I think that I have found my dream job. Directly across from Mzuzu University, down a dirt road, through a corn field you will find the Ungweru Community Center. There you will find nice 4 computers, the latest news papers, sodas and cookies for sale. Ungweru Community Center is a for-profit endeavor, started by the catholic church and the university, to offer technology classes to the public at very reasonable prices. Currently there are typing and basic computing classes (Microsoft Word and Windows XP) offered at Ungweru. I have been asked to help them begin teaching basic computer networking and internet skills... without using the internet of course!!

At the last board meeting, I was named an honorary Board Member and we discussed the idea of teaching internet classes at Ungweru. An internet connection is far out of our budget, we are instead the process of creating a local network that will serve as a fully functioning replica of the actual internet. This means that in our little community center students will be able to practice and learn internet skills like HTML, email, networking etc. Because our mini-internet is an exact replica of the actual internet, only much much smaller (our network is of 5 computers instead of millions), the skills students learn taking our internet classes will be directly applicable in jobs in the real world.

Building a local network replica of the internet for students to learn, practice, and build real applicable IT skills is not as difficult or expensive as it might seem. I will be documenting the steps we use build our internet training center. Check back for updates.