After successfully bringing 23 laptops to Paipir Primary School in Pader, Northern Uganda, in 2015, setting up the computer lab and spending two weeks training the teachers with Edubuntu, we realized that due to the inconsistency of power in Pader, the lab would not be fully utilized. Both my loyal and beloved partner Michelle and I decided that we would need to raise money and have some solar panels installed.

We organized concerts, African nights, tapped all of our friends and with the help of the Mercy project we were able to raise $5700, enough to buy and install solar panels that would provide constant electricity for the computer lab as well as some classrooms. In 2016, Paipir Primary school, with the generous support of the headmistress Pauline Laker and the Northern Uganda Educational District Office built a new and secure computer lab and installed the solar panels. These panels not only power the computers, they now power some of the classrooms and the teacher’s residences. Michelle was there for the grand opening where all local dignitaries gave speeches and where the school children performed their traditional dance, the Bwola.

In the spring of 2017, with the help of CEED Concordia and CEED Uganda we brought more laptops for the school, they now have a total of 33 functional laptops. I went to the school on a brief visit and was able to train the two teachers responsible for the lab in computer maintenance, and I was able to see the progress the children were making in computer literacy.

We were lucky to have some money left over from our fundraising that will, pay for some regular maintenance from a local resource for a few months for the next year.

It is our intention to carry on our support of Paipir Primary School in providing more laptops, and more training for the teachers and for the children. The school would like to expand the lab and offer training to community members in computer skills. The challenge now is that the school would need to control who goes in and out of the school. Consequently, our next fundraiser is to build a fence around Paipir. Any help would be appreciated.

Malcolm Lhombreaud