13 March 2011. Back in January 2010 I described my computer tech woes—the frustrations of trying to clean viruses from the ancient computers that the AICT Kisula secretarial school has to work with. These days the most streamlined free antivirus software requires about 192 MB of RAM under Windows XP. Most of the Kisula school machines have either 64 MB or 128 MB. Not only will the antivirus software not run, but every other task on the computer takes forever (in computer time, anyway.) These machines were meant to run Windows 95—just running Windows XP itself far exceeds the capacity of the machines. But still they will function, even with programs like Microsoft Office 2003. So they get along—at least until the viruses take control.
This week one of the computers bogged down and ceased to function. I tried to clean off the viruses, but the antivirus software would not load into the insufficient RAM. In short, it simply did not work. I tried to explain to the school matron why it would not run. It’s like trying to fly an airplane with a motorcycle engine, I said. She gave me the strangest look, and then she laughed. I’m not sure she understood the point, but at least she saw some humor in the description. Or maybe she just couldn’t believe what she heard and was simply laughing at me. Either way, I appreciated the laughter.
But since I first described this problem a year ago, things have been happening. A friend of mine from Alaska and my former Alaska law firm, Perkins Coie LLP, donated a total of 9 used computers and keyboards—many thanks to you all! Although used, these computers will be much faster and more powerful than those clunkers the school now uses. In late February I received word that the computers have arrived in Tanzania, at the port of entry in Dar es Salaam. This is very good news! But, what would be easy in America is often a far greater challenge in the developing world. Transporting these computers the last 1200 kilometers to Mwanza is proving to be a significant logistical issue. It’s not that there aren’t trucks and airplanes traveling the route every day, but rather the problem seems to be finding a transporter who is not only trusted and available, but also affordable on a limited budget. So for now I am waiting for the improved hardware to arrive. My American colleagues got them into the country, now my Tanzanian colleagues must also do their part to get them across country. Maybe this week, I hope. Hope is a real blessing. Sometime you might ask someone the reasons why they have hope.
