A technology worker named Joshua Zeidner interviewed me for his blog about the work I did with Partners in Solidarity. The link is here for those that would like to read.
An excerpt
JMZ: how does your organizations approach differ from others?
JW: I’ve learned a lot about sustainable development through my work. Basically we function like this: we tell teachers in our department (state) that we have a computer lab project. If they want to participate, they submit a formal application to the organization INEPAS. When INEPAS gets a proposal, they preform a study of the community to make sure that basic necessities, ie nutrition and sanitation, are available within the community. If the community is a good fit for the project, we send along a list of requirements for project participation. If the study shows these factors are lacking, we choose not to work in that community to encourage development in the proper order. Some of the requirements are: building the lab, putting bars on the windows, putting in electricity, having both a security and a maintenance committee, and having a curriculum. Once they do all that, they’re requested to contribute 75 Q (About $10) per computer to help with project costs. These costs include the rental for our parts bodega, tech services, curriculum development, container transport and other costs. The contribution is an important part of creating sustainability as it it helps the communities take ownership of the computers. The parents really care, all those committees are volunteer, and let me tell you, seeing a group of twenty or so rural indigenous Mayans who have made the journey to Xela to meet with us and discuss the lab, all discussing their commitment to the lab project for their school (on a work day) is really something. Blows me away every time.
