Before delving into the successes and challenges of 2006, we wish to extend our sincere appreciation to our donors. Every success REMCU achieved this year relied on the individuals and organizations who generously gave of their time and finances. Thank you so very much. We hope you agree very positive things have come from your gifts.
Foremost in the news to share is that our founders, Rob Porter and Nzola Swasisa, were able to deliver a new server and twelve new remote email systems to Africa this year. Ten of the systems were additions to the 2004 demonstration network for clinics supported by the Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS). The other two systems were for Kapasseni Project, (www.Kapasseni.org), an effort out of Victoria, Canada helping to regenerate two villages that have suffered great losses.
Work with the ZFDS focussed mainly on training them to install and support the systems, and to monitor and administer the server. Two stations were installed during Rob and Nzola’s trip. Success can be measured by the fact that ZFDS have installed seven stations since Rob and Nzola return to Canada, and are confident about the final one.
Both Kapasseni systems were installed by REMCU during the trip. User training for these actually began in Victoria in June, when two of the main users took time to sit down with Rob and Nzola before returning to Africa. During the installations the training was reinforced.
There were frequent challenges while in preparation for the trip and during the trip itself - acquiring reliable equipment inexpensively, getting it all programmed and tested in Canada in time for the trip, getting it out of customs in Africa, and getting it to the locations to name a few. Obviously these issues were overcome, but not without lots of late nights, nail biting, and retracing of steps.
The challenge that remains with us now, is supporting the overall system from Canada. While the training REMCU provided is clearly helping, continued training and some high level support from REMCU will be required for some time to come.
On the home front, there were some important developments. REMCU is now a registered charity with Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA). Simply put this means that we can now receive donations directly and write charitable donation tax receipts directly. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to the Pilgrim Society (www.pilgrimsociety.com) for allowing us to affiliate with them while we prepared for and awaited this status. The Pilgrim Society truly played a key role in getting REMCU off the ground.
Further, with respect to organization, Nzola and Rob welcomed Trever Blair on board in May as the Planning Manager, and then in December Trever was appointed a Director. Together, they have the expressed intent of broadening the organization to bring more help to those in need of affordable, remote communications. They developed the following statement:
The REMCU vision is to connect the unconnected,
- by providing communities where there is no telephone with appropriate cost-effective communication tools, to accelerate:
2007 will be an exciting year for REMCU, as the organization starts to grow. By inspiring other volunteers to take on leadership roles we are hoping to accelerate REMCU’s ability to deliver its vision. Some of the immediate opportunities include partnering with well established organizations that have already sought REMCU out, working with secondary schools in Kenya, becoming expert in new radio e-mail technologies now available, and fortifying and growing the existing network and skill set in Zambia.
Thank you again to all of our supporters. We hope and trust that you will see that your support is making a difference in a very important ways. Please stay tuned to our website at www.remcu.org, we plan to make changes more frequently throughout 2007 so that you can keep up on our progress.
Sincerely,
Nzolantima Swasisa, President/Director
Robert Porter, Secretary/Treasurer/Director
Trever Blair, Planning Manager/Director
*Pictured above
Masaiti Installation, Chibombo Installation, Server Admin. Training, Ndola
