Developing World Problem #3: Internet

Before I arrived in Rwanda, many people had told me how terrible internet was at the school and in the country as a whole.  When I came, it was very slow by American standards, but it was still functional for me and had exceeded my expectations. The company used a satellite dish to direct internet to a router in the computer lab and it serviced all the classrooms and the library.  But at the end of March it started cutting out every few minutes and then one day it stopped working altogether.   The longer I’m here, the more I realize how people take for granted the most important uses of the internet such as updating or installing software.  Nothing can download if wifi turns off regularly. 

MTN is both my phone and internet company.
I have two sim cards, one for the phone and one for the internet

A common way to access internet in Rwanda is to use the phone networks on computers or mobile phones.  I have a personal modem that I can put into my computer to route the internet and can buy a day for only $1.  After the satellite broke and the company could not repair it, the school started using a router that they simply stick a phone sim card into to convert it into wifi.  However, the big kicker is that you don’t actually get unlimited internet when you buy a day or month or whatever. A day of internet is only one gigabyte of data which may seem like a lot until you start actually using the internet.  The worst was when I skyped with friends and it only lasted 2 hours.  My roommate once tried to install Microsoft Office and it took a few hours to get about 80% through before shutting off.   I have been trying to install Adobe on the computer lab desktops so they can use Rachel but it shuts off after only a few are done. 

For personal use, I usually use the modem in the staff room but it is worse there.  Imagine 8 computers trying to use 1 gig of internet?  Usually it is done by lunch, especially because the teacher enjoy streaming youtube videos.  Interestingly, the companies provide free Wikipedia, facebook and twitter. So sometimes I have run out for the day, but I am still able to go on those websites!

From Maranyundo Initiative website

So how does this affect the students?  The internet does not reach the computer lab so they do not go online.  When I give them a project that requires research, usually I have to do it for them, which is both time consuming for me and a missed opportunity for them. I have noticed they tend to be less inquisitive about large themes in the world because they only have access to the information known by people in their immediate vicinity.  This is probably the main reason I’m so excited about Rachel. The students will be able to work and learn using a computer without requiring the internet! On the other hand, right now they are more able to solve problems on their own.  In the US, if I have a question or problem, I google how to take solve it, but they are able to work more independently.