By G O Okeng'o
University of the Western Cape & University of
Nairobi
©
Copyright by Okeng'o Geoffrey Onchong'a, All Rights Reserved
December, 2012
The
week ending 8th december, 2012, saw me attend a one week
'Adaptive Optics and Atmospheric Characterization summer school' in
the town of Sutherland, South Africa. Adaptive Optics refers
to a class of latest technological devises designed to eliminate
degradation of star images generated when turbulent motions of air
molecules in the Earth's atmosphere interfere with light coming from
a star. The in-depth study and scientific modelling of the entire
atmospheric layer is what is called atmospheric characterization.
The main aim of the school was to bring together some of the world
leading experts in adaptive optics technology, software development
and atmospheric characterization, and, students from African
countries and abroad, to share knowledge on the modern techniques
required when choosing a site to locate an optical telescope.
However, apart from enjoying the highly illuminating and mind-blowing
lecturers delivered by the invited lecturers led by the outstanding
South African Large Telescope (SALT) project scientist at the South
African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), Dr David Buckley, I also-as
I often usually do- found some time to interact and learn from people
in the local community. But, although during my helter-skelter
walks, I was touched by the obvious signs of visible poverty and
idleness amongst the people in this semi-desert Springbok invested
area, where the main economic activity is sheep farming, two things
stood out above the rest: (1) the impeccable Afrikaans
language-accented english and the genuine hospitality of the people,
and, (2) the impact of the SALT telescope on the local community's
socio-economic status. SALT is the largest single optical telescope
in the Southern Hemisphere and among the largest in the world,
commissioned in 2005, and owned by South Africa (1/3) and 12
international partners. To crown it all, an outstanding public
educational facility called “the Sutherland Community Development
Center (SCDC)” founded under the innovative and visionary
leadership of the International Office of Astronomy for Development
(OAD)'s current director Kevin Govender, caught my ingenious
attention. It is the positive change that this facility with a single
sitting capacity of over 100 people and close to 30 modern computers
connected to fast internet optical fibre, complete with a baby's toy
corner, that motivated me to pen down this article. It's my sincere
hope that by reading this article you will be as motivated as me, so
that together we can work towards implementing a similar concept for
the rural people in our home countries. Together we can transform
Africa from a 'basket case' to 'the bread basket'!
Despite mild efforts to improve literacy levels across
different countries in Africa, the road leading to the promised land
of Canaan where the honey of “100% literacy” flows
freely, still remains largely illusive. Access to good education,
especially in rural areas and poor townships, remains a challenge,
prompting many youth to engage in illegal and criminal activities
such as prostitution, thuggery, mugging, drug and substance cartels
among others, in order to put bread on their table.
The aging and the old are not left out. They are often
frail, sick or both, with their sad grinned faces mirroring a written
history of many years of suffering and hard life. Many will often be
seen swallowing bitter saliva in anticipation of a better tomorrow.
Their hope is that their sons and daughters would one day find
decent jobs, that their half-naked, impoverished grandchildren would
get a good education and have a better future than theirs. But how
many of us of the privileged clout care? Has our leadership failed?
Can anyone provide leadership out there?
Your answer to the above questions is as good as mine,
but one thing is clear: that many of us have failed! I will tell you
why. We have failed to think of how far we have come (for those of us
who've surmounted difficulties to succeed-me included) or how
privileged we are (for those who've never lacked or struggled in
life). We have failed to remember who paid for our college education.
Did I hear someone say a government/university bursary? Company
bursary? Or my parents money? But where do governments,
universities, companies or your parents monies come from? Doesn't it
come from taxes levied on all cadres of people directly or
indirectly? Doesn't it come from investments, mineral exploration and
farming on the land that once belonged to the ancestors of the same
poor and disadvantaged people? Aren't we then supposed to plough
back to society that which it has given to us?
My late grandfather, a visionary, hardworking and
typical African-styled man-may God rest his soul- always reminded me
one thing. You see, during the time when I grew up (proudly close to
3 decades ago), in my rural home Kisii Kenya, it was a common
phenomenon to pump into mushrooms in the forest while grazing my
father's cows or while harvesting guavas in the bushes or during our
“wild bees and termite-harvesting” errands. He always reminded me
to cut the tip of the mushroom and return it to the hole from which I
uprooted the mushroom. Why? He said that by doing so I could return
the following day and harvest more mushrooms! And surely I often
did-unless someone picked the mushrooms earlier than me- I thought.
But how many of us are willing to return the 'tip' of
our mushroom to the 'hole' from which we uprooted the mushroom? We
all seem to have locked our hopes in the safes of selfish political
mandarins-the often pot bellied elites a majority of whom are
merchants of impunity and the epitome of chagrinism- and thrown the
keys to “hell”. Whatever that means. But what I'm I talking
about? Or can we do better?
Well, my answer is YES. It has been done, it's being
done and it can be done, the only question is how. This brings me to
the main theme of this article; the story about the Sutherland
Community Development Center (SCDC).
The
inception:
Mr Kevin Govender, the brain behind the center's concept
is a man who needs little introduction. His undying love for
astronomy education, and the desire to foster interest in maths and
science saw him propel the SALT Collateral Benefits Program-a program
that was designed to tap into the investment in the SALT telescope
for for the benefit of society- to greater heights. His legacy, while
at the helm of leadership of the SALT Collateral Benefits Programme,
played a key role in steering South Africa to winning the bid to host
the International Astronomical Union's (IAU), International Office of
Astronomy for Development (OAD), which he currently heads. It is
after the establishment of this office, that astronomy has continued
to blossom in Africa, and nothing best illustrates this fact other
than the recent landmark victory that saw Africa win another bid to
host three-quarters of what will be the world's largest radio
telescope ever built; the Square Kilometer Array (SKA). More bids are
on the way, and africa will win them. The impact of the SCDC project
on the local community is one such a 'smaller' bid-and I know there
may be other small ones elsewhere in africa- worthy mentioning.
The Objectives:
The SCDC was designed to be a place for the community to
grow, to develop and gain life skills, before venturing to the
outside world. It's aim was to provide free fast internet to the
local community and offer a play and learning facility to small
children, the youth and young parents for purposes of their self
empowerment.
The
Internet Connection:
Internet to the center is provided by two wireless radio
links; one installed on a tower on top of the hill facing Sutherland
and the other on top of the Community centre building. The former
consists of a high-powered 5GHz antennae through which a signal from
the SAAO's Sutherland plateau data center is sent and re-routed via
the second radio link before being routed via a normal ethernet cable
inside the center, and then to all computers. The wireless kits are
all solar powered with batteries and continually monitored from the
SAAO IT Center in Capetown, in order to send someone with a generator
to boost the power supply, incase the battery power levels drop too
low. This ensures that the centre is always connected and online.
The
Benefits:
Apart from providing the local community with fast
internet, providing online research opportunities and a quiet study
environment for the youth and learners in the area, the centre also
offers free mentorship, guidance and learning assistance to the
learners. And according to the Sutherland SALT Collateral Benefits
Program director, Mr Anthony Mietas, the number of visitors to the
center remains high and it's services are already impacting
positively on the lives of the community. The SAAO IT Center's
director Hamish Whittal, further points out that phase two of the
project will see the only two schools in the area; Roggeveld
Intermediary School and Sutherland High School also receive internet
connection.
The future of the youth in Sutherland therefore looks
bright, or so I can say, and a similar model is worthy adopting
across African countries in the quest of making Africa a technology
and educational hub!
The
Parting Shot:
One unique pillar underpinning success of the SCDC is
the power of the volunteers. Indeed, the mentoring and guidance carried out at the centre is done by self-motivated and passionate
volunteers who are 'ploughing' back to the society that which it has
given to them. But, that is one way and there are many other ways-to skin the CAT.
This then reinforces the slogan “It has been done, it's being done
and it can be done.”
