Last weekend, while I was in Axum, I met two Germans who were cycling to Tanzania. Along the way they had planned to interview various NGOs which were working in Africa, specifically helping with ICT. Their final destination is a group called Linux for Africa who are concentrating on setting up computer labs with free open source software. They were interested in many aspects, but the main issues discussed were the need for equipment and the sustainability of that equipment and training provided. The key problem that was raised was perhaps a vast misunderstanding from developed nations (including me before I came) that Africa has nothing, and therefore will accept everything. As I have discovered here the college has very advanced computers – newer than mine at home! Even the University courses cover the latest hardware and software. As I stated in the interview; the last thing Africa needs is to be full of old out-of-date machines, that someone else does not want, and feels better for donating than disposing of. For the record, the same is even more apparent when it comes to books. The store is practically full of old, tatty reading books (thrown out of the UK for a reason) and multiple copies of brand new irrelevant textbooks (probably with errors in – why else are they here?)
Another issue is that of licensing software (or lack of here). While the mass globalisation of Microsoft continues, due to a lack of knowledge and experience from the majority of PC users that there may be alternatives; we as ICT "experts" have an opportunity, maybe even duty, to guide Africa on a different track. The curse could well come when Microsoft, who are undoubtedly aware of this situation, decide to clamp down and start charging and fining various institutions. Many users do not realise that for every piece of purchasable software there is a free substitute, maybe unconventional, version, often referred to as Open Source or Freeware. This point is also naturally linked to the spread of viruses. Everyone is aware of how prone Windows is to virus attack, yet we look for cure rather than avoid evasion. Some people do argue that virus-writers would include the alternatives in their target, if they were more popular, and we would discover how liable they were to attack. Having said all that, changes here happen in eras and eons and I cannot imagine the rewriting of course material would begin.
Read about their adventures www.wheelswithinwheels.de
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