominant behavior and power, as such imparting real life skills needed while being confronted with a changing world. And, of course, sport is conducive for good health.

Although we have been trying for years, it has been difficult to get attention - and funding - for sports development in rural areas. As Macha is now used to 'new developments' Pim entered a fertile area. He worked diligently and supported teaching of physical education at various schools, including Lupata Basic School and MICS. This inspired local educational talent to face questions as 'why sport', 'how to provide sport education', and 'how to use sports equipment'. This went alongside training and participating with local talents on organising of sports events, workshops and more.

We intend to measure effectiveness of visiting experts and students in the amount of coproduction with local talent they produce. As such, Pim worked with Mr. Kennedy Kanane, physical education and mathematics teacher at Macha's Francis Davidson secondary school, on a first concept for a 'rural proof' syllabus for physical education. This sylabus helps teachers in the process of improving Physical Education programs at their rural schools.

There is still lots to do and there is lots of room for further study. For instance, how to understand the rural mindset and view of sports, and how to build and maintain an innovative Vision Sports facility at Ubuntu Campus. However, it is again clear that sports activities are an other important element for sustainable progress in rural Africa.

The Bore hole Pump

2008-11-16T10:10:00.008+02:00

Water comes from deep in Macha. In this area boreholes are over 70 meters deep. The yields are low, apparently due to the rock formations in the ground. Boreholes often run dry. Continuity of water supply in rural Macha is a challenge, with today a miraculous saving of our single bore hole and pump at Ubuntu Campus.

We had to drill three boreholes, to find one yielding water - rated 1.5 ltr/second - 60 meters deep at Ubuntu Campus. Costs of drilling one bore hole range between EUR 4.000 and 8,000 depending on the supplier and relocation costs of the drilling rig.

Our 1 horsepower bore hole pump - costing about EUR 1,500 one year ago, excluding transport costs - stopped working about one month ago. Diagnosis at Macha: burned engine. Result: no water at Ubuntu Campus. While hauling drinking water in all kind of barrels and jars from MIAM Campus to Ubuntu Campus, I made a trip to Lusaka with the pump for assessment (transport cost USD 800). The diagnosis was confirmed: a burned engine due to stuck pump as the pump was worn out. As we have ran 'dry' in more then one aspect, I bought with our private funds the only available a new 1.5 horsepower engine with pump at the Lusaka supplier at that moment of time and took it to Macha.

Upon assembling the pump and pipes, and lowering in the bore hole, it was found that our two operational generators were not strong enough for the new pump. Fine tuning the voltage from a newly arrived generator took an other couple of days.

After a few minutes of pumping the new bore hole pump stopped working. The electronics became hot and the pump needed to be stopped. No water was flowing. Assessment by experts from Lusaka by phone: wiring mistake. Thus our chief technician Lemmie Muleya took the Thursday plane from ABFA-MACHA Aerodrome to Lusaka with pump, engine, electronics and all 100 meters of wiring. That same day it was assessed that the wiring was OK, however the pump was full with mud drawn during the short exercise. After cleaning of the pump Lemmie took the whole assembly back to Macha by taxi in Lusaka, bus from Lusaka to Choma, and taxi from Choma to Macha. He arrived home at 02.00 hours.

Friday morning the cleaned, new pump with the well tuned generator was pumping from a higher position and water filled the tank at Maanzi Office (Maanzi = Water). After 15 minutes the bore hole already ran dry and the pump had to be switched off.

Again the whole assembly came out yesterday. With the pump lower it worked well for 10 minutes, after which water stopped flowing again.

Now in crisis - as users were out of water again during days of all most 40 degrees - relatio assured 10 persons to work on the bore hole site this Sunday morning. Disaster really struck when the nylon pulling rope - reaching the surface while attached to the pump - broke! The sisable rope was possibly weakened by a year hanging under water in the bore hole. Now the pump with about 20 meters of 40 mm diameter poly-pipe, full with water, was hanging on a three-core electricity cable only. At this time I was requested to be at the scene.

I saw a hugely strained electricity cable holding a load of tens of kilograms, with the poly pipe about 10 meters in the bore hole. The risks were huge: loosing the bore hole pump and the bore hole itself, as the assembly would clog up the usable range of the borehole.

Well, there were no alternatives. Thus we started pulling the three-core electricity cable. At least five men carefully pulled the heavy load. When the pipe came in sight the wire started to slip, and it felt near that the whole would disappear into the deep bore hole. We blocked the cable and reviewed the options. There were none, so the corporate decision was to keep pulling. Apparently 'down there' something got some grip, and higher the pump came, and then the electricity cable felt to slip again.

Against all logic, we kept pulling and miraculously the poly-pipe now appeared from the bore hole. When it was half way out, we noticed the electricity wire had come completely loose from the pump and was entangled a bunch of 2,5 mm2 earth wire. Further pulling that bundle out we noticed that the bundle also had entangled with the remaining nylon rope. In the end only the rope pulled the load.

Although there are still many obstacles to overcome before we have water running again - eg where and when to get new nylon rope and a role of class 6 40 mm poly-pipe - at the time this morning that all was over, it took over 15 minutes for the adrenaline in my body to settle to normal levels. Elation of the miracle of saving the bore hole lingered much longer.

Cross Culture

2008-11-14T11:38:00.000+02:00

This morning I saw two ladies sitting at the Vision Community Works, Library and Craft shop in Macha. They are from Mabombo area in Chikanta Chiefdom. This night they traveled the 60 kilometers distance over virtually impassable dirt roads. They offer their Tonga baskets for sale, and will go back with money to pay for transport, their children's education, clothes, and other goods that will help them in daily rural life, all in exchange for their locally created produce.

It was moving to see that opportunities in Macha are drawing people from far. These ladies came with their hands full, with what they have produced. In the process they palaver with people from Macha and learn about the developments that are taking shape. They will go back inspired and empowered with fresh ideas as how they could adapt what they have seen with their own eyes as to reach their collective and individual potential.

It reminded me about what a long road it has been to come this far as a community; I had to learn a lot, and continue to learn every day.

First of all I had to shed my drive to help as in this inclusive environment everybody is geared towards helping each other, which includes me. I had to redefine the value of ratio, as the rural African environment first and foremost relatio is where it is about. Next was looking at goals defined by the answer on the question 'what?', as goals in rural Africa are enshrined within answers on the question 'who?'. My western sense of individuality then was to go, as in rural Africa the individual is defined as being part of the collective, the community.

And on it went, next the anticipated solid grounds of legal security, which needed rerouting to base security in the authority granted for the responsibilities one commits to bear as part of the community. And my drive to accumulate tools to get the job done was challenged by the environment where one gets the job done through the power of tested relationships.

It takes a considerable length of time to become member of the rural African community and references from my previous - non-rural African - life were of no avail. An important barrier to being together went when I grasped that my default linear view on time does not coincide with the more corkscrew or circular notion of time in rural Africa. I started mainly motivated by the opportunities in the future but it all became more wholesome when appreciation grew for the community working from wisdom and knowledge distilled from experiences in the past.

It is a privilage to be together with the the ladies from Mabombo. I recognize it is almost unavoidable that new entrants to rural Africa go through often heavy culture shock and strain in their personal lives as they must adjust to the local environment. We did and do so for almost seven consecutive years. It is worth it!

MICS

2008-11-11T11:15:00.000+02:00

This morning I had the privilege to observe proceedings at Macha Innovative Community School, MICS. For the first time this season we had steady rain in the early morning, so it was a nice, fresh start today at MICS House. It was impressive to see the discipline of local teachers being supported by others from various backgrounds and areas from Zambia and abroad. There is a strict and tight planning, and lessons start in time and hitting the ground running. There is a drive and power in all involved that is rubbing off. Head teacher Sakala mentioned: "these children learn more then I did during my primary school".

During the chapel time, the Christmas play - to be performed 5 December - was being rehearsed. Then I visited the different grades and sat in each class for a while. During the first years of education focus is on Reading/Writing and Mathematics. This provides the foundation for further development. I observed that Grade 4/5 did breeze through a school DVD on the subject of 'paragraphs' and when probed had no problem giving the definitions of imperative, exclamatory, and interrogative questions. At Grade 3 I saw the children working on the different prefixes, suffices of words, and sentences. In Reception Class the children were at "W", almost at the end of the alphabet. During activity classes each grade worked with gusto at puzzles of different complexity.

It is wonderful to see that MICS is succeeding in integrating high quality education using local resources in a rural African setting. It was special to see how the teachers communicate the materials within the context of local cultural setting in a truly African way, which does focus on the positive, affirming good behavior and results, incorporating it all in a collaborative and inclusive environment.

MICS is currently about 50 students, prone to double at Ubuntu Campus for, say, three more years. At the same time MICS will be multiplying in the other primary schools in the area (and beyond). This will bring growing resource needs as there is an ever increasing demand for class rooms, teachers and housing, to assure quality and quantity growth both within and without the example school MICS. The current team has grown MICS from the proof-of-concept with one class room in 2006, to proof-of-reproduction with two class rooms in 2007, to proof-of-production with now 5 grades operating in 2008, to a professionalisation and multiplication stage in 2009. They have never ceased working hard in a difficult and resourced challenge area. To grow this work is a massive, important and rewarding challenge.

Sharp Shooting

2008-11-07T12:35:00.000+02:00

In the pursuit of Sustainable Progress we at Macha translate relational thinking in a holistic approach with tangible results. It is always good to come back to Macha from other places in the world to see what we really have achieved! We are able to bring together a broad coalition of partners in the South and the North whose aim is to inspire local talents to take the reigns in their communities, realizing their collective and individual potential. Such is done at the Center of Experience in Macha, with many more Centers of Experience to follow - ideally at least one rural site in each province - to harness the local and rural experience and bring it ever nearer by to all those and inspire to tap from this source.

The three key ingredients of the approach are:

Internet connectivity;
Local talent in the driver seat;
Scalable solutions that work in rural setting.

Men, are we making progress?! Everywhere I go I find people busy. Today I touched base in two hours, after a two days visit to Lusaka. In that short time span I saw the following, mind boggling amount of activities - which are just a tip of the iceberg that is again floating today:

local talent working on clearing for high voltage power lines to the Ubuntu Campus;
local talent working on new roads to a proposed site for Bio Energy production;
local talent working on replacement of a worn out water pump;
local talent working on building a classroom for LITA, the ICT-training branch of the proposed Ubuntu Leadership Academy at Macha;
local talent working on finishing the MICS House, the future housing facility for destitute children at MICS, currently already in use for the school and to house a family for guiding the children;
local talent finishing the first two rondavel housing experiments at Macha;
local talent putting some improvement on the roof of Vision Broadcasting House at the onset of the rains;
local talent working on new technology implementation at LinkNet in a make shift laboratory environment, in both network mesh technology and access and accounting technology.

While going around I met local talent with which I discussed our financial and accounting processes and outstanding draft reports and funding requests, with other talents the implications of the ethics involved with administration and our wish to be fully transparent to the local community first, second Zambia at large, and thirdly international stakeholders and the international community at large. Then on it went, discussing the flight schedule of the airport with the local leaders at ABFA-MACHA Aerodrome, bringing new drugs to be tested at MIAM that I transported from Lusaka in our new car, handed over an old battery that I received in town for a local person in the rural, in the mean time continuously explaining how to culturally appropriately view the realities witnessed during this short tour with a a Netherlands student whom tagged along and whom arrived in country yesterday only.

Well, after writing this blog I will continue working on putting the oral information into written format on locally defined and tested ideas and plans for health, education, transport, communications, education, health, and agriculture. Great I have got access to Internet in the whole of Macha, on any devise, so we can continue communicating and interacting, over any cultural, geographical, time, and whatever barrier.

It is a great privilage to be alive and kicking in the African rural areas!

Pick A Baggy

2008-11-02T21:27:00.001+02:00

Johannesburg International Airport is getting renowned for its picky bagging. And, again something got stolen from my luggage this week. It is pretty amazing, as my hardshell suitcase was locked and arrived locked. But a relative small external computer DVD-drive was taken out of it. That one was in the locked suit case, and in a box in an other computer box in the suitcase. The box was neatly closed again, as was the suitcase. And nothing else was missing! A pretty sophisticated theft, which would need initial X-ray equipment as to know what was in the suitcase.

It is not the first time my stuff goes missing at Johannesburg International airport. Early this year two duffel bags with building materials, one from my father and one from my uncle, coming to help in Macha, went completely off the radar, never to be seen in Lusaka nor back at its origin Amsterdam. Or specific electronic equipment - mini DV video and or photo equipment - or even watches have been removed from suitcases from family and friends flying through O R Tambo International Airport.

But the huge, wonderful gift from friends in the USA - a full size and large Yamaha electronic piano keyboard - went through uncatched. Maybe too big? Yes, ok, it got delayed for three days, completely off the radar in the baggage system, but thanks God it showed up at lost luggage Lusaka on Friday. Flying Mission picked it up and flew it to Macha, and now Merel, Elmo and the friends do not talk about anything else then 'the piano'. An other miracle, a full size electronic piano at Van Stam's residence. Merel is scheduled to receive piano lessons from friends in the USA via Skype..

Hot

2008-10-30T16:04:00.000+02:00

Arriving back in Macha, it is all hot. The temperatures are high - over 40 degrees these days -, my family is hot - their love by far the hottest thing existing, Ubuntu Campus is hot - with a great new large jungle gym, and the thoughts are hot - how to deal with it all: it is all boiling.

It was good to be in the USA for two weeks, for the first time after 5 years. The West is an important world player and seemingly dictates a lot of priorities in the world. I noticed a lot less 'explicit grandness' in the US compared to previous visits. The cars are of lesser size, and advertisements feature less 'I am #1'. Still lots of vogues and the latest 'cool thing'. Reviewing the content of this site on 'stuff', which link was sent to me today, put that in a rather bleak perspective.

It is good to be back in at home, in Macha. Heartwarmingly, a number of persons visited our house to welcome us back home today. When looking around it is obvious: some of the answers of the problems of the world are here to learn, right at our rural African doorstep. The value of relationships, the value of sustainable progress that benefits all, the value of lessens learned through history, the value of not giving up and persisting in face of whatever adversity, and the value of sheer enjoyment of life.

It is wonderful that many people I met in Washington, New York, Boston, Norfolk, Santa Barbara and LA, resonate and confirm this insight. Hopefully that offsets the CO2 added to the admosphere due to my resent journey. Now it is important to continue forward, and expand our community, so there will be true, continuous and inclusive collaboration all over the world, that will be cool! (eh.. it is a hot item)

Epic

2008-10-30T08:36:00.000+02:00

The screen in the seat in front of me shows a curved line from IAD (Washington) to JHB (Johannesburg). The line touches West Africa, somewhere below Mauritania, but then quickly goes back over blue, the Atlantic Ocean. Now the screen switches to numbers. Height: 10,073 meters, Outside temperature: -47 Degrees, Ground speed: 905 km. Distance traveled: 4064 kilometers, Distance to destination: 9160 km, Time to destination: 10.26. Time at destination: 04.37 hours AM, Time of arrival: 02.57 hours PM. This is an epic journey.

About 15 hours of flying time, from start to landing, in one go from Washington DC to Johannesburg, from winter to summer, from North America to South Africa, from here to there, from far to far. A marvel of engineering, an Airbus 340-300e, South African Airlines: chapeaux! Now trying to have body, mind and spirit traveling at the same pace while I am moved.

- written Tuesday 28 Oct over the Atlantic Ocean -

Dreaming

2008-10-26T20:57:00.000+02:00

Appropriate dreaming, that is what I have been doing the last two days. Dreaming along with geeks and dorks, and people from top, middle and low class, at various occasions in the melting pot of Los Angeles.

BarcampLA (number 6), was an enjoyable experience. It is an open, participatory workshop-event, whose content is provided by participants. This one hosted in the workspace of a LA company, with hundreds of participants. Just sticking a notice on the board, and off one goes. Yesterday I had the chance to present the Macha case to this lively geeky public, amidst hundreds of PCs and other equipment clutter.

Later on the day Geoffrey Emery, whom was my appointed host for the day, drove me in his red, convirtable Mustang around downtown LA towards Codecamp, where he gave a speetch on the use of Virtual Earth in java-programming, and other nerdy things. Code Camp is a place for developers to come and learn from their peers. Quite a different atmosphere then Barcamp, but both completely open in nature - attendance is absolutely free - and speakers just 'sign in on the fly' and it all supports the free flow of information in an impressive way. I am just dreaming of the time we can have these kind of venues in countries like Zambia, where peers present, challenge and be challenged in an open, creative environment among peers and all.

In the evening Lynn Langit, Esther Schorr, and Anton Delsink joined and I was taken to a nice Japanese restaurant with stunning views at the 21th floor in downtown LA. They all visited Macha, are volunteering for the worthwhile SmartCare developments in Zambia. It was like a dream, meeting in one place, while we all live in different parts of the world (LA, Seattle, Dubai and Macha respectively).

This morning I went to Angelus Temple, around the block from where I am staying right now. It is operating the DreamCenter in LA and beyond, and it was certainy a top musical and experiential event. Nicely out of the box for a person from the Zambia rural area, stirring and exhilerating, a real big-town USA experience.

California USA

2008-10-25T03:39:00.001+02:00

It is amazing that anyone even lives here! Even during the landing the place looks like a desert, but still, more then 30 million people around Los Angeles, presumably not worried about 'The Big One' (The earthquake). Well, I must say, the weather is nice! Thus it is understood that everybody appears to be ready for the beach.. The campus of the University of California, SB, is right at it. The percentage of flip-flop wearers in CA must be higher then in our rural village of Macha!

The University of California, Santa Barbara campus is blessed. Next to the beach are about 20,000 students busy with gaining knowledge. On their trendy bicycles with large handle bars and thick tires they ride around a beautiful campus. Prestigious speakers, wide range

of subjects, and liberal thinking blend. I attended a class again, now on network security, and was asked to present on LinkNet developments at Macha. Thanks to David Johnson and his family whom hosted me during this time. He is committed to bring the mesh developments 'two steps further', and does so in view of developments towards PhD. Certainly an other partner in the work with UNZA towards MSc in ICT4P.

Today I traveled back by AirBus (a bus from Goleta/Santa Barbara) to LAX (Los Angeles International Airport), where the driver pointed out all remarkabilities of the area. 'Famous' places like Malibu, and the house of this person and that person, and crazy amounts of 'this house costs $ 42 mln - from Cher - and this house is on the market for over $ 50 mln. I would not want to live in those houses, having route 101 in my back yard! Dolphins in the water, that was the most remarkable and amazing sight you me.

In Los Angeles I had a nice meeting with FourSquare Foundation @ Sunset Boulevard. After the meeting, testing and tasting that I had no clue where to stay, they they offered me a stay in a very nice apartment. Tomorrow BarCamp and maybe even CodeCamp, and dinner with friends whom visited us in Macha. It is all a confusing mix in my head now about the a-synchronic situation of rural Africa and urban USA.

Old Dominion University (ODU)

2008-10-22T04:19:00.000+02:00

It was a long time ago that I had the chance to sit in a university class. Today it was the chance, and it was recognizable. Computer Networking, at ODU, one of the 7 universities in Norfolk (VA) area. The opportunity was with Jonathan Backens, Team Leader LITA at LinkNet, to join him to one of his classes, as part of his PhD training and activities. This was after meetings with a host of professors in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Dr. Albin is a kind an driven program director, and keen to see the world developed. He carries the vision, and got Dr. Akan (associate dean) and Dr. Dhali (chairman) involved. Chances for the UNZA cooperation with LinkNet to have more educators involved! An American university day, a good experience.

Family over three continents

2008-10-21T00:41:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Virginia Beach, VA. Currently I am visiting with Jonathan Backens and his family, after having stopped in Washington, NY and Boston. After this, on Wednesday, onwards to LA. This trip was initiated by the invitation of IEEE to present during their Humanitarian Workshop in Boston, USA. My presentation is published at http://link.net.zm/?q=node/239.

Janneke is currently in France, just finished attending the 39th Union World Conference on Lung Health of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, France, from 16 to 20 October 2008. She will go onwards to visit her sisters in the UK and NL.

And Merel and Elmo are in Macha! They stay with the Krauses, and reports are that they enjoy their extended 'sleep over' at the Zisamu (Wooden) House.