NEW VISIONS FOUNDATION MID-TERM PROJECT REPORT

ADDENDUM 1

In the Mid-Term Project Report to the New Visions Foundation dated, September 1, 2000, NACRE indicated that a final decision to proceed with a pilot project in Porvenir, Bolivia would be determined on or about September 5, 2000. On September 11, 2000, NACRE determined that sufficient project partner resources were fully in place and that the timeframe for implementing the pilot project can be met within the project schedule as reported. The following information will provide the New Visions Foundation with an overview of the project in Porvenir, including partner resources, implementation schedule, Community Informatics process, and educational programming.

Additional Background

NACRE first learned of the initiative to bring Internet service to the rural village of Porvenir in April 2000. The White House Millennium Council / U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) contacted NACRE to discuss a possible collaboration with private industry and non-governmental organizations. NACRE concluded from initial discussions with DOE and American Electric Power (AEP), the primary project developer, that the project was not feasible. AEP narrowly defined the scope of the project to: 1) recovering solar performance data from donated photovoltaic equipment, and 2) “pen-pal” email communications between elementary students in the U.S. and Bolivia. Additionally, NACRE understood from its research into wireless technology that the rural telephony option selected for the project communications was not feasible to meet AEP’s data transfer objectives despite vendor claims to the contrary. NACRE advised AEP project managers regarding technology requirements and recommended broadband service, which in April were not available for private data transfer in Bolivia. NACRE also informed AEP of the required education and technology requirements for NACRE to consider program participation.

Subsequent to the initial contact with DOE and AEP, the following transpired:

1. NACRE and proposed partners in Africa determined that licensing would not be available within the timeframe required to conduct a pilot project in Africa under the New Visions Grant;

2. AEP concluded independently of NACRE that the data rates and service costs for rural telephony would not meet their program objectives or budget;

3. The Bolivian government approved and licensed a wireless, broadband vendor for private data transfer;

4. NACRE learned that education in the school at Porvenir ended at grade level 6, with no other educational services available in the region. AEP or other U.S.-based project partners had not previously understood the limited educational resources of the community. AEP subsequently committed to broader educational program objectives to include the development of a distance education program to provide educational services through grade level 12 and adult education; and

5. AEP obtained additional funding from BP Amoco to cover the broadband hardware and installation costs.

In mid-August DOE again invited NACRE to participate in the Porvenir project. DOE was now convinced that the resources, revised educational goals, and timeline were favorable to achieve project success for NACRE, as AEP was now committed to expanding educational services in Porvenir. In mid-August NACRE began to work closely with AEP in order to expedite the project, focusing on educational services and wireless broadband connectivity. Concurrently, the Southwest Technology Development Institute (SWTDI)---a project partner and non-profit, university-based organization affiliated with New Mexico State University---identified the licensed wireless broadband vendor approved by the Bolivian government. SWTDI also identified STM Wireless, a U.S. corporation, as providing satellite services to the vendor in Bolivia. With the assistance of NACRE and NACRE project partner EcoSage Corporation, AEP negotiated better equipment and service costs than were being quoted by the vendor. As a result of these negotiations, broadband connectivity costs decreased from $1,000 (quoted by the vendor, Pacific Telecom) to $150 per month (guaranteed by STM Wireless). STM Wireless also agreed to by-down the retail cost of the broadband satellite hardware from $10,000 to $5,200, a $4,800 cash contribution to the project. Pacific Telecom, the wireless broadband vendor in Bolivia, is prepared to install the satellite equipment and begin services for Porvenir as early as October 1, 2000. These negotiations were negotiated beginning August 18th and were finalized on September 8th. NACRE was unable to commit to the project or even report on significant progress to New Visions Foundation until these negotiations were final.

Equipment, Installation and Training Schedule

On September 8, 2000, AEP also completed the configuration of three computers the company is donating to Porvenir schools. On September 12, EcoSage staff in California visited STM Wireless corporate offices in Irvine to finalize the connectivity agreement, arrange for routing equipment compatible with the donated AEP computer equipment, and receive training in equipment installation and operations. EcoSage will provide staff for configuring the computer and satellite equipment in the field, and train students in Porvenir to provide basic equipment operations and maintenance. EcoSage will also guarantee the three-year payment for connectivity services on behalf of NACRE. NACRE’s cost for connectivity from the New Visions grant funds is now reduced to $1,800.

On September 13th SWTDI completed the servicing, testing, and packaging the 2.5/kilowatt photovoltaic electric system donated to Porvenir by AEP. The remaining task was to ship the equipment. NACRE has tentatively committed ½ of the shipping costs, or $3,500, for shipping the equipment from New Mexico to Santa Cruz. AEP is paying for all ground costs over land in the US and Bolivia. DOE and AEP are making arrangements for shipping with a proposed ship date of September 22th for arrival in Santa Cruz, Bolivia no later than the 26th of September. EcoSage staff will arrive in Santa Cruz on the 26th to confirm equipment arrival. The NACRE project manager will arrive between on the 28th and 30th of September. Before the end of the month, a small truck convoy transporting the solar electric, satellite equipment, and installation training crew will leave from Santa Cruz, Bolivia and travel 400 miles of rainforest roadways to Porvenir. The crew will consist of at least ten people, including the NACRE project manager, EcoSage telecommunications staff, National Renewable Energy Laboratory solar engineering staff, Pacific Telecommunications installation crew, Friends of Nature (FAN) program staff, and Enersol solar installation crew. The trip will take a minimum of two to four days depending on weather. Upon arrival in the Village of Porvenir, the NACRE project manager and FAN will begin working with the village school to identify high school aged youth and others selected by the community for training in the installation and maintenance of the solar electric system, satellite services, and computer equipment. EcoSage staff will provide information and communications technology training for teachers and students. FAN staff will also be trained in tandem with local youth and provide backup support for systems operation and maintenance. FAN will be providing a bilingual volunteer staff person who is certified environmental education teacher. Training and installation of the systems, including electric wiring of lighting for the school, will require approximately 10 days to complete and will be fully documented. Concurrently, the NACRE project manager will also provide professional development for teachers in the use of the computer equipment and begin the Community Informatics development process with community leaders, teachers, and students.
Community Informatics

NACRE referenced the Community Informatics (CI) process to the New Visions Foundation in the mid-term report. A more detailed description was provided in Exhibit 9, pages 3 - 4.

The opportunity for the village of Porvenir to establish expanded educational opportunities will undoubtedly have significant social and economic impacts on the community. Students leaving grade level 6 in Porvenir assume responsibilities as adults. Expanded educational services will likely create hardships for both new students. Greater demands will be placed upon their time and family members may be required to work longer hours to cover for lost family resources. The NACRE project manager will introduce the CI process in Porvenir in collaboration with FAN program staff to assess the impacts of extending educational services beyond grade level 6. This process will begin a community-wide, iterative educational assessment process and economic impact assessment in order to establish a community educational development plan. The goal of CI process will be to establish a democratic, participatory management process for telecommunications access that is aligned with educational goals defined by the community. Stakeholders in this process will include community leaders, service providers, teachers and students, and the beneficiaries (NACRE and FAN). NACRE’s goal will be to leave in place an information management structure and trained local personnel in the school to oversee this process and begin the implementation of a community education plan. NACRE will report on the development and outcomes of the CI process in Porvenir in the final report to the New Visions Foundation.

Education

NACRE’s goal for the pilot project is to study the impact of Internet-based, distance learning on education in remote schools throughout the world. The plan was for NACRE to undertake a collaborative education program working with established schools at the secondary grade levels. In the difficult process of identifying an appropriate school with which to conduct the project after the tragedy in Isandlwana, NACRE learned a great deal about the status of education in developing countries. For example, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) statistics on net primary enrollment in Africa reports that in Africa the enrollment rate among the 37 African nations reporting educational data is 51.2% of eligible children. With all 52 African nations reporting, this number may decrease significantly.

Bolivia is among the poorest nations in Latin America with 62% of eligible children attending elementary school. Recent statistical data (1990) available on education in Bolivia from the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics reports an elementary enrollment of 235,377 students per grade level (grades 1 – 8) and a secondary school enrollment rate of 79,995 per grade level (grades 9 – 12). This represents a decrease of 155,382 students per grade level in secondary education. This dramatic decrease in enrollment reflects both the abject poverty and the lack of available schools, especially in deep rural regions of the country, such as Porvenir. In this context, the substitution of the Village of Porvenir (Bolivia) for the Village of Isandlwana (South Africa) represents a significant opportunity for NACRE to evaluate the potential of wireless, satellite telecommunications to deliver educational services to deep rural communities. NACRE’s research on information and communications technologies (ICT) in developing nations indicates that this study will represent the first of its kind in the world and may likely provide important information to key donor agencies to plan resources for rural ICT development.

Given the limited time frame of the remaining grant period with a final report due on December 1, 2000, only a limited study can be conducted. NACRE is projecting that by October 15th the solar electric equipment and Internet service will be installed and fully operational. The NACRE project manager will remain in the village until teachers and students in the 5th and 6th grade levels are able to use the equipment. Through the CI process, an interim education plan for continuing education above grade level 6 will be established with objectives defined through December 1st in order to conduct a preliminary assessment of the technology to expand educational services. It is important that the CI process define the educational needs of the community; consequently, NACRE is not projecting what services may be provided and what educational resources may be leveraged in the U.S. to support this educational service.

The collaborative educational program described in the grant proposal will be partially completed with the cooperation of the Bluffsview elementary in Columbus, Ohio. The Spanish language teacher at the school will work with the 6th grade classes at Porvenir and Columbus to conduct a comparative ecological footprint study.

Manizales, Colombia

NACRE is currently in final stages of negotiations with Orblynx, a Virginia-based company, to provide additional support for the Escuela y Café program in Colombia. Arrangements have been made with Orblynx to install $80,000 of high-speed satellite services to support Internet connections in approximately 20 of the 45 schools now participating in the program. The status of this service will be reviewed and finalized on September 25th. NACRE has also learned from Pablo Jaramillo, the project coordinator in Manizales, that military activity has increased in the region. With the support of the State Department, NACRE is reviewing safety issues for travel the remote villages in the region surrounding Manizales where the schools are located. The State Department reported that 12 U.S. citizens have been kidnapped in Colombia in 1999. Safety issues may impact NACRE’s ability to provide on-site training for teachers and students in the Escuela y Café program. A training contingency plan is currently under review and will be discussed in the scheduled project review on September 25th.

Equipment and Contributions

NACRE has obtained additional information detailing equipment and contributions by participating sponsors of the project in Porvenir:

Donor: Equipment / Contribution Estimate of Value
(Estimated)

American Elect. Power Solar Electric Equipment 2.5kW @ $15 watt
$37,500
Computer Network/ Workstations $ 2,500
Electric Lighting & Installation $ 5,000
Shipping / Handling $ 7,500
Digital Camera $ 500
Misc. Software / Hardware $ 1,500
Logistics/ Programming (estimate) $ 3,500
Planning / Supervision $ 15,000

BP Amaco Satellite Hardware / Routers $ 7,000
Satellite Hardware Installation $ 3,000

STM Wireless Equipment Buy-down $ 4,800
Connectivity Services (reduction) $10,200

EcoSage Corporation Equip. and Installation and Training $10,000

Total: $104,700

Conclusion:

Porvenir means literally “For Things to Come” or “For the Future.” This project represents a model to advance education for rural communities in developing countries. It represents the first application of broadband, satellite services to a deep rural community. This is truly a milestone and represents a pathway to development for rural communities through education.

NACRE has been able to leverage technical assistance from the World Bank and the White House, to gain significant financial support from major corporations in the U.S. and the U.K., and to benefit from a worldwide network of ICT development specialists to overcome numerous barriers during the past nine months. With continuing support form the New Visions Foundation, NACRE is now prepared complete the last critical phases of the pilot project: installation, training, program operations and evaluation.

NACRE is confident of success and is moving forward with the determination and commitment.