IT in ville

over the past week, i have been in Ouaga pouring over my computer and code. we are just on the verge of launching our website for our program here. i've done the html design while others have worked on sharepoint/server issues (and internal content). never did i think i would be building a website under such conditions. yet, here i am trying to leave some sort of legacy that goes beyond the boundaries of Rambo. if luck strikes, maybe we'll revolutionize the way we share documents and resources in the PC. perhaps it's a far off goal but it's possible. best part of all, it costs A LOT less to run what we are running than the current system. who knew nerds could do so much?!

being in Ouaga has also been a bit of a relief from village life. my life seems more productive, the work more instantaneously rewarding. too often in village, progress moves at a snail's pace. in the capital, i can work and see results while others around me continue on that same pace. there is no need for motivation, as it is built into our work ethic. such an ethos does not exist in village. any single person has a reason to be late or slow in the uptake, which only encourages the same idea amongst the others. it's an African idea of time and expended effort which has major consequences.

for instance, if you combine such an idea with the inherent racism (built from less than fair colonial era issues) then you will find that Burkinabe see work ethic as a result of genetic makeup of which Africans got the short end of the stick. two of my students literally told me that whites can study for longer because they are smarter than blacks. they were using it as a reason to not study or work harder. they truly accepted that idea. they manipulated it to their advantage. further, it was nearly impossible to get them to believe it was an issue of drive and will. after all, we have African American volunteers working for us that do not have the same cultural setbacks. truly, such thoughts are setbacks for development just as certain substitions and myths can hault empowerment and education in a village. what can you do but continue the fight?

on that note, development is like the water pressing against the dam. what so many see as a static lake is realy large hydrolic pressure pushing against the concrete barrier, looking for a crack. that continues force and a small weakness in the wall can cause major breakdowns, possibly a flood. so we continue to put pressure on that wall. time is on our side.

unfortunately for the site though, it has left behind the IT committee. i am quickly running out of town to continue my quick intro into web design (just as i was starting to understand some javascript). the site will be up soon, then it's back to village. one can always use more time but i'm sure Bruce misses me. lord knows he probably hasn't found enough people to hiss at without me there.