A young IT Technician from Swansea, Connor Smith has recently returned from a trip to install solar panels and IT equipment at rural schools in Siavonga, southern Zambia.
The project which is being run by local Swansea IT company Giakonda Ltd aims to provide solar power and Raspberry Pi computers to rural schools.
During his month stay out in Zambia, Connor was tasked with checking how the equipment was being used, solving any technical problems and helping the local teachers get the best from the e-learning resources RACHEL (Rural Area Community Hotspot for Education and Learning) and Khan Academy (non-profit educational learning resources) on their Raspberry Pi’s. He also installed new networking equipment and more Raspberry Pi computers.
Connor said: “To begin with I found it really difficult, it was my first time to visit a country outside of Europe and I needed time to acclimatise to the conditions.
“This resulted in me having to visit the local hospital, but thankfully I got the treatment I needed and then I was raring to go.”
After his hospital visit, he started looking at the equipment to make sure that it was in working order and began training Bridget, a local IT technician, how to install new routers, access points and Raspberry Pi computers.
“I was amazed by the friendliness and dedication of the people in Siavonga, the school children often walk miles to get to school and they have a great attitude and work ethic when they get there.
“I have learnt a lot from this experience, not only about how to improvise and test and use the equipment in a completely different environment, but also about developing my leadership and training skills.”
The project work is supported by a grant from Hub Cymru Africa which is sponsored by the Welsh Government.
Cat Jones, Head of Partnership at Hub Cymru Africa said: “Connor has clearly learnt a huge amount from his experience, the outcomes are exactly what we hope to see from our grants with benefits for both the organisation in
Wales in terms of staff development and their partners in Zambia with teachers and school children learning new IT skills.
“It’s also exciting to see a Welsh manufactured product, the Raspberry Pi computer being used at the heart of the project”
At present nine schools have benefitted from the project but Giakonda IT intends to roll it out to a further 26 schools in Siavonga, with Connor looking forward to playing an active part in this.
Connor said: “It was a totally life changing experience, there were lots of challenges and I had to think on my feet, but at the end of the three weeks I was sorry to leave Siavonga, I hope to be back there soon.”
