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Newsletter # 55 - Stakeholder update
Pottar Muzamba, Tonga.Online
July 10, 2007

Introduction

As the challenge to network the Information Technology Centres (ITCs) and provide Internet services in Binga district draws nearer, the month of April was packed with series of meetings and workshops. The goal was to assess and review the magnitude of the work delivered by the project and come up with a tentative plan which will guide the future implementation of activities.

Contrary to April, the month of May and June was dominated by the completion of the feasibility study, i.e. the report writing. This report is very critical for the achievement of the Tonga.Online objectives because it is suggesting appropriate options and solutions how to approach further ICT infrastructure (and relevant skills) development.

Tonga.Online Advisory Board

The inaugurational meeting for the projects Advisory Board was held on the 20th of April 2007 in Bulawayo. At that meeting, the Board elected its chairperson and vice who happen to be Mrs LL Dhlamini, the Provincial Administrator of Matabeleland North under the Ministry of Local Government, Public Work and Urban Development, whilst the vice chairperson is Mr Adam Dube of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture. (Find all members and their pictures online). The constitution to govern operational parameters for the Board was thoroughly discussed.

Feasibility study for ICT infrastructure development

The feasibility study report which was expected to be circulated in mid May was eventually distributed end of June. Dr. S.B. Mangena from National University for Science and Technology (NUST) has been the study supervisor. A joint Advisory Board and RDDC Science & Technology subcommittee meeting to discuss the report has been scheduled for the 20th of July 2007 (but deferred to a date to be anounced soon - due to collision with other commitments of Board members). After the committees will have exhaustively deliberated, resolved on the report and advised Tonga.Online on the way forward, further ICT infrastructure development will commence thereafter.

Deployment of IT trained teachers

The district had hoped to get some IT trained teachers during the second school term as promised by the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MOESC), however nothing materialised because the shortage of teachers with ICT skills in schools is still manifest. With computer sciences being an examinable subject and the roll-out of technology in more schools, a shortage of people with adequate skills would grossly retard progress in future.

Training

A two days workshop on Free and Open Source Software FOSS and on web management and editing was conducted by Stefan Kuthan from Austria Zimbabwe Friendship Association (AZFA) on the 26th and 27th April respectively. The purpose of the workshop was to impart relevant IT skills. A total of 15 people (3 females and 12 males), mainly school teachers, the Ministry of Education DEO officials and Tonga.Online staff were exposed to these imperative and crucial skills in preparation for the upcoming Internet access and web activities.

Routine trainings which are conducted at different ITCs for the community and the school pupils have been adjourned during the month of April due to the holidays in all schools, save for Sianzyundu Secondary School which had programmed for holiday lessons for form four pupils. The trainings resumed in the month of May at all the centres. During the month of May, only school pupils were trained in most ITCs simply because community members can not afford to pay for the courses owing to the economic hardship currently prevailing in the country. In this regard the 'user pay concept' has to be properly managed if the "access for all" objective has to be accomplished.

Upgrade of Binga High ITC

Binga High School ITC was upgraded with 14 state of art computers procured by AZFA in Linz / Upper Austria. The computers were all networked and installed with Edubuntu, a Free Open Source Software (FOSS) during the month of April. The installation of new computers facilitated the resuscitation of the Internet services. A total of 736 students (315 males and 321 females) from form 0ne (1) to form six (6) are undergoing training at the centre. The students have adapted well to the FOSS software which came along with the new computers. No courses were run for the wider community in the month of April and May. In the month of April training could not be conducted owing to upgrading of the centre which was taking place. Whilst in the month of May training could not be conducted because the trainers were still familiarising with the new software.

Twiimbilane Studio

Registration of musicians and practice sessions for musicians are ongoing with two groups and one individual currently recording their music. The studio is also actively focusing on the recording of traditional music for archiving in a bid to expose Tonga traditional music to tertiary institutions that offer music.

The first public performance of the newly completed Kankolimba instrument was held on the 22nd of April 2007 on the occasion of the visit by partners AZFA, HORIZONT3000 and Kunzwana Trust for the Tonga.Online midterm project review workshop.

Kankolimba is a combination of two instruments, a Kwanongoma-style marimba instrument and the Kalimba-like Tonga Kankobela. Some networking plans with Mr. Edward Mungombe, the Siachilaba based famous Kankobela player are under way. The purpose of the networking is to facilitate the transfer of Kankobela music onto Kankolimba. The transfer process will be done through a combined playing of Kankobela by Edward and the Kankolimba by the youth group.

Monitoring and support visits

A joint monitoring visit was conducted by AZFA, HORIZONT3000, Kunzwana Trust and Tonga.Online on the 23rd of April to Manjolo Secondary, Siachilaba Primary and Sianzyundu Secondary Schools. The people who formed the monitoring team were Stefan and Peter Kuthan (AZFA), Johannes Atzinger and Hubertus Lindeiner (HORIZONT3000), Keith Goddard and Ignatius Mhambi (Kunzwana Trust), Pottar Muzamba, Richard Simango and Theo Sianyuka (Tonga.Online). The purpose of the visit was to establish how the centres were operating and what challenges they experienced. One major challenge which was highlighted by most of the centres was how to sustain the operations of the ITCs amid the limited revenue sources in the ITCs.

A one day Project Midterm Review Workshop was held on the 24th of April 2007, facilitated by Peter Kuthan / AZFA. The workshop participants were teachers, the District Education officials, Kunzwana Trust, HORIZONT3000, AZFA and Tonga.Online staff. The main thrust of the workshop was: to review the level of implementation of the project and assess reports from ITC's stakeholders and partners; to identify key issues and lessons learned; to chart the way forward for 2007 / 2008 and to clarify what to expect from whom. Quite a number of issues emerged during the workshop and these issues require a proper strategy to address them.

Arts and culture

One of Tonga.Online projects prime objectives is to promote and preserve the cultural heritage of the Tonga people. It is particularily for this goal that Tonga.Online was founded. On the 23rd of April 2007, the Tonga.Online team, Austria Zimbabwe Friendship Association (AZFA), Kunzwana and HORIZONT3000 visited the traditional Ngoma Buntibe dancing group Simonga in Siachilaba ward and had a chance to interact and listen to this unique music. It was quite pleasing to learn that the group is growing from strength to strength.

Preparations for the commemoration of Lwiindi festival on the 28th of July 2007 in Sinazongwe district in Zambia are at an advanced stage. The Lwiindi festival is a function where the Tonga people of the "Great River" appease their ancestors for what they have done for them in a particular given season. Currently, Tonga.Online is busy mobilising the Simonga Ngoma Buntibe group and a few members from other groups to go across and join their Zambian tribes' men in the celebration of such an important function. This function will be also a learning process for the BaTonga from the Zimbabwean side on how to preserve culture which faces the risk of extinction. From the lessons learnt, it is envisaged that the Zimbabwean counterparts will also mobilise better to preserve and revitalize their culture.

Latest news from LINZ: Tonga.Onair soon broadcasting in Zambia

A team from Radio FRO in Linz / Austria - with Marcus Diess, Sandra Hochholzer, Hannelore and Ingo Leindecker - is on their way to Sinazongwe on the Zambian side of the Great River to establish a small community based radio station at Sinazongwe Basic School.

This off-spring of Tonga.Online will expand the outreach of the existing Information Technology Centre ITC at the school and promote the creation of relevant local content.
The team will therefore hold a workshop for local participants how to run such a station: studio- and transmitting-techniques, analogue audio-cut, microphone-techniques and the common work-out of the first editorial and technical radio-transmissions.

The conclusion of the three-weeks-stay will be the ceremonious opening and handover of the broadcasting station to the Sinazongwe community prior to the traditional Lwiindi ceremonies on 28th July. This thanksgiving feast after harvest time will already be accompanied by the local broadcast-activists on air.

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