Computers for Rural Schools in South Africa 2006 -
2007
In July
2006, TWB-SA dedicated its first computer lab at a rural school in
Thank you
to the Rotary Clubs involved and especially to Mr. Dick Basday and his staff at Capital
Office Automation, Port Shepstone, KZN, for their hard work in setting-up
these computers at
Yunus Peer
Director TWB-SA
Ps: TWB-SA will open the next two computer labs at rural schools in
We
acknowledge the efforts of long-time TWB supporter from
Thank you all !
Read the testimonials of 3 members of TWB-SA 2006 who were present at
the dedication of the first computer lab at Mdlangaswa High School in July
2006.
To: Mr. Al
Heiman
From:
Heather Taylor
Dear Al
My name is Heather Taylor and I was one of the math teachers who went
to
On the day we left, we attended the dedication ceremony at
see how excited the students and teachers were. They kept repeating
how fortunate they were, and it was wonderful to witness their
excitement. I have a sister who graduated from
I was so proud that she is affiliated with a school that is making a
difference to kids and teachers in
Americans can make the world a better place. Those computers have
given a rural South African school hope. Hope for a better education
for their students. It has made them feel important--it has made them
feel special. Although they might not have much, they are now
privileged with a beautiful computer lab, and they are ready and
willing to make the most of it. Thank you for making this a reality
for these students. You have changed their lives.
Aloha, Heather Taylor
To: Mr. Al
Heiman
From:
Barbara Mayer
Dear Mr. Heiman,
I was lucky enough to be one of the science teachers that participated
in this year's Teachers Without Borders --
by my friend Yunus Peer. It was an incredible personal and
professional experience; memories will remain with me for the rest of
my life!
Certainly one of the high points was to participate in a school-wide
assembly highlighting Cornell's donation of computers to Mdlangaswa
high school. The school is in a rural area, located among a small
community of spread-out homes; sugarcane seems to be the primary
agriculture. In my opinion, although the school is isolated, it is
run by an energetic principal who was obviously on top of things, and
also well-liked by students and staff. The room dedicated to the
computers is quite simple, but perfectly adequate; approval has been
granted for additional security. I had the opportunity to talk with
one of the teachers, and she said all the students of all grade levels
would get instruction on the computers. The plans were to begin quite
logically with keyboarding skills. There's a teacher to student ratio
of 1 to 60 or more; so a third of a classroom will be getting computer
instruction at a time, while the other students are doing work back in
the classroom.
I also want to mention the technical follow-through at this end of the
shipping of the computers. I had an opportunity to meet Dick Basday,
the person in Port Shepstone that oversaw the transfer of the
computers from their arrival in RSA to the school. He and his
technicians checked the computers and prepared them for use in the
school. I spoke with one of the technicians before the school
assembly, and he was quite complimentary about the condition of the
computers and the memory & software that they came with. I know that
everyone was most appreciative that these computers were not
broken-down, cast-off machines!
I can report to you all that I have in the paragraphs above, but still
miss the point if I didn't try to convey to you the look I saw in
students' eyes. It was a look of "I can reach to my future." Here
are these kids in rural
to grow up to become whatever they are motivated to be!! There will
be doctors, teachers, astronomers, business men and
women...professions and dreams of all sorts coming out of those
classrooms. Cornell's computers couldn't be in better hands!
Thank you so much; aloha,
Barbara
Barbara Mayer, M.S.
From: Al
Heiman <arh11@cornell.edu>
Date: Jul 26, 2006 4:14 PM
Subject: Re: computers for South Africa
To: Barbara Mayer <bamayer@gmail.com>
Barbara,
Thank you for your moving and informative letter!
I've been wondering what became of the shipment as the last I had
heard was that the ship had docked and Yunus's folks were waiting for
customs to finish doing whatever they do.
I have also been worried about the monitors as I didn't have time
to check most of them. I did check almost all the computers but I ran
out of time when the shippers decided to move the shipping date up.
As everything had to be ready at the end of Cornell's semester, and
all the students who volunteered to help were very busy, I had no
help at all refreshing the hard drives, gathering packing material
and putting the things in boxes. I also ended up putting the boxes on
the truck by myself as the truck came late and my only helper at the
farm I store the computers at had to leave. It was a learning
experience but now, thanks to your letter, a happy one!!!
This was my fourth shipment to various places in Africa and the
second to
believe that if conditions in
will benefit, plus it is really hard to get large shipments to
all I can to help schools there. I don't want to sound sappy but I
believe that the future of the world may be in how Sub-Saharan
is treated by the developing world right now...and I think you might
share that view. I'm trying to get Cornell students to take over this
project so they can raise money and get more publicity. I would still
do all the grunt work and serve as a technical consultant but if I
can get students to help they can turn this into a Cornell project
rather than one some crazy staff guy is running out of an old barn in
the country. Anyway, that's the plan...but if it doesn't work out I
can still send the machines myself.
Thank you again for writing. Please let Yunus and Dick know that
they can ask me anything about the computers and that I do have some
spare parts I can send if they need them.
All the Best,
Al
Spencer
CIT Public Labs Coordinator
Student Employment Supervisor
255-9526
To: Mr. Al Heiman
From:
George Scott Chaplain
Aloha Mr. Heiman,
I recently visited
a tremendous experience. One such experience, as photojournalist for
the group, involved being with Yunus and Dick Basday as we moved the
computers your school donated from Capital Office Automation Dick's
company, to their new home at
I feel I had the best seat in the house as i was able to be on the
inside seeing the computers packed in the trucks, driven from Port
Shepstone,
taken from the trucks by appreciative teachers and excited
students for their initial set-up in the classroom.
It's true that a picture tells one thousand words so I will send you
several photos under seperate email to tell you what my mere words
could never say.
Thank you for what you have done for a worthy community of 'learners
and teachers'. If you have not already, I hope someday you will
experience firsthand the fruits of your labors in the sparkling eyes of
the youth of
Blessings,
George Scott
Al Heiman wrote:
George,
Thank you so much for writing! Your pictures do indeed "speak a
thousand words" which is a relief as I have been wondering how things
are going in SA.
I'm glad to know that the machines arrived in working condition. I
was pressed for time and couldn't check all the monitors before I had
to pack them. I suspect that some of them may not function properly
but they still may. Most of the machines came from Cornell's library
system, which means I don't know their history, but I was told that
they were all working when I picked them up...but I still have my
doubts.
I would LOVE to visit
fortune to teacher 1st grade in
suggested that as a government employee ( I worked for the Zambian
government in a gov owned private school) it would be bad to have a
SA stamp in my passport. So, although I traveled widely in the
region, I never visited the country that, in my opinion, is the key
to prosperity for the whole of southern
favorite artists, Busi Mhlongo, is from the area so I imagine that
the music is awesome!
Thank you again for writing.
All the best,
Al Heiman