My name is Scott Morgan and I’ve been privileged to serve as an Advisory Board member since the inception of Powering Potential and I want to bring your attention to some of the amazing work and accomplishments of Powering Potential during 2011.

Janice Lathen, Founding Executive Director, has done an extraordinary job of building the profile of Powering Potential. In 2011, Janice met with Ambassador Maajar, Tanzanian Ambassador to the US; Minister Wasira, a Minister of State in the President’s Office; Mr. Mlaki, former director of the Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology; Dr. Kawambwa, the Minister of Education; and the President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete himself!

Janice’s tireless efforts to network and build relationships are paying huge dividends! At a meeting at the Ministry of Education, Janice was asked if she would be willing to join a team of people devising technology solutions for improving education across the country, as well as set up a Powering Potential demonstration computer lab at the Ministry. Ambassador Maajar has invited Powering Potential to partner with the Hassan Maajar Trust to improve Tanzanian schools. And finally, Janice is continuing her discussions with Tanzanian government officials to secure funding for Powering Potential.

In her most recent trip to Tanzania Janice concluded a five-month technology training course certifying 23 high school graduates to be Powering Potential Technology Trainers, installed The Technology Tent—a solar energy system and five computers with embedded educational content, and commenced technology training at two more secondary schools.

The beauty and genius of Powering Potential is that it builds knowledge experts and trainers from within to exponentially train more and more students. I have been to Tanzania and met some of the teachers and students whose lives have been changed by Powering Potential. While words escape me to adequately describe what Powering Potential means for so many students, I can surely tell you that one look into the eyes of any Powering Potential participant and you will see the pure joy of having the opportunity to learn. As Samson Goodluck, a Technology Tent graduate, put it, “Now I see the way to pass in my life.”

Janice has taken a simple idea and in less than six years, turned it into a superbly managed, stunning example of a small non-profit that exists to change young lives.

As we approach 2012, we have laid the groundwork for a new level of growth. The demand is palpable, the stage for expansion is set, the players are in place—and we need you to join us.

With a 2012 budget of $150,000, we only have commitments of $45,000.

Nothing can be more satisfying then a gift to change a child’s life.

Please help us to meet our 2012 budget so that Powering Potential can continue to grow and serve young people, to give them opportunities that would otherwise never be possible.

As Janice often ends her emails:

If you want to go fast, go alone
If you want to go far, go together
              —– African proverb

Join us and let’s go together to make 2012 a successful and empowering year to bring technology and education to young people in Tanzania through the power of Powering Potential.

To donate online, click here
To donate with a check, please make payable to ICSEE-Powering Potential and mail to:

Powering Potential
PO Box 230913
New York, NY 10023

ICSEE (International Collaborative for Science, Education and the Environment) TIN: 22-3158263 is a 501(c)3 non-profit public charity and serves as fiscal sponsor for Powering Potential. Donations to ICSEE-Powering Potential are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

With warmest wishes for the holiday season and New Year,

Scott W. Morgan
Powering Potential Advisory Board
 

After bidding adieu to the Powering Potential people and programs in Karatu, Moody (a entrepreneur with a shuttle service) and I began the two hour drive to Arusha. There had been a huge rainfall the night before and it created some serious problems along the way. At one point we had to shut off the car engine and be pushed through the water by some Maasai men who were out in force to help with the crisis.

Theresia, in the black skirt, with her roommate at Florian:

Please wish them luck as they embark on their new careers.
  

Fun on the roof with the solar panels:

Before the installation was even complete, word was out and the Welwel students (in blue sweaters) were in the computer lab using the computers:

As you can see, the first thing they like to do is change the desktop background:

Dr. Shukuru Kawambwa, the Minister of Education and Vocational Training, called me on November 8th to ask if I could meet with him in Arusha the next day.

We met in the Jakaya Kikwete Presidential Suite at the Kibo Palace Hotel for one hour. He had just come from escorting Prince Charles and Camilla around to schools in Arusha and after our meeting he was returning to bid them adieu at the airport. I felt so honored that he squeezed me in between royalty!

We discussed our programs and I showed him the RACHEL educational content we install on the Powering Potential computers. I played a video for him which explains the balancing of chemical equations. After a minute or so, I made a move to go on to another topic and he stopped me so he could watch more.

When I return to Dar es Salaam at the end of the month, I will meet again with Mr. Ponera (photo below), Director of ICT at the Ministry, to discuss how Powering Potential can best serve the objectives of the Ministry. He is holding the Genesi Smarttop computers we use and on the table is the Smartbook.

This Powering Potential adventure continues to excite and inspire me!

In the photo above we are watching students use a nested IF function to calculate grades. (If you know Excel you will know what I mean 🙂  I was VERY impressed with all that they could do!

Students are seated and standing in the back from left to right are Founding Executive Director of Powering Potential, Karatu District Education Officer, Banjika Headmaster, and Powering Potential’s Country Director.

Then we moved to another room for the awarding of the certificates, speeches, and a feast. I got a big applause when I said, “Moyo wangu unaruku kwa furaha.” (My heart is jumping with happiness.)

And presentation of gifts to Janice Lathen:

A heart-warming expression of appreciation by Happy Mashinga on behalf of the students
A sweet card
A beautiful piece of fabric
An original song and dance by the students

And below is all that they have learned.

RACHEL is the educational content which we install on the Powering Potential computers.

Tanzanian State House in Dar es Salaam

Here I am again in Dar es Salaam meeting with government officials at the U.S. Embassy, the Ministry of Education and the Tanzanian State House (equivalent of the U.S. White House)…that was really cool !

More and more people here are becoming impressed with our work.

Tomorrow morning I will be going to Karatu to attend the graduation of the 23 students who have completed Powering Potential’s five-month Technology Tent training course. Four of them will be chosen to become trainers at Welwel and Florian Secondary Schools, a pair at each school.

Next week we will install a solar energy system and five computers each at Welwel and Florian and the trainers will begin teaching what they have learned. Powering Potential will pay their wages for three months and thereafter each school has agreed to continue the employment of one trainer for a year. When the district can assign a degreed computer teacher to the school Powering Potential will return and add 15 computers and the school can then offer Information and Computer Studies courses as part of their curriculum.

I feel so amazed when I think about all that has happened because my heart was deeply touched by the Banjika school students.

A heartfelt appreciation to all of you who have joined me on this exciting journey.
 

I’ve spent five days in Dar es Salaam and have had meetings at the U.S. Embassy, the Tanzanian Rural Energy Agency, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and I dropped off a proposal for a grant at the Aga Khan Foundation. Whew…

The meeting at the Embassy went great! More on that later….

Hamisi, the head of the Tanzania solar company we use, recommended me to Mr. Msofe the No 2 person at the Tanzanian Rural Energy Agency which is a division of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals. Mr. Msofe gave me an application for a grant which I submitted to him today. He said it was all in order and he is going to consider it.

I also met today with my friends Mr. Kalinga and Mr. Ponera at the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training. Each time we meet they are more and more enthusiastic about what we are doing. They are eager to come to Banjika to see the computer lab and they want me to meet the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry. Mr. Ponera is the head of the IT department at the Ministry and Mr. Kalinga is in charge of Monitoring and Evaluation. (The press we are getting in the Tanzanian Daily News is definitely helping our cause.)

Also wrote a letter and prepared a proposal for the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports.

I got a referral to the Executive Director of the Aga Khan Foundation in Dar es Salaam. He is on vacation now, so I dropped off a letter and our Action Plan for him to consider when he returns.

Well I’m off to the airport…will be home Friday afternoon.

Baadaye (Later)