Week 3 Report

ICT Survey

I have completed 11 out of approximately 30 interviews, all in the rural community of Yasica Sur. I will continue interviewing in Yasica Sur as well as the cooperatives La Reyna, La Pita, and Ramon Garcia (Trentino) and the town of San Ramon this week. I hope to finish the interviews by Saturday. I feel that the youth are able to answer the questions with little confusion, but have found in the one interview I have done with an adult that she had great difficulty in answering the hypothetical or future-oriented questions. Through the interviews I am learning a great deal about the limitations these people face in accessing information. I have also learned that adults are much less likely to plan for their own future than youth (this is through talking with various adults outside of the interview as well). Cellular coverage gives me hope for wireless access. I hope to analyze the results of the survey next week. You should now be able to access the finalized survey in the "Files" section of this site.

CESESMA Technology Center

I need to figure out the best way to execute a mobile tech center. The current plan is to use the battery of the vehicle transporting the laptops as a power source. The primary concern we have is damage caused by bumpy transportation, dust, possibly rain, and human interaction. The laptops are old (they have a "floppy" disk drive, but no CD drive), so maintenance and repair will be very costly to CESESMA. We have to figure out a way to make the laptops last as long as possible.

The central tech center is on hold. CESESMA is still editing the proposal to the US Peace Corps for the desktops. I have doubts that these computers will arrive before I leave Nicaragua.

I´m still researching potential assistance in Internet Service. I understand that Enitel is a Carlos Slim Enterprise. I´m hoping to appeal to Slim´s socially-responsible side by submitting a proposal to Enitel or Slim before I leave (or at least get a proposal in development).

Computation Course

I am designing a course in basic computation for the promotoras/es, most of whom have never touched a computer. I am looking for examples and resources (preferably Nicaraguan) that would be useful in designing the course. I will speak this week with a computation professor in La Corona (Yasica Sur) for ideas. My current plan is to have 5 separate classes: Intro to Computation (computer anatomy, Intro to Windows & programs), Typing, Programs I (Word, Powerpoint, Excel), Programs II (Access, FrontPage, Outlook, others), and Intro to Internet (Outlook and FrontPage might be more appropriate here). I´m very open to any suggestions in designing these classes.

Initial Analysis of the UCA-SR (Union de Cooperativas Agropecuarias de San Ramon)

The UCA-SR is a union of 21 agricultural cooperatives with approximately 1050 members. It was founded in 1992, and includes farmers and laborers in coffee, basic grain, cattle production, and other agriculture. The UCA-SR is led by Margarito Espinoza, whom I will meet this week, and Blanca Rosa Molina, who I met the first week I arrived in San Ramon.

The UCA-SR recently acquired Enitel Internet service via satellite. They plan to build a tech center for their members´children, but construction will probably not begin until June. This Saturday or the next, I will be assisting them in training their staff on how to use the Internet and how to send and receive emails. During my remaining 5 weeks here, I will also be helping them to update their website and train the tech staff on Dreamweaver 8. The UCA-SR will be assisting me in finding adult survey participants as well.