insideKENT ' s Adam Ready and Donna Martin at the Computers 4 Africa warehouse in Kent
district of Tanzania – it is one of the poorest parts of a poor country . Unlike many small NGOs who build schools , dig wells and run health clinics , we have as an objective fostering the community ’ s self-sufficiency so that we become redundant . The way it works is that the community sets its own priorities and objectives each year and then , subject to it conforming to UK charity law and to there being sufficient funds , we fund it . We therefore place the responsibility on the community itself .
“ It is an unusual approach , but it works – up to 1997 only one child in the entire history of the Chole community had ever completed secondary schooling . Now six have graduated ( including last December the first woman , who was also the first ever university student from Chole to read science ) and another eight are either in university or studying for diplomas .
“ The project works in close partnership with Chole Mjini Lodge , the island ’ s tiny , magical eco tourist lodge , which has no running water or electricity and which last year won the Gold Award in the World Responsible Tourism Awards .
“ When we need laptops we apply to C4A and if they have them available they are allocated . Sometimes – as in the case of insideKENT – they are donated , and in other cases we pay a small amount .
“ The laptops go to two places . Firstly , the community tries to equip every university and diploma student with a laptop to help them with their studies . It would be hard to succeed in university without them , and the local cost makes buying them completely out of the question . Secondly there is a primary school and a learning centre on the island , both run off solar power , which have small IT networks . The major function is teaching English ( this is very important , because in Tanzania primary schooling is in Kiswahili whilst secondary is in English ) using the GENKI computer-based English language system and , in the learning centre , providing remedial teaching to children who fail exams , plus some basic education to adults who never attended school .
To find out more about Computers 4 Africa or to donate , visit www . computers4africa . org . uk or email sharon . roberts @ computers4africa . org . uk .
To find out more about the Chole Project and its unusual but demonstrably successful model for development , visit www . choletrust . org or email chole @ rech . co . uk .
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