Global Technology Access Foundation is currently focusing on projects for schools in Uganda. We work with a local managed service provider to identify schools in need of assistance and to understand their requirements. We work with local computer technology and services providers and resellers in Kampala to purchase the required hardware for the projects, install software, deploy systems, train teachers, and support the computer systems that we provide.
We utilize the most cost effective and appropriate technologies for the schools. This includes Microsoft Remote Desktop Services which allows multiple users to connect to a single computer, reducing hardware and maintenance costs while simplifying management of the system. We install a set of software applications to support the local curriculum including Microsoft Office, a typing tutor, and reference materials such as encyclopedias and dictionaries. Locally installed applications and reference materials enable offline access in situations where access to the Internet is intermittent or costly.
Through our ten plus years of experience we have found that the best long-term outcomes occur when the Foundation donates a portion of the hardware and software, and the school funds the remainder. This helps to build a shared responsibility for the computer lab and equipment.
Upcoming Project Highlight
Cloud computing technologies coupled with Satellite Internet access services will enable cloud-based computer labs that have the potential to significantly reduce the cost of deploying, managing, and maintaining a school computer lab in rural communities. Cloud-based computer labs also have the potential to enhance access for students and staff from a variety of locations.
To test the feasibility of a cloud-based computer lab solution, Global Technology Access Foundation will work with a local Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partner, Computer Works Uganda, to run a pilot program at a school by using Internet services to connect on-premises client devices to multi-session virtual machines in Azure Virtual Desktop.
Previous Projects
Examples of some of the projects that we have recently completed include:
Global Technology Access Foundation worked with our local technology partner, Computer Works Uganda, to assist the Kalungu Girls Training Center in Uganda by upgrading their computer lab with additional Windows computing stations, installing the latest software, and providing Internet access.
Kalungu Girls Training Center is a secondary school for girls that is located in Kalungu District, a rural area in Uganda. Started in 1967 as a small training center for local girls, the school initially provided training in practical skills such as tailoring, carpentry, agriculture, cookery, typing, as well as Math, writing, and English. The school has since been expanded and now includes a full academic curriculum that conforms to the standards of the government secondary schools while maintaining practical skills training.
In the words of the headmistress, “The school welcomes young women who are determined to better their lives and that of their future families. The student body includes refugee girls from Congo, Burundi, South Sudan, Rwanda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and from different parts of Uganda. About one fourth of the students receive tuition aid. Some of these girls have lost one or both of their parents. Others are from extremely poor and struggling families.”
During 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools were closed in Uganda which reduced income for many schools. Mbabaali Memorial school has a large number of children who live on campus and the school had difficulty purchasing enough food for the students. Consequently, for this project, we donated food.
For this project, we donated one Windows Server 2016 computer system with 11 stations for the computer lab for students and staff. The school augmented our donation with two additional 10-station Windows Server computer systems for a total of 31 stations in the computer lab. We also deployed a network switch, an Internet router, and cabling to connect the computer systems to the Internet.
For this project, we deployed two Windows Server 2016 computer systems with 20 USB stations for students and one LAN station for the staff. We also installed a network switch and cabling to connect the Windows Server computer systems to the Internet router supplied by the school.
For this project, we deployed two Windows Server 2016 computer systems with 20 USB stations in the school computer lab for students and staff. We also installed an Internet router, a network switch and cabling to connect the Windows Server computer system to the Internet and to connect the existing 10 PCs in the lab to the Windows Server computer systems as remote stations.
For this project, we deployed one Windows Server 2016 computer system with 14 split-screen stations for a student computer lab. Split-screen stations use a Remote Desktop services technology that allows 2 separate desktops to appear side-by-side on a single monitor enhancing student collaboration and further reducing costs. We also deployed 3 standard stations for the staff and installed a network switch and cabling to connect the Windows Server computer system to the Internet via the school’s existing internet router.
For this project, we deployed one Windows Server 2012 computer system with 16 split-screen stations, an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) system with surge protector, and a network switch with cabling to connect the Windows Server system to the Internet. We also trained the staff and students to use and maintain the system.