Wireless with the DRC

Whenever I have been visiting Yei in Southern Sudan, I have been a guest at the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) on their compound (without any doubt the best accommodation in Yei town). But aso the company of Peter, who is the Country Representative of DRC Southern Sudan, has been excellent and another motivation for visiting Yei.

For me the company I have made up country and in Sudan with others in more or less the same situation - stuck in nowhere - has been priceless!

My programme in August has been squeezed tightly before leaving for Tanzania. Nonetheless, this is how it is, I had to do one final workshop in Sudan - a training session on newsletters, article writing and photography for the people working for the DRC. The idea was to inspire, create some structural thinking in regard of producing newsletters and practise taking photos and writing articles.

Yesterday morning, as the cleaning lady wiped the dust off the cement floors, and the men furnished the newly build resource centre, I hooked up on the wireless, connected the projector and we set off for a full day programme. I really enjoyed working with these people, in particular, their committment to learn new things. Besides, it was an absolute pleasure to be the first in this fantastic resource centre.

We are talking Southern Sudan - can you imagine wireless Internet for free (aiming at the local government and the NGOs) in a place where infrastructure has a hard time in general?!  I think the DRC has done an excellent job, and I hope that the Sudanese will use it well. - And not download all kinds of Nigerian movies or porn. As always within these workshops I find myself preaching; 'Don't mess around with your precious laptops, for Heaven's sake!'.

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Comments

[Ernst Suur]

Hi Pernille,

You're a good writer!
Just briefly, do you have any info on the Resource Centre in Yei? We are setting up Peace Information Centres (with ICT & Media equipment) in Kitgum and Lira District and i thought i might be able to pick a little of your brain / experience.

Thanks in advance and keep on writing!

Cheers,

Ernst.

[aaron]

This is fantastic.