[kictanet] My Take: Affordable computers

Fri Aug 28 14:28:18 EAT 2009

Camara does excellent work in 6 African countries. In Kenya they have been
focusing on Mombasa and the Coast but are about to spread out into other
provinces. If anyone is interested in setting up a computer center email
ali at camara.ie.
Many blessings,

Crystal

On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 1:36 PM, McTim <dogwallah at gmail.com> wrote:

> HI,
>
> I can confirm that Camara does excellent work in UG.
>
> If you need the contact for the EA rep, ping me off list, I have her
> details.
>
> --
> Cheers,
>
> McTim
> "A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A
> route indicates how we get there."  Jon Postel
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 1:31 PM, Crystal Watley
> Kigoni<crystal at voicesofafrica.org> wrote:
> > One organization, Camara, is bringing in computers and charges the end
> user
> > 5,000 Ksh each. They are distributed on the Ubuntu Open Source platform.
> > They also provide follow up services. At 5,000 Ksh each with a fully
> > functional operating system, that blows new computers out of the water.
> With
> > the lower computing demands of Open Source systems the schools save money
> on
> > both hardware and software. If they had to purchase new computers it
> would
> > be at least 20,000 Ksh each plus they would have to buy upgrades on the
> > Microsoft software. Using Open Source gives the computers a longer
> lifespan,
> > especially those without complex requirements such as the basic functions
> > necessary to teach the basic to students. The used computers do not
> require
> > higher power consumption than a new desktop. As a matter of fact since
> they
> > come from corporate donations, the computers are usually less than 2
> years
> > old.
> > When looking at socio-economic development, the younger we can provide
> > access to the computers the more potential we have of being able to
> compete
> > in the knowledge economy. Forcing institutions on already tight budgets
> to
> > purchase brand new equipment is foolish. Every school in Kenya needs to
> have
> > computers and until that occurs we need to facilitate cost effective
> > measures for implementation.
> > Crystal
> >
> > On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 1:16 PM, Barrack Otieno <
> otieno.barrack at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> Crystal the term "affordable" is relative in the context of Socio -
> >> economic development, could you elaborate on your position?
> >>
> >> On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 12:56 PM, Crystal Watley Kigoni
> >> <crystal at voicesofafrica.org> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> We have to start somewhere. Bringing in used computers is a simple and
> >>> effective way to bring computing power into schools and villages. Yes,
> >>> Computers for Schools Kenya does charge for these computers (too much
> if you
> >>> ask me in comparison to other groups doing the same), and yet the
> schools
> >>> pay for them so they can give their students a fighting chance at
> joining
> >>> the knowledge economy. We need to consider the welfare of our young
> people
> >>> before we sell out to the "new" game as Uganda has. Can Kenya really
> afford
> >>> to equip ALL of our classrooms with brand new computers? And has anyone
> >>> considered the monopoly given to Microsoft when we push for only new
> >>> equipment? The license fees involved for software? There is a lot more
> to
> >>> consider than simply e-waste.
> >>> Crystal
> >>>
> >>> On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 12:48 PM, Areba Collins <
> arebacollins at gmail.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> I cant believe this, are you guys actually arguing that having no
> >>>> computer is better than having one that is old, consumes lots of power
> >>>> and has only a few years left in it?  Cause as far as the rest of it
> >>>> is concerned, quality is a function of competition.
> >>>>
> >>>> On 8/28/09, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>> > Listers Evans has raised a pertinent issue, we might not have made
> >>>> > some of
> >>>> > the strides we have achieved in the sector without the used
> computers,
> >>>> > on
> >>>> > the other hand there is an environmental concern that is valid, this
> >>>> > calls
> >>>> > for a multistakeholder approach to create a win win situation for
> our
> >>>> > local
> >>>> > business men (Remember the used car parts issue that sprang up early
> >>>> > this
> >>>> > year), NGO and any other organisation involved in the importation
> >>>> > process,
> >>>> > may be its time KEBS got involved in the process, reading through
> >>>> > Bills
> >>>> > email i am of the opinion that there might be some imbalance in the
> >>>> > way the
> >>>> > importation of the computers is handled, by the way i had there is a
> >>>> > facility for disposing off e-waste in Dandora, maybe Mr Tom Musili
> >>>> > could
> >>>> > shed some light on the issue, i wish we had statistics to help in
> >>>> > evaluating
> >>>> > the impact of the used computers.
> >>>> > Let the debate continue..
> >>>> >
> >>>> > On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 11:26 AM, Bildad Kagai <billkagai at gmail.com
> >
> >>>> > wrote:
> >>>> >
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >> On Aug 28, 2009, at 8:12 AM, Victor Gathara wrote:
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >>  I am thinking here of donations of used computers that can
> >>>> >> make their way into the country through a regulated and monitored
> >>>> >> channel (such as ComputerAid) who will also have responsibility to
> >>>> >> ensure EOL disposal according to WEEE standards to prevent dumping
> of
> >>>> >> electronic waste.
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >> Victor,
> >>>> >> In your position, you know very well that these second had
> computers
> >>>> >> are
> >>>> >> not donations. You can ask Tony Roberts how much he is paid to
> >>>> >> dispose a
> >>>> >> computer from Barclays in UK, that eventually finds its way to a
> >>>> >> school in
> >>>> >> Mau. And the Mau school pays for shipping and other costs....but
> >>>> >> besides
> >>>> >> all these politics......DFID
> >>>> >> might consider to fund a specific study comparing the final
> 'landed'
> >>>> >> cost
> >>>> >> of
> >>>> >> a dumped computer versus a 'clone' assembled with new parts at
> >>>> >> Crescent
> >>>> >> Technologies or JKUAT taking into consideration the kazi kwa vijana
> >>>> >> created....if it has not been done already. PS. I am speaking as a
> >>>> >> 'contributor' to this mess here, because I also have problems
> >>>> >> disposing my
> >>>> >> old computers and printers in the office. Most of the times, its
> >>>> >> easier to
> >>>> >> take them to a school in shags that cannot afford the electricity
> >>>> >> bills of
> >>>> >> running them...and... just live with the guilt like everyone else
> >>>> >> despite
> >>>> >> being labeled as The Hero who brought us computers.
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >> One reason IBM sold its hardware unit was because Moores Law states
> >>>> >> over
> >>>> >> time, the cost of hardware approaches zero and the cost of power
> >>>> >> consumption
> >>>> >> and capacity of the hardware doubles every 18 months.  Thus,
> bringing
> >>>> >> 5
> >>>> >> year
> >>>> >> old computers to Kenya only drains too much power when we should
> >>>> >> strive to
> >>>> >> bring consumption per watt down. At least, just based on power
> >>>> >> consumption
> >>>> >> alone, dumped computer should never see the 'light of day' at the
> >>>> >> Kenyan
> >>>> >> port if locally assembled computers will consume half of the
> wattage
> >>>> >> today....especially now when everyone is striving to go green.
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >> http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000868.html
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >> Google, for example, has watched its energy consumption almost
> double
> >>>> >> during the past three generations of upgrades to its sprawling
> >>>> >> computing
> >>>> >> infrastructure. *It recently unveiled a major new datacenter site
> in
> >>>> >> a
> >>>> >> remote part of Oregon, where power costs are a fraction of those at
> >>>> >> Google's
> >>>> >> home base in Silicon Valley.* But cheap power may not be enough.
> Last
> >>>> >> year, Google engineer Luiz Andr� Barroso predicted that energy
> costs
> >>>> >> would
> >>>> >> dwarf equipment costs -- "possibly by a large margin" -- if
> >>>> >> power-hungry
> >>>> >> datacenters didn't mend their ways. Barroso went on to warn that
> >>>> >> datacenters' growing appetite for power "could have serious
> >>>> >> consequences
> >>>> >> for
> >>>> >> the overall affordability of computing, not to mention the overall
> >>>> >> health
> >>>> >> of
> >>>> >> the planet."
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >> _______________________________________________
> >>>> >> kictanet mailing list
> >>>> >> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> >>>> >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >> This message was sent to: otieno.barrack at gmail.com
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> >>>> >>
> >>>> >>
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/otieno.barrack%40gmail.com
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >
> >>>> >
> >>>> > --
> >>>> > Barrack O. Otieno
> >>>> > Administrative Manager
> >>>> > Afriregister Ltd (Ke)
> >>>> > P.o.Box 21682
> >>>> > Nairobi 00100
> >>>> > Tel:
> >>>> > +254721325277
> >>>> > +254733206359
> >>>> > Riara Road, Bamboo Lane
> >>>> > www.afriregister.com
> >>>> > ICANN accredited registrar.
> >>>> >
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>>> Its Possible!
> >>>> http://www.itspossible.afraha.com
> >>>>
> >>>> Collins Areba Omwoyo
> >>>> +254 735 824872 / +254 720 516758
> >>>> arebacollins[at]gmail[dot]com
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> kictanet mailing list
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> >>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
> >>>>
> >>>> This message was sent to: crystal at voicesofafrica.org
> >>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
> >>>>
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/crystal%40voicesofafrica.org
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> Crystal "Naliaka" Watley Kigoni
> >>> Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development
> >>> crystal at voicesofafrica.org
> >>> http://www.voicesofafrica.org/
> >>>
> >>> "You must be the change you wish to see" - Gandhi
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> kictanet mailing list
> >>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
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> >>>
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> >>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
> >>>
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/otieno.barrack%40gmail.com
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Barrack O. Otieno
> >> Administrative Manager
> >> Afriregister Ltd (Ke)
> >> P.o.Box 21682
> >> Nairobi 00100
> >> Tel:
> >> +254721325277
> >> +254733206359
> >> Riara Road, Bamboo Lane
> >> www.afriregister.com
> >> ICANN accredited registrar.
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Crystal "Naliaka" Watley Kigoni
> > Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development
> > crystal at voicesofafrica.org
> > http://www.voicesofafrica.org/
> >
> > "You must be the change you wish to see" - Gandhi
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > kictanet mailing list
> > kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
> >
> > This message was sent to: dogwallah at gmail.com
> > Unsubscribe or change your options at
> >
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/dogwallah%40gmail.com
> >
> >
>

-- 
Crystal "Naliaka" Watley Kigoni
Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development
crystal at voicesofafrica.org
http://www.voicesofafrica.org/

"You must be the change you wish to see" - Gandhi
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