The Gates Project-Ololosokwan

 A few years ago three incredibly generous families-Mike & Mary Terry, Jennifer & John Gates and Kitty Jenkins donated $16,000 towards setting up a computer room, solar and printers at Ololosokwan Primary School, near Nduara in Loliondo.  The project was a HUGE success with a number of teachers and individuals getting totally hooked on learning about computers. 
This year they have decided to take the project a step further and have contributed an incredible $20,000 for 20 new computers, and an upgrade for the solar system. 
A HUGE thank you from all at Ololosokwan Primary, but especially Gabriel and myself, Lali.  You have truly made a difference in the lives of the students and teachers of this small village.  I am so looking forward to watching the project develop.

Computer training

When the Gates family donated $16,000 to Ololosokwan Primary School for a small computer room and photocopier machines, it seemed like a pipe dream that the teachers would ever get the hang of using the laptops.  However the effect of their donation has had a huge impact on the school, as well as the surrounding community.  We saw a huge desire from people in the village to learn not only how to use the laptops but to learn how to maintain them.  Nomad Trust used the ever patient Evans Shirima from AA computers to do the training at the school and  AA computers here in Arusha have taken the training they provide a step further.  Very kindly AA computers have taken on Gabriel-a teacher from Ololosokwan Primary School for his second course in computer maintenance.

The course is free for Gabriel as he will go back to the school and share his skills with the other teachers there.  The Nomad Trust is very grateful to AA computers for their support. 

Ololosokwan Primary School Vegetable Garden

A while ago Gabriel, one of the teachers at the school approached me about starting up an environmental afterschool project-which included replanting of trees around the school to try and control soil erosion, as well as starting up a small vegetable garden to supplement the childrens food they got at school. The vegetable garden is looking amazing, and they have replanted plants around all the school lawns and classrooms-see below picture-the new plantings are covered with thorn branches to stop the local goats eating them! 

It is also great to see that the WFP (World Food Program) is now also supporting Ololosokwan Primary School. 

Trip to Nduara-Ololosokwan

It was great to make it back to Ololosokwan to follow up on some of our projects there, I spent the first day at the Ololosokwan Primary school checking up on the solar, laptops and printers that the Gates family kindy donated.  They were still in use and all I had to do was update the anti-virus software.  The teachers love having the use of the laptops and being able to access internet! when exams come round it means that a huge amount of time is saved as the teachers no longer have to hand write out hundreds of exam papers!

Gabriel, a teacher, connecting to the internet-the best signal is by the window!