Technology Too

Sept 13, 2010 – This blog is dedicated to the person who had the following request in an e-mail.

“If you have a moment, please snap some photos of local kids using technology and send them our way.  Always good to see what life is like on the other side of the world.  :-)”

After I had a good laugh, I read this request to Joyce and she had a good laugh also.

But it got me thinking more about the contrasts in the two sides of the world (and I’m actually in the southern hemisphere, so it really is the other side of the world.)

Oh, can’t forget the shout-out to my sponsor – The Mbita Cybercafe.  Visit them just off the stage for a variety of services.  Including Student ID cards.

 

 

 

When I first saw the request I was thinking of the Americanized definition of technology – that which has a circuit board and uses power.  No, I’m sure the person wanted me to think out of the box on this. to get myself out of that US mind set.  There have been technical advancements since the creation of man and the fashioning of the first fig leaf cover-up.  So I’ve moved out of the box and into a fuzzy circle looking both at technology and areas where this side of the world has a hand up on the other side of the world.

I’ll start with the technology that I brought from home.  The type of items Americans think of as ‘technology’. 

 

 

 

 

This is all being powered or recharged with this system – our solar power system.  Here are the batteries, inverter and the control unit.  These are hooked up to the panels on the roof.

 

Here are the panels collecting the power of Mr Sol.  Ignore the dead plant life which is courtesy of Mr Hammerhead, the bird that was trying to build his nest on my precious power provider.  It’s not nice messing with an electricity dependent man and his watts.

Enough about me.  This is about life and technology here on the barely south side of the equator.   (I can hear my mother-in-law saying sarcastically  “great, another technology blog”)

We’ll start with some real US technology.  Here a couple of the boys that come over occasionally use our 2005 era cell phone to talk with our daughter.  This is pretty unusual for kids here to use a cell phone.  Their parents have one, but rarely here in Mbita do you see anyone in high school or below having a cell phone.

Here’s a couple of the kids looking at pictures and videos I took.  Couldn’t get the little one to leave.  This is a big deal to actually see the pictures that have been taken of you if you are a child in Mbita.  I don’t think I’ve seen a kid, and very few adults, in Mbita with a camera of any kind.

Setting up the 10.1 inch screen (measured diagonally) for movie day at the Maier house. 

Again, all this is due to what we brought along.  So to move on to technology found completely locally.

Here’s the music being piped into the local bicycle repair shop.

 

 

 

 

Here’s a tower of antennas.  This is actual Kisumu, not Mbita, but it shows that technology isn’t that far away.  Just kidding, it is quite a ways away if you consider the time it takes to get to Kisumu from here.

This is Kisumu too.  But shows the in-roads that Kenya is making into the cyberworld.

 

 

 

 

Now no move completely out of the box…

Here we see the My-Pad first generation being used in the school setting.  Still used in many schools today.  Nicknamed “chalkboard” they are easily used to express words, numbers and pictures.  Generation 1.5 featured colored styluses, allowing even more creativity of expression.

Here we see generation 2.0 of the My-Pad.  These are in limited use here, many only in the homes of the more affluent families.  These do have some limitations, such as no color version yet and too easy to accidently erase you thought in midstream. 

Here’s a close-up of this gem in action.

 

 

 

 

More items related to education:

 

The built in (or more accurately painted on) chalkboard.

 

Here we have a multimedia presentation going – two people up in front at once.

 

 

 

Here we have a couple students using the latest in writing hardware – the ball-point pen.  Available at CGA in both blue and RED!

 

And here we see the re-use of spaces.  This former chicken house is now a classroom (and lumber storage area).

 

 

Moving on looking at comparisons to the US and how Kenya is more progressive or environmentally minded or in tune with nature or something like that.  In no particular order…

They are much more open to alternative forms or styles of medicine.

 

 

 

 

Much more into mixed land use in their urban designs.  Here we have a major mall just next to the local rubbish burning city garbage dump.

 

 

Here we have a very effective lake fly catcher and preserver.  That is not ash – the black are are lake flies.  This is just on nights bounty.

 

 

Here we have a very environmentally non-polluting way of making smaller rocks out of bigger rocks – one blow at a time.

 

 

 

Here is the skyscraper of Mbita towering 4 stories high.  Note the modern rounded glass windows on the one corner.

 

 

 

Here is the local ponga (machete) sharpener.  Notice how he combines his exercise regiment with the grinding wheel attached to the rear wheel of his bike.

 

 

And speaking of multitasking.  Look at this 4 year old caring for her little sister while she gathers wood. 

 

 

 

Here we have the super low water volume toilet.  And you never need to double flush.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You do see a few solar cookers around.  Unfortunately they are not used much, and not always efficient. The locals seem very picky about their use – no wind or clouds can be present or they say it does not work.  But this is aniother story.

They are making good use of local resources, in this case the lake.

Here the local ice plant is delivering drinking water. “Drink Victoria Feel Fresh” is the motto.  Sounds great until you look at the lake.

This nice green water doesn’t look very fresh to me.

 

 

 

 

Here we see an advancement in wheel chairs I’ve not noticed in the US.  Chairs for the handicap that can handle the rough terrain.

 

 

Nice open air markets can be found on most street corners.

 

 

 

Here we see a boy standing in front of a home that displays the low carbon impact building design so popular here in Mbita.  A few poles of local timber, some mud and dung and you have a home.  And if needed, it is easily recycles back into earth friendly material.

Here is a solar and wind power clothes dryer.  These are so great that I’ve never seen an electric one here in town.

 

 

 

People here are furniture snobs.  Almost all insist on hand crafted furniture from one of the many roadside craftmen.  Very few people opt for the mass produced stuff.

 

 

Of course this furniture is available with same day delivery by the highly economical 2 wheel transport vehicle.

 

 

 

This is the land of free ranging meat.  Not the pinned up corralled cows of the US.

 

 

And poultry is always fresh, not frozen and driven thousands of miles.  That is not a handbag the lady is carrying.

 

 

 

Kids toys seemed to have advanced past the US.  Here we see kid powers tops.  Look at the look of achievement on the child having gotten two going at once.  Never have to worry that the batteries are dead.

 

Here kids are using both colored wax sticks and color blocks to create some beautiful items.

 

 

 

 

Here we have a child showing me his “playmate” he found just out the door.  Mr Grasshopper was quite entertaining and this child handled him this the delicacy he deserved.

 

Here we see that dexterity that is developed early being demonstrated by using just a piece of a double edge razor blade.  I don’t see many kids back home that can do this.

 

Here is a remote controlled car.  Granted it is not a wireless remote, but still this takes great skill to create and greater skill to maneuver over the rocky dirt roads.

 

 

Here is the beginners version of the remote controlled car – the plastic bottle on a stick.

 

 

 

 

Here is another great outdoor toy.  The tire directed by a stick.  I know it’s hard to tell, but these are not just bias ply tires, but steel belted radials.

 

 

And I’ll end with the innovation personal protection cocoons that repel all sorts of irritating and deadly items.  These are so highly effective.  It’s a shame that more people here do not have access to, or maybe can’t afford, this wonderful device that prevents illness.

Signing off from the technology innovating capitol of Kenya – Mbita,

Paul