Project Trip 2008

You may not realize the amount of work that goes into a mission trip, but let me state that it can be overwhelming. I am just so happy this week because our batteries arrived. That’s right, batteries. They were the big hold up. Without confirmation of a delivery, our container could not be loaded. Until you have a date for loading the container in one area, it can’t move on to the next and finally to the ship. The day the ship leaves depends on those loading dates (did I mention you get a whole hour to load the container at your site).

Once all those things are in place, you get an idea of when the container will arrive by sea and by land to its final destination. In this case it is Kigali, Rwanda. Upon arrival it must clear customs. This has taken a week once, and four weeks another time. You have to leave enough time for it to clear before your team shows up; otherwise they have nothing to do. Well, they will find something to do, but not anything on the mission objectives list. With an arrival date you can then begin the process of finding a flight over for the whole group and the airlines don’t like maybes when you are scheduling.

So I am ecstatic that our batteries have arrived. They are the last part of the container. The solar panels, tools, inverters etc., are ready to go on board. The books, all 20,000, have been pulled by Books for Africa, and are waiting for the container to arrive. The team is getting prepared, and I am still trying to get airline reservations.

It has been a lot of work putting together the Koinonia Foundation Project Trip 2008, but I have the best job in the world. I have so many great people working with me, that I knew all along that the batteries would get here in time. When you do this kind of work, everything just seems to fall into place like it is supposed to. I just wish it would do it a little sooner at times.

Andrew Williams

One Laptop Per child

I heard another report on the news today about the “One Laptop Per Child Program.” This report was about the sending of the XO computers to a group of school children in South Africa, which was a very positive thing. The report also talked about the problems the program is having. It is not keeping the cost down to below $100 and there is a failure rate to the computers, among other things.

I believe that it is important to remember what a large undertaking this project is. The goal is just what the program is titled, they want to get a laptop into the hands of every child in countries where students cannot afford a laptop. A plan this lofty is going to have problems. We must remember that problems can be worked out, and eventually will, but we should not look at this program as failing. It is far from failing.

I had the opportunity to speak with those in charge of the start up program in Rwanda. At the time they were field testing the XO in a rural school. Some of the computers were not working, but most were, and the students were using them. That is what is most important; computers in the hands of students who consider getting an education to be the most important opportunity of there young lives.

Modernizing education in third world countries is the most beneficial ideal for the world to embrace. Education is what will stop fighting and hunger. Education will bring us all to the same level and allow for mutual understanding. The XO computer is a way to modernize education and expand the opportunities for students who have very few opportunities.

So when you hear about the “One Laptop Per Child Program,” and they talk about the problems, remember, that those problems are minor compared to the benefits that this program is providing.

Andrew Williams

Kenya

I was in Kenya at the beginning of November. That is before the elections that have caused such trouble for that nation. I was there to set up operations between the Koinonia Foundation and a small clinic in the Masai Mara, run by a fellow American, Dr. Marty Graber. We had an excellent time, lovely people, good work, animals; the whole thing. No signs of unrest at all. Of course, I was only hanging out with one tribe, the Masai.

We did encounter a group of young people who were campaigning, and it was a little scary. We stopped to fuel up at a gas station and right behind us came two small busses and a bunch of cars. They were all campaigning for one candidate and they were rowdy. They were waving around posters and yelling. They were also drinking. All of them were. It was like a tailgate party. We were uncomfortable, but did not fear for our wellbeing. I think it could have gotten real scary if any of the opposing candidate’s people had showed up.

In hindsight, I guess we should have seen the violence coming.

Did we see this coming? No, but we didn’t see Rwanda coming in ‘94 either. How can you predict this kind of thing? What you can do is realize that tribal groups are still a volatile idea in Africa. Look at it the same way we look at religious differences in other parts of the world. The slightest thing can set off tribal battles.

Did I just say “slightest?” I guess I consider rigging the election of one of the largest countries in Africa (allegedly) to be no big thing. In the case of Rwanda, it was the assassination of a President. The point is, those kind of things happen in Africa and it can explode into violence that we in the West cannot comprehend.

Kenya is a jewel on the African Continent. If this violence continues it will destroy all that has been accomplished there. It is important that we in the West do everything we can to help out those who are in the crossfire. Any number of causalities is unacceptable in our world.It is important that we in the West do everything we can to help out those who are in the crossfire. Any number of casualitie

Andrew Williams