The Cutting Edge of Rural Kenyan DIY Net Connectivity.

[Timothy Barker]

This is Duncan using the prototype solar computer (actually we eventually used his own solar equipment to power this session). He is based in a small rural Kenyan village near Lake Bogoria. Duncan now as updated his mobile phone to a Chinese N96i so he is able to send email messages to the DIYNGO team. He also tells me he can browse the web but judging by what I can see of this phone on the Internet it would be quite a limited experience.

We had hoped to send a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) some time ago to Duncan so that he would have an extended Internet experience - sending/receiving email, browsing the web, using Skype and so on. However, unfortunately we have been caught up in red tape in the UK with the insurance company seemingly dragging its heels over repairing an old PDA we were going to give to Duncan. Meanwhile, while we were chasing them Duncan has now updated his handset!

We do though still wish to get the PDA to Duncan as he should find it has more functionality than the phone he is currently using. We are literally just waiting to get the money together to post the PDA (Palm Treo 680) to the insurance company so that they can begin to assess the repair/replacement.

Duncan is being quite patient and is understanding of our predicament. Not only are we having to deal with typical UK bureaucracy and inefficiency (when it comes to claims, etc.) but we are also operating on no budget; relying instead upon the kindness of friends and well-wishers of which there have been quite a few now. We can only thank them for their kind efforts and untold support to date. Without everyone being on board with these efforts to the extent that they have been then progress would have been impossible. Bravo mes amies et merci! Hopefully everybody can see that we are learning so much here.