[Chapter-delegates] Assistance for internet access to project in Senegal

[Michiel Leenaars]

Dear all,

one of our members Pascal van Nugteren is organising through the
non-profit Viafrica foundation the foundation of an internet/IT center
in Senegal. There are some problems with the delivery of internet
connections, facing 8 months delay for the project (which is of course
costly).

If any of you has the opportunity to do something or knows people (in
Senegal or elsewhere) that might be able to help, please let us know.

Kind regards,
Michiel Leenaars

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: ADSL Senegal
Date: 	Fri, 20 Oct 2006 17:04:09 +0200
From: 	pascal at rednose.nl

Hi Wouter,

Below a description of our project and our problem.

Viafrica Foundation (see www.viafrica.org) is working together with  
Communicado Foundation (www.communicadofoundation.org) on a ICT  
project in Dioffior. In March 2006 we went there with a group of  
volunteers to explore the possibilities for the start of a ICT centre.  
The project was called ?Xam Xamle?, which  means ?I pass on my  
knowledge? and aims at the realisation of a multi functional ICT  
center in Dioffior, a place at three hours drive from Dakar. In 2006 a  
feasibility study has been done by Dutch and Senegalese youngsters  
under supervision of Viafrica. This study shows that there is indeed a  
market for an ICT center in Dioffior as long as the services are  
differentiated; training, internet access, printing, scanning, but  
also video editing for weddings. At the end of 2006 (25 november until  
16 December) Dutch students will again visit Dioffior to transfer  
their knowledge and help to build capacity for the center and the  
intended employees. The Idea is to put in place all the hardware that  
is needed, to train local trainers and editors and to help the people  
of the centre with putting together a business plan. Ideally in 2007  
the center has to run independently?.

We are now busy with the preparations for our next visit to Dioffior.  
One of our biggest concerns is the ADSL connection. At this moment  
there is no ADSL in Dioffior. (Only internet by a telephone line is  
possible but very insecure and slow..) To run the ICT centre  
sufficiently ADSL is needed. Our local contacts (Foyes des Jeunes de  
Dioffior) are very busy with talking to Sonatel (Kaolack) but did not  
succeed so far. We have contacted Sonatel several times ourselves, and  
in September they promised us that by December 2006 Diofior will have  
an ADSL connection. At the moment, however, Sonatel has changed the  
deadline to July 2007, which is much too late for us and the centre. I  
was wondering if you have any suggestions on how we could try to speed  
up this process. Please inform us about this.


Kind regards,
Pascal van Nugteren
pascal at rednose.nl


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