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Update on Ago-Are and the Internet from Folabi Sunday August 8, 2011

Discussion between Fola and Pamela of Dadamac.net  - Sunday August 8th

This conversation could be of interest to people interested in examples of genuine ICT use in Africa - and Fola was happy to share it - so I've cut and pasted our original instant messaging  below, removing greetings and suchlike, to try to make it read as smoothly as possible

17:11 folarin: we have failed in the oyawale project - it has taken us so long -  many issues on hand - this is not a good story to share - i am sad and ashamed - the camera developed fault - but the engineer we gave it told us we need to replace  the header -  and there are strike and other things -  we will do it by the time i travelled to ago are
 me: (snip) I also have failed to do what I hoped to do in telling Peter's story
 folarin: i just downloaded the google talk - (I am in)  ibadan -  on holiday -  am using a friends laptop -  with camera on it - i will travel to ago are before the months runs out
(snip)
17:18 folarin: i will see him ( Chief Adejumo) before the vacation ends -  he is in ibadan as well
(we then experimented with speech on google before returning to typing to share news)
 folarin: ok - we are all fine -  internet has taken wings - in ago are - there is more crave for internet -  i was planning to do a video tutorials on how to use the internet in yoruba
  people are now craving for internet - but they do not know how to use it
 me: is there a cyber cafe .. or is it with smart phones... or what ???
 folarin 7:29 there are now 3 centres in ago are -  where people can browse the internet - 
  my house - using a modem
 me: your  house is now a center ?? wow
 folarin: there are two others who are interested in internet stuffs - popoola - and adekunle
  i have helped them to unlock their mtn modem - and tell them some few things i had learnt about internet -  just recently -  the state governement -  place job -  on webisite  http://www.yes-o.org - we do the registration for the people
 me: I know adekunle, please remind me what i should know of popoola -  is popoola the teacher who was interested in teaching the deaf?
 folarin: yeah - he heard about you -  and he was trying to communicate with you sometimes
  he is a teacher -  as well - he was trained to be a teacher in a special school -  we are the three guys
me: Ah - then yes i do remember him well
(snip)
17:33 folarin: i want to help in doing the tutorial with pictures -  and as well go ahead doing the videos -  i hope this will help - the local people -  there are challenges - discouragement
- and all that - but i will not relent -  i will send you a copy of the ebook as soon as i finish it
- and possibly the video tutorials - but it will be in yoruba - the video
 me: I can fidn womeone to tell me what the yoruba means - you are doing great work
17:36 folarin: no  great work yet -  as soon as i get all i needed then i will progress
 me: Well - achieving great work takes time... you have great vision - what do you need for the first step.. and how can we make you vision more visible to people?
 folarin: i was not not happy that the people there does not know how to use the internet to register their employment
  i need 3 things
 17:38 folarin: i was planning to take another loan as soon as we end our strike
 me: I am not saying I can get these things for you .. but we can rub minds about it
 folarin: i know -  i was only telling you my intent and plans
  1.laptop, 2. digital camera 3, inverter - these are what i want to use my loan for -  hopefully before september -  the loan will be out -  i am hopeful
 me: how big would the loan need to be?
 folarin:  350,000  i will get these and start a great work - and replace my old bike -  it is spaced for 3 years - these are my plans for now -  god helping me
 me: is that 350,000 Naira? (1404.54 UK pounds) 
 folarin: yes ma -  it will be paid within 3 years at most- now is the time to train the people all i have learnt - but that is my delay -  i will wait till the loan is out -  and there and then start from there -  i will try and keep you posted
17:45 me: It would be exciting if I could find a way to help you to get started with this. Is it easy to get a loan in Nigeria now?
 folarin: not easy -  but i am a civil servant  servant - so i can get a loan from the bank - my salary goes to the bank for the space of 3 years - for the refund -  though there is strike -  and minimum wage issue -  that has been the delay  on the loan
 me: ah - so the bank can be sure of taking its share.. I understand
 folarin: i hope to get through if these are solved -  i will be paying 15000 monthly naira -  36months -   for refund -  15000 multiply by 36 - 540000
 me: tell me what you think it is most important that I should know -  we do not often get such a good chance to chat
folarin: government has changed -  and i think the centre could be taken back -  from these politicians - 

(our discussion touched on opinions about this)

 folarin: what is important is getting the people liberated from ignorance - and equip them with the skill they needed to use the computer -  i think it is possible if i meet all the requirement - before the year runs out - hopefully

17:55 me: I am excited by you plans - but I have some confusion in my mind -  You mention three internet centres in Ago Are??? -  your house and two others?
 folarin: yes i use my dekstop at home - but you know power issue - and it is not working fine
me: and is that connected to your phone like ricardo taught people to do???
 folarin: two others are using phone -  but i am using a modem to browse - my phone has packed off -  i think modem is better than phone -  no need to charge it - no problem whatsoever - it is a plug and play
 me: so when you talk of three centres - the other two  (popoola and adekunle) are people with phones???
17:59 folarin:   they have sent me to buy them modems from ibadan -  i have done that as well -  for them -  i will be taking to ago are -  modem is like a flash drive -  is has a place for sim card -  and then you can plug it to a computer -  it is simpler and easy to use -  but it in locked -  to a particular network -  but i have done the unlocking and we can use it with any available network  that is faster
 me: you are very skilled
 folarin: your imput  has inspired me  a great deal - if an old woman could do this -  why not me - if you could leave all the luxury in UK for a vilage -  why cant i do same
 me: oh - fola - i love what you say - you are an inspriation
 folarin: i wish to even do more -  if i am chanced  and privilleged -  it is just about time - and space -  and chance
 i met sir lawie  - we rubbed mind - he gave me 1500 naira as gift - he equally inspired me - 
 still in contact with him -   on facebook - he has returned  to UK
18:09 me: explain to me your idea for the brining internet to more people in ago-are
 folarin: ok -  i have got to know the effect of internet -  i was in kafanchan -  i went for other seminars  and i know internet could help the people a great deal - so  i think if my immediate people got to know internet and its uses -  their lives would be more meaningful - and there will be development -  around the community -  we need to leave this old ways of doing things -  and move with the world - there and then we we need the intenet for this -  to buy things online - register exams - check result -  apply for jobs -  search for projects topics - solve many problems
 me: ref - we need to leave this old ways of doing things - and move with the world  - "the world" has made many mistakes
 folarin:  yes -  but there are still better things  -  we can emulatte this good ones -  and leave the bad ones -  you know we can watch pornography on internet -  we can fraud people on internet -  we can send spam mail on internet -  but we need to appreciate the good ones - and grab it for our progress -  you taught us all these when at kafanchan -  i will not forget - we have a longer way to go
 me: fola - thank you for saying that
 folarin: give me access to the internet i will solve most problems-  sure -  that is the world
  that is moving me ahead
18:16 me: I have been thinking perhaps I was just a very stupid woman to go to NIgeria - that it was all a waste of time and money
 folarin: not at all -  i am a seed you planted - germinating to a tree -though some stumps are around
 me: you will be a wonderful strong tree
 folarin: amen and amen
 me: tell me more of how you hope to go forward
 folarin: iam getting more interested in compute - i can spend my money on it -   i know someday i will reap my labour - and be happy seeing the result on peoples lives - nternet is bringing the wolrd to a village -  and comunity where people live together - as in a community - see internet is giving us chance to chat all these while - while you are there in the UK and me in Nigeria - i am planning to start my degree program - i will be more than happy if all thes could  be achieved
18:22 me: `i would like to thank your friend for giving us this good chance to chat
18:23 folarin: the laptop iam using now -  a teacher i exposed internet to - got some money
  and ask me to buy on for her - and she will be trained - i have helped her to install some softwares -  and she will come next week for proper trainning on how to use it -  and then take it away -  for her degree programm
 me: Fola please will you give me permission to share some of our chat with other people
 folarin: permission granted
18:25 me: thank you
 folarin: thank God
 me: but I think perhaps you may prefer to keep some private -
18:26 folarin: do as you deem fit -   all i have shared are no secret
18:30 me: okay - so I will share what we have said with other people who are interested in how Internet is really being used in Africa -  this would be good way to continue Peter's story
 me: But I think you were already interested long before you came to kafanchn - that is why I invited you to come to kafanchan (2008) - because you had already invested in the phone.
 folarin: since 2003 - but no tutor - i was only wandering about the internet - the phone is gone -  damaged -  life goes on - when will you be in ago are ?
  me: i do not know - It is a question of money
 folarin: next week - when the salary is out - i will travel
 me:  for a few years I was very lucky - when I started to help John Dada in  2004 Don McBurney heard about my work in Nigeria - and he had a charity  called "A Ray of Hope"
 and through that charity I started to get some free flights to Nigeria through BA. But after 2008 (with all the financial troubles) BA stopped giving Don the free flights. A couple of times I have been saving up to travel to Nigeria again -  but then something happens - and my journey does not seem a good use of  the money.  I had planned to come a the end of this year - but then there were problems at Kafanchan -  so I sent my fare money to John instead-  so he could use it to help the  women in the market who had lost their businesses there -  the market had been burned down in the post election violence
18:43 It  was different when I was given the flight by BA .. I could not change  that to money to send to any one - so it was not a hard choice -  now it is a hard choice
18:45 me: I wonder if you understand?
 folarin: not at all - do you mean you can not come to nigeria?
  or what?
  (I tried to explain again that it seemed too self-centred to spend my money on going to Nigeria when the money could be used in Nigeria in more useful ways - but I did not do very well)
 folarin: coming to nigeria is difficult  then
19:04 me: coming to nigeria has never been easy  but when Peter first died I had to come - now it is more like a choice
 folarin: is that the summary - now i understand
 me: I had no-one in Nigeria to tell me what was happening then -  now we have the Internet
 folarin: sure
19:06 me: and I have PD and you to tell me what is happening
 folarin: via the internet
 me: and it more important that we build our communication capacity
19:07 folarin: yes
 me:  it is not so important that we meet face to face - although I am sad  that I do not see my friends in Nigeria face to face any more
19:08 folarin: there are videos - we can do video calls- we can even do it now - my mum is here she wishes to see you - i have told her about you
 me: so i think it is more impartant that we rub minds on how we can build good communications
  Your mum - I would love to see you rmum
(we succeeded in making a connection - although the light was very bad and Fola had to use a flashligh of some kind before I could see him or his Mum.) 
Notes from Monday 8th
We hoped to continue our conversation today during the afternoon - possibly at !pm. We did conect briefly then but  Fola was at Oritamefa Baptist School with some  teachers. He wrote "i am busy configuring their system" so we agreed to  meet at 3pm. We greeted each other at 3pm then but then connection dropped. I hope we will be able to connect again while Fola is in Ibadan.