In the time since my last post, progress on the 2021 Phrase 1 projects has continued. Reneal’s Team Tanzania and partners from Habari Node and Arusha Node Marie completed installation and training for the new computer lab at Kinana Secondary School. We are so excited to have Kimaseki, Suye, Elerai, and Kinana Secondary Schools as part of the Reneal family now, thanks to the generous donation
Since the last post, Reneal’s Team Tanzania and partners from Habari Node and Arusha Node Marie have continued their work. Welcome Suye Secondary School and Elerai Secondary School to the Reneal family! And tomorrow will bring a new computer lab at Kinana Secondary School. Reneal is very excited to support these schools in the city of Arusha, bringing computers and learning materials to the students and teachers there. Following completion of the new labs, Reneal and our partners will expand five existing Reneal computer labs in Arusha District. These labs are very active already, and we are excited to provide additional seats in the lab for even more use by the students.
The long-awaited moment arrived today – installation of the computer equipment generously donated by Apto Solutions has begun! Reneal Team Tanzania and our partners from Habari Node and Arusha Node Marie were at Kimaseki Secondary School, and in just a few short hours they turned an empty room into a new computer lab. Reneal was thrilled to be greeted by parents, community members, and teachers who have worked hard to prepare for this moment. Installations of new computer labs at Elerai, Kinana, and Suye Secondary Schools will follow soon after computer teacher (SUPER USER) training and teacher orientation is completed at Kimaseki.
This last week brought a flurry of activity here at Reneal headquarters, thanks to another generous donation of computer equipment from Apto Solutions (www.aptosolutions.com). Everything is in place now to execute the Q2 project plan! Reneal Team Tanzania and Reneal’s partners in Arusha will install computer labs in four new government secondary schools in Arusha City Council, as well as expand five very active existing Reneal labs.
Reneal Team Tanzania continues to make beginning-of-the-year visits to all of the schools in Arusha Region with Reneal computer labs. It’s been a bit of a challenge due to a recent spate of electricity outages. And with Reneal now up to 31 lab installations in Arusha Region, it’s a big task even when things go smoothly. Thanks to Robert Nyangaka, Erick Mneney, and Anold Christopher in leading this effort!
It’s been a time of ups and downs since the last blog post. Reneal Team Tanzania continues to grieve the death of Arusha Region’s Administrative Secretary Richard Kwitega, who was tragically killed in a car accident in early February. RAS Kwitega was a great friend of education in Arusha Region, and his loss is felt deeply by many. Reneal’s Team in Tanzania as well as Reneal’s Board were honored to know him and join hands with him in helping Tanzania students learn about technology. RIP RAS Kwitega.
Reneal’s life-blood is used computers that can have a new life serving students in developing countries. Right before the holidays, we were thrilled to receive a call from Jeff Jones, the CEO of Apto Solutions. Apto Solutions (www.aptosolutions.com) is an IT Asset Disposition company based in Atlanta, specializing in extending the life cycle of IT assets and ensuring responsible recycling. Jeff told us that Apto Solutions was looking for a non-profit with which they could partner to get used computers into the hands of those who need them. Reneal’s entire Team is ecstatic at this chance to work with Apto Solutions to give these computers new life in public high schools in Tanzania.
2020 was a big year for Reneal, with expansion into a new district in Arusha Region. We are very excited to be working now with five schools in Longido District! We ended 2020 with some unfinished business, so Reneal Team Tanzania has been back on the road to Longido to carry on with the installations. We are so pleased to welcome Anold Christopher to the Reneal Team. Anold joined Reneal Technicians Robert Nyangaka and Erick Mneney during the installation work in 2020, and he will be supporting the Longido schools longer term with maintenance and training.
Happy New Year from Reneal! It’s always exciting to follow the arrival of the New Year in the Philippines, then Tanzania, and then finally here in the US. In Tanzania, students finished the school year in early December. As soon as the school year starts in January, Reneal Team Tanzania will be making their beginning-of-the-year visits to each computer lab to make sure everything is running well. Reneal’s youngest batch of high school scholars will begin Form 4 in January, their final year at Mwandet Secondary School. And Reneal’s original group of scholars will be resuming their first year of advanced education in January.
Reneal’s work began in the Philippines, growing out of its co-founders US Peace Corps assignment on the island of Cebu. From 2013 to 2018, the number of Reneal computer labs in schools in Cebu grew from one to 34. During this same period work began slowly, haltingly, in Tanzania. However, the last three years have brought a dramatic shift in Reneal’s focus. In 2018, Reneal installed seven new computer labs in the Philippines compared to two in Tanzania. In 2020 by contrast, eight (and soon nine) new computer labs have been completed in public high schools in Tanzania compared to a single new installation in the Philippines.
