Introduction


Last November when Matt Farmer and Chris Browne suggested taking on the improvement of the Nyumbani Computer Lab as a worthy project prior to a trip to Nyumbani by the Dausman and the rest of the Browne families, the lab housed twenty antiquated PII computers, most of which did not work and the rest had insufficient memory and RAM to run more modern programs. Housed in two small rooms, the computers primary use were the screen savers on the computers that entertained the Nyumbani children.


By the end of the year, thanks to the combined efforts of many people, the lab had been reconfigured to make it both larger and more usable. Five fully functioning computers were in place. They were tied into a network system and structured access to the Internet was made available. Earlier this year two more computers were added to the network and with additional RAM and hard drives we can add even more computers. The available space in the lab allows for up to 14 computer stations.


Expressed in a working document last November, these were the goals we set

for the computer lab:


Our intention is to enlarge the computer lab up to 14 computers. These computers will then be used to teach the children basic and later more complex computer skills. These skills are vital in modern life. The computers can also be used for recreation, which will also contribute to learning the necessary working environment skills.


The network and computers on it should be easy to maintain, monitor and secure as the children are ever more creative in developing ways to frustrate a system administrator. While the computers in the lab are not ideal, they can be used to start a computer-learning program and accomplish many of the educational and recreational goals for setting up the lab in the first place.


Networked computers hooked up to the Internet offer a wonderful educational opportunity for the children. Among the immediate opportunities we see include:


Future opportunities are virtually limitless. Nyumbani could become an internationally recognized authorized examination site for basic computer qualifications. Creation of a basic computer lab can serve as a stepping-stone for grants and corporate donations.


These goals continue to be valid general objectives for the Nyumbani Computer Lab. For the most part they are modest goals by computer educational standards in the United States, but based on our experience in Kenya it will be a challenge just to sustain a computer educational facility in Nyumbani, let alone expand it further.


System Goals


We want the overall computer system to meet certain minimum requirements in order to be an ongoing positive contribution to the educational environment of Nyumbani. For us to succeed, the system must:


The basic system we have established will get us started and open up opportunities for modernization. It is a good starting point, not a panacea. To be successful in the long run, the computers will need to be replaced with more modern equipment that is better designed for networking and operating more current educational programs.


Now is the right time to put in place a strategy to integrate improvements into the existing system and adopt standards that must be met before in-kind contributions are accepted or direct purchases are made. In addition, there must be in place a decision-making and funding apparatus for training, maintenance and upgrades of the system. Finally, we must identify, train, and retain a system administrator/computer teacher if the computer lab is going to be sustained and expanded.


Site


The current site consists of a converted garage with double steel doors and is secured by a lock. The main room has counter top along the wall on three sides and space for as many as 14 computer stations. Currently there are seven computers and a printer networked together.


There are three outlets which provide adequate power for the current and anticipated computers as long as power for Nyumbani is available. There is one small back-up battery that provides marginal protection for brown-outs and no protection for blackouts more than a few minutes.


Ceiling lighting is marginal, but adequate for current needs. There are two windows that are steel reinforced and the steel doors can be opened when the lab is in use.


An administrative office for storage is available in the back of the other side of the converted garage. There is no direct access between the administrative office and the main room.


Internet access is piggybacked on the satellite hookup for the medical testing laboratory and administrative functions of Nyumbani. Access has been throttled back to avoid overuse of the computer lab.


Proposed site improvements include:


  1. Purchase a UPS large enough to safely allow the shutdown of 14computers, printer and network hub. A larger capacity UPS would permit classes to continue during power outages using fewer computers. However, if the lab moves to laptops as the basic computer unit, the most pressings hort-term issues will be resolved.

  2. Complete putting network and power cables into conduit. This is a basic safety issue and will help lengthen the useful lives of the computers being used daily by children.

  3. Improve Internet access when DSL comes to Karen, which could be later this year. The computers will not be as functional as they can be until the speed to load Internet pages can be improved.

  4. Install an alarm system of some type.

  5. Consider purchase of a gasoline driven backup generator to sustain the computer systems for the medical lab, administrators, and the computer lab.


Hardware


The networked computers consist of seven Dell Optiplex GXII machines with various small hard drives and 256MB of RAM. These are among the machines that could be salvaged with spare parts from a graveyard of old computers that have been donated to Nyumbani over the years and upgraded with larger hard drives and additional RAM. Even though these are older machines, they have the advantage of being standard which makes the repair and maintenance issues much more manageable.


There are several more computers that can be refurbished for use in the lab. At a low cost they have proven the worth of the computer lab and can continue to be incorporated into the educational curriculum for years. An operating disk has been created so that any computers that get infected with a virus or tinkers with to excess by students can be easily reformatted to restore them to their original configuration.


It is not worth upgrading the refurbished machines any further. They are slow, old, and incapable of running the most current versions of operational, business, and productivity software.


Proposed hardware improvements include:


  1. Purchase additional RAM and ship donated hard drives to Kenya to refurbish additional computers. The cost of the compatible RAM is approximately $1100, plus shipping. Hard drives have been donated and only need to be shipped.

  2. Acquire identical laptops when hardware updates are made. Not only have they come down in price but they have their own power supply which solves some of the power issues the lab faces. Dell sells a laptop for $549 that comes with an Intel Celeron M360 processor (1.4 GHz/1 MB cache), 512 MB RAM, 40 GB hard drive, wireless network card, and a 1-year warranty which should be the minimum acceptable hardware configuration for the next generation of computers. The laptops are more easily transportable than desktop computers for warranty repairs. On the negative side, they are easier to steal and cannot be repaired on-site. We feel that the convenience and built-in battery advantages outweigh those risks.

  3. Security cabling to reduce the risk of theft.

  4. Obtain a dual drive server for the system administrator and to back up files.

  5. Obtain 350+GB external hard drives for additional file back-up capability.



Operating System Software


Initially we planned to reinstall Windows 98 SE on all of the computers. Although this is not the newest version available, it is the most recent that the computers are capable of running. Windows is the most used operating system in the world. Most businesses in Kenya, and indeed worldwide, are running Microsoft software. A treasure trove of Windows office and productivity software was donated to complement educational software that was made available.


The reality is that the existing computers in the lab are not capable of running Windows 98 programs, let alone Windows XP or future operating systems that will demand more power, speed and storage capacity. And even if they could run current operating systems, Windows based operating systems are very susceptible to viruses and other external attacks as was witnessed on the medical lab and administrative computers that were crippled by hundreds of viruses.


An open source Linux educational operating system was installed on the computer lab computers, called Edubuntu. It is a low user of resources and virus free. It comes with a number of education programs that teach keyboarding, math, spelling, English, and other subjects.


On the philosophy that you need to learn to walk before you run, we recommend staying with Edubuntu for the time being even though there is nobody on site who has much training in Linux and nobody with experience in the teaching of Edubuntu if for no other reason than it is the only operating system that works well on the existing computers. It is reasonably easy to learn and there are teaching modules accessible by anyone with basic computer skills. Matt Farmer is in the process of acquiring Linux certification.


This begs the question of which operating system, Windows or Linux, should ultimately be used in the Nyumbani computer lab. This was a hot topic in our discussions and there are pros and cons on both sides of the issue. The operating system and the programs used for training students are virtually interchangeable for the vast majority of training that Nyumbani students will receive at the computer lab. From that perspective, we are years from needing to make a decision, if one is even needed. Both systems could be run in the computer lab, just on different computers.


Educational Software


Edubuntu comes with a package of educational software built in. In addition, there are many educational software programs available, many of them for free.


Software needs, without getting into specific programs are as follows:

  1. Keyboarding and basic computer use

  2. Word processing, spread sheet, and data base programs

  3. Use of the Internet

  4. Complimentary programs that can be used in the school curriculum

  5. Computer repair

  6. Specific programs


Teaching manuals are needed for each program.


Matt Farmer has been sent the curriculum outline for Fairfax County schools and has begun to adapt the teaching modules for use at Nyumbani


Maintenance and Training


Volunteers alone cannot do the network and computer maintenance necessary to keep the system working. In the short time between when we left at the end of last year and Matt Farmer returned, the computers were already in an advanced state of disrepair. Computers in a school environment require constant attention and maintenance in order to be fully utilized.


Unless full time staff can be identified with both maintenance and training experience, we recommend hiring as Matt leave a Kenyan or Kenyans on a part-time basis to act as the network administrator to sustain the network system and teach basic computer courses to students and teachers. In addition to a salary, we suggest offering incentives for excellent performance and longevity including a computer, network accessories, and travel to England or the United States for advanced training.


Here are the immediate qualifications we believe are needed for system maintenance and computer training on a part-time basis:

  1. Provide basic on-site maintenance support and phone support.

  2. IT and network experience and is able to execute upgrades, virus checks, and add new hardware and software to the system.

  3. Able to communicate effectively with on-site staff plus a network committee with oversight capacity.

  4. Teach both students and teachers basic use of the computer system, plus introduce them to the Internet and available education software and game software.

  5. Create or adapt basic computer courses for students and teachers, plus design higher-level courses as students become more adept with computer technology.


This is a position that could become a full-time position depending on how integrated computer courses are integrated into traditional teaching methods where teachers are assigned computer labs on certain days for their classes.


Matt Farmer meets all of the qualifications and has agreed to serve as the system administrator/computer teacher for the next eight months for about $2,000US in fee and expenses. Tomi Browne raised that amount last weekend from the sale of Kenyan jewelry that is earmarked for Nyumbani. We ask that the Board use those donations for Matt.


Matt is not a long term solution for the administrative and teaching needs of the computer lab, but represents a wonderful opportunity to cement the hardware and site gains that have been made, to start teaching computer programs to students, teachers and administrators, plus find his replacement in Nyumbani or Nairobi. We have not identified all the hurdles we face nor have we identified answers for every issue we face, but eight months gives us some leeway to make real progress on this important program.


Funding


In the short term, we propose that Board pay for the additional RAM at a cost of approximately $1100. We can save shipping costs of the RAM and a number of hard drives if we can identify someone to bring the equipment over to Nyumbani later this month. Otherwise we will ship them to Matt Farmer when he is in England later this month.


New computers, software acquisitions, salary and training for a system administrator/computer teacher, and other necessary expenses need to be anticipated and projected as part of the ongoing budget for the operation of Nyumbani. We believe that a working computer lab in Nyumbani will attract more financial interest than it costs through individual donations and grants.


While neither of us has experience writing proposals for grants to help African orphanages, we have contacts with people who write grants and companies that sell computer products. Jack has received initial interest from a computer company and will be following it up next month at a conference. As we get more experience with the computer lab and learn the most effective way to train and educate Nyumbani students, the prospect of creating an effective model to lead Africa into the Information Age is huge. This is what will drive interest amongst grant organizations.