Tonga.Online Stakeholders Update Sept. / Oct. 09
- Details
- Created: Friday, 13 November 2009 17:05
The months of September and October were eventful for the Binga Community. Tonga online carried out numerous activities in ITCs and the community. Activities carried out involved support to the ongoing Siabuwa solar project, continuing support to school-based ITCs, feedback sessions for the Linz09 Parade and seminars/workshops for the Binga community. Other outstanding events were the resignation of the Tonga Online Director and the passing on of Keith Goddard, one of the Trustees of Kunzwana Trust, the project implementing agency of Tonga Online.
2. Siabuwa Solar Project
The Siabuwa Solar project by the Rotary Belmont Club is at an advanced stage. The Siabuwa community has proved their keenness on the project by transporting the computers from the Binga District Administrators office where they were kept since 2007, to the school. The computer room has also been secured and repainted. Tonga Online continues to provide expert advice to the Siabuwa community on the establishment of the ITC.
The Rotary Belmont Club is currently waiting for the transfer of money for the project (Matching Grant Number 68790) from Rotary International into their account whilst at the same time Tonga Online is working together with them in identifying a competitive supplier of the Solar Equipment.
3. School Children Receive eBooks as Awards
School children at Binga High School received eBooks as part of their outstanding performance awards in their classes. Forms 1 and 2 students received a CD whilst Forms 3 to 6 received a DVD from Tonga Online. The award came with training for every child and three of his/her friends as a strategy to widely spread the productive utilisation of eBooks in the school.
4. Headmaster Receive Award from Tonga Online
The Binga High School Headmaster received an Honorary Award from Tonga Online for having the Best Staffed and Best Equipped Information Technology Centre in the District. Binga Information Technology Centre has TWO members of Staff who are dedicated to the Teaching of Information Technology to the school children and the community. The award was also given with Training for any nine people of the Headmasters choice.
5. Binga High School Heads of Departments received some Training from Tonga Online on:
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How the school staff can benefit from electronic learning resources that are available in the school
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How the school staff can benefit from Wikipedia and
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How the schools can benefit from a huge database of electronic books they have in the school
6. Wikipedia used at Sianzyundu
Teachers at Sianzyundu Secondary School got some training on how the school can benefit from the Wikipedia. Tonga Online shared experiences on how the school can setup the Wikipedia in the Information Technology Centre and how teachers can use the Wikipedia in their classes as a teaching resource.
7. Manjolo Primary School Extents Training to the Community
The community of Manjolo is set to benefit from a range of courses that the Manjolo Primary School has planned for the community. Tonga Online worked with the school in developing a training program that can stimulate the interest in Technology that the community should have.
Enrolment into the courses was steadily increasing. The Information Technology Centre hired a community member to work in the Information Technology Centre on a full time basis to provide uninterrupted services to the school and the community.
8. Preview of Linz 09 Video Takes place in Binga and Siachilaba
An official report back to the Binga and Siachilaba communities on the Linz09 Parade events was done by Peter Kuthan and Sengamo Ndlovu through previewing the Linz09 Parade Documentary in the Tonga Online Offices and at the Siachilaba Business Centre respectively. The report back triggered a series of comments the majority of which were encouraging and can be found on www.mulonga.net. The Feedback was attended by all heads of Departments in Binga and all community members in Siachilaba. In Siachilaba, the opportunity was taken to find out how the group that travelled to Austria benefitted from the trip.
9. Tonga Traditional Dress Documentation
A visit was carried out to Makamba, Muchesu for video documentation of the site where Munsila is found. Munsila is a stone that was used by the young Tonga girls to dye their hair and to paint their bodies as part of the beautification process. People used to travel from as far as Zambia to get the stone.
10. Recording of Lusumbuko Mulileza of Kariangwe
The recording of the group Lusumbuko Mulileza which has been ongoing, have been completed. Editing is now ongoing.
11. Policing for the 21st Century Seminar held
Tonga Online held a Seminar on the principles of Policing for the 21st Century. This was an awareness and stimulation of interest for the law enforcement agencies of Binga including the Zimbabwe Republic Police, The Zimbabwe Prison Services and the Central Intelligence Organisation.
The agencies were exposed to the Internet & email and shown how they can benefit from accessing and using the Interpol Website.
12. Piracy Seminar held for Binga Stakeholders at TO
In an effort to reduce the Piracy of Software in Binga, Tonga Online held a seminar for all stakeholders, Heads of Departments and Business People with the theme “Use of Illegal software is UP in Binga”. The seminar was facilitated by the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Tonga Online and The Ministry of Justice. Attendees learnt what piracy is and that the use of pirated software was illegal and an offence according to the Zimbabwean Law. Attendees were also treated to the penal provisions that exist for convicts of Piracy.
13. Pashu Secondary School and Siachilaba Primary School Receive Printers
In an effort to manage e-Waste in Binga, Tonga Online collected repairable e-waste (e2e) from Binga Trees and CADEC. Two printers were repaired and donated to Pashu Secondary and Siachilaba Primary schools.
14. Tonga Online Director Resigns
The first Tonga Online Director resigned from working for the project with effect from the 7th of October 2009. A dinner was held for him on the eve of the 7th to give him a warm farewell. The Binga Community thanked him a lot for the great services that he gave them during his tenure. He pledged to continue to work for the project as a Partner.
15. Tonga Online Loses its KEY Trustee
The most active Trustee of Kunzwana Trust Keith Goddard died on the 9th of October 2009. Kunzwana Trust are the trustees of the Tonga Online Project. The passing on of Keith left a huge gap both on Kunzwana Trust side and Tonga Online. Keith will be remembered for his professionalism, care, diligence and genuine love of the Tonga Music and Culture.
A memorial was done in the Tonga Online offices with stakeholders who interacted with Keith, to allow them to pay their last respects. A minute of silence was observed in remembrance of his life.
At Siachilaba, a Ngoma buntibe traditional dance was performed, moving from the shops to the site where Keith once lived, opposite the shops, in remembrance of the contribution that Keith made to the Tonga culture and music, and for the passion and love with which he promoted the Tonga culture.
16. Tonga Online Faces its worst Financial Challenges
The Tonga Online Project is currently facing its worst financial challenges. Its key financier Horizon3000 stopped funding the project in March 2009 and pulled out of Zimbabwe. Money provided by other partners got locked up in the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe at the time Zimbabwe was going through a hyperinflation. This situation has forced Tonga Online to drastically reduce its outreach activities. Tonga Online will continue to provide training and cultural promotion activities to the nearby Binga communities until their financial situation changes.
Produced by
Richard Simango (Mr)
Acting Director, Tonga Online
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: +263-15-573