Cultural Differences and Common Goals

We have situated the Skomara Digital Hub in a Muslim school called Sheikh Khalifa secondary school. Our partner here on the ground is SKOSA(Sheikh Khalifa Old Students Association) which is essentially the alumni organisation associated with the school. The school is providing the workshop areas that we use for the hub, free of charge and obviously we do everything we can to respect the Islamic ethos within the school grounds. For example, there are separate days for boys and girls, mosque prayer times are respected and there is a 'be discrete' dress code for men and women.

However, the workshop is open to everyone who wants to learn about computers irrespective of their religious persuasion. So often times you get Muslim and Christian men and women mixing with one another. Initially everyone is a little nervous with one another but over time people begin to learn from one another through the usual fun and games.

I have noticed that the volunteers just love coming here. Perhaps it is because they meet new people with similar interests but different backgrounds? Today is supposed to be a day off (its Saturday) and normally what happens today is that the key volunteers come in, tidy up the place and essentially ready everything for next weeks training. Despite it being a day off loads of other volunteers have arrived and are now cleaning the facility! Water has been poured on the concrete floor and is being swept out to remove accumulated dust.

The lovely dimension of it all is that all different religions sexes and perspectives are participating today. I can hear the young volunteers giggling and spending time with one another. There is nothing forced or contrived about these engagements - its just young people working together for a common cause.

I have always believed that the best way of dealing with differences is to focus on a common goal that both sides can participate in. If you nurture the simple human aspect of getting people to mix and mingle whilst constructing something positive together you immediately bring down the walls of suspicion and fear. You also give people ownership of the outcome.

What seems to be happening here is that a place of learning using technology has been created and people from all walks of life are drawn to the possibilities that creates. People mixing like this does not happen normally! The peer to peer learning model means that knowledge is shared irrespective of your background or perspective. Trust is built up, friendships are created, confidence is grown and commitment to take on responsibility is realised. Conflict resolution sounds so damn simple when you write it like that!

I am tempted to photograph what is happening here this morning but just in case it upsets the spirit of what is happening I will not do that. You just have to trust me!

When you see young people from such different backgrounds engaging respectfully with one another like this it give you a real sense of hope that the future is in safe hands.

The Open Source Cyber Cafe

Africa and Asia are now two of the biggest emerging markets for the ICT industry. They also happen to be the places where there is more boot leg software and software piracy then anywhere else in the world.

Without condoning this in any way, there are good reasons why this is the case. There is a tendency to think that hardware is where the main costs are in terms of technology investment but in fact its the accumulated software licenses that cost more. Hence all the boot legging and piracy in the developing world!

Recently in a high profile swoop a number of cyber cafes in Nairobi were shut down because of this. The big software companies are putting pressure on developing world governments to clamp down on piracy with the promise of investment in their countries if they do.

Its awful to watch this happening. The cyber cafes do not make much money as it is a highly competitive market (mind you not any more in Nairobi...) and they are essential entities for getting the word out about the potential use of technology in the developing world. To see small businesses like this closing because of the 'bigger' needs of multi-national companies actually sickens me.

The volunteers in the hub here have come up with a great idea to tackle this problem. They have developed an Open Source Cyber Cafe (with its own timing, network management and billing system) and have a model of it running in the workshop here. You can use Open Source software for free if it is being used for educational purposes so the plan is to create a series of Open Source Cyber cafeteria's across Mombasa whose revenue supports the educational dimensions of the Digital Hub.

The international airport here in Mombasa does not have a cyber cafe so that is their first target!

The Hub will also become a center of excellence for Open Source training and support and so that also has the potential to generate revenue for its sustainability.

These ideas are in the early stage but it gives me real confidence that enterprise opportunities will emerge from the initiative which will not only bring in revenue to sustain the Skomara Digital Hub but will also transform peoples lives in a positive powerful way.

Given what they have done here in three months I cannot wait to see what they have done in a years time!