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The following is a brief excerpt of the Leland Benin
Information and Communication Strategic Objective School-To-School Report
Prepared for:
United States Agency for International Development
Africa Bureau, Office of Sustainable Development
USAID/Cotonou
Prepared by:
Zoey Breslar
United States Agency for International Development
Policy and Program Coordination Bureau
Center for Development Information and Evaluation
Research and Reference Services Project
operated by the Academy for Educational Development
March 1997
This trip was a follow-up to the Leland SO3 Country Assessment in May
1996, with team members Zoey Breslar, Steven Dorsey, Jim Esselman, and Linda Leonard.
It included working with the USAID mission staff to further their understanding of the
Leland Initiative, and help them think strategically about incorporating Internet
technologies into their activities and those of their current partners. It also included
visits to four GLOBE schools to introduce the possibility of Internet connectivity, and to
talk about its relevance to the GLOBE Program activities and other curricular
applications.
Recommendations from the Leland SO3 Country Assessment are still relevant to the situation
in Cotonou and to the objectives of the USAID mission. These activities focus on Internet
awareness, Internet training, and support of Internet end-users in Benin.
Leland's Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Government of the Republic of Benin (GRB) and the USG on January 9, 1997. The equipment for the national node, to be installed at the OPT, is due to be shipped and installed as soon as possible for a targeted operational date of June 1997. Meanwhile, USAID/Cotonou is funding four OPT officials to attend technical training in Abidjan on March 24, in preparation for the receipt and operation of the equipment. John Mack (DOS), accompanied by an AT&T team, will work with the OPT on tariffing issues before the equipment arrives.
Internet access is currently available through the OPT in Cotonou. For modem access to the
Internet, there is a one-time fee of $9.00, and a online cost of 7.5¢ per minute; for an
email account, there is a one-time fee of $36.50, and a monthly charge of $18.25. The OPT
currently has 384 subscribers (March 1 quote), and its capacity is saturated. Customer
service is handled by several private sector businesses, whose services include
configuring PCs for the Internet, installing software, and giving introductory software
training. The private sector is growing to meet this demand for services, including Web
page designers, and three cybercafés for public access to the Internet and for other
software applications.
The U.S. Information Service, over the past several years, has played a large part in building Internet awareness in Benin. They host lunches and speakers about the Internet, and have public access to the Internet using a GLOBE computer. This enables USIS to host webchats for GLOBE students and show the potential applications of the Internet to a variety of audiences. With the new information services soon to be offered through the USIA electronic library, USIS/Cotonou is considering expanding their Internet services to cater to a wider--though targeted--audience which would include journalists and other media professionals.
Institutions are becoming familiar with the communications options through other donors' projects. For example, UNDP is in the process of funding an NGO intranet; it is designed to encourage communication between Beninese NGOs, and to develop databases of local information that could be sold to those outside of the network.
Overall, through word-of-mouth and limited advertising, the general public is becoming aware that the Internet exists. However, a very small group of people are actively using the Internet in Benin. A national, week-long exposition would be ideal for demonstrating the capabilities of the Internet and allowing the public to explore the specific applications. ISPs would benefit from this opportunity to advertise their services.
USAID/Cotonou has one Strategic Objective (Basic Education), a Special Objective for
Health (to become a Strategic Objective by the end of FY97), and a Special Objective for
Democracy and Governance. The Strategic Objective is active; the Special Objectives are in
the final strategic planning phase.
Meetings with each team included a refresher on the Leland Initiative's objectives, an update on the situation with the Internet and the Initiative in Benin, brainstorming on how the Internet would be useful to their work and to their partners' goals, considering which partners would be good investments for funding for Internet activities, and identifying next steps for the Leland Initiative and Internet applications.
The Basic Education team was able to strategize immediately on the possibilities of getting the National Ministry of Education and Scientific Research (MENRS) offices communicating via email, beginning in Cotonou and Porto Novo with the intention of expanding to all districts. They also addressed regional possibilities for networking, citing Educational Research Network for West Africa (ERNWA) in Abidjan.
The Health team effectively thought through the possibilities for supporting their current partners, and which institutions could act as models or umbrellas in incorporating a number of other organizations.
Financial resources were of concern to the Democracy and Governance team, but became manageable after discussing strategies to support partners without a lot of funding (i.e. training and strategic planning). Beninese NGOs are currently joining to form a consortium, which could be jointly funded by the DG team and the other teams. The DG team is still developing its strategy, and will continue to consider its investments in Internet applications.
All teams raised the need for rural connectivity, and questioned the necessity of constant Web access for all institutions. From this, discussions ensued about current information and communications strategies, and the teams gained a further understanding of Leland's goals and technological options for Internet connectivity. Teams will further explore other donor activities in telecommunications, and other donors' funding of common NGOs, as well as how to support PVO activities and communications strategies.
Overall, all teams were enthusiastic and supportive of the Initiative, and eager to begin using the World Wide Web. However, USAID/Cotonou does not have Web access through the VSAT they share with the Embassy and has not yet signed up with the OPT for a local connection. This inhibits scheduling the Internet for Development: Applications and Training Workshop.
The Leland Initiative's School-to-School Partnership aims to
facilitate cross-cultural dialogue and joint projects between African primary and
secondary schools in countries where this Initiative is active, and where similar goals
are adopted in schools in the United States. In African countries, this Initiative, in
conjunction with the USAID mission's bilateral funds, may assist schools in becoming aware
of the academic uses of the Internet, and in acquiring the hardware and training needed to
participate in this Partnership.
The GLOBE Program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is an international science education program with an Internet component. It compliments Leland's School-to-School Partnership by providing a familiar educational program with an Internet application, from which teachers and students can springboard into endless other Internet applications.
Benin signed onto the GLOBE Program in April 1995; at that time, the Alliance of Black Telecommunications Employees donated computers to each of the eight initial GLOBE schools, the Country Coordinator, and USIS. Because the cost of computer hardware is not an issue in this case, an introduction to the potential academic applications of the Internet was useful during the bi-annual GLOBE visits that ran concurrently with the trip. Many GLOBE teachers had already been introduced to the Internet during their GLOBE training, and those from CEG GBegamey had participated in a GLOBE webchat at USIS.
Many schools have already participated in school partnerships, and are enthusiastic about communicating with other schools through the Internet. CEG GBegamey has already begun the process of getting Internet connectivity. This is due in large part to the support of the Association de Parents d'Élèves (APE), which provides the financial support to these kinds of projects in public schools. With the help of USIS, USAID will target Internet awareness and the benefits of academic applications to the members of the national APE. Awareness sessions will also be provided to Ministry officials (including technical advisors), GLOBE school directors, and teachers.
USAID will support these efforts by incorporating interested schools into extra sessions of the Internet for Development: Applications and Training Workshop, which will be tailored to academic needs and themes, and provide specific resources for teachers, students, and administrators. Other support is given to GLOBE activities through 3-year technical assistance from USAID's CLEF (Children's Learning and Equity Foundations) Project. Available funds are to be applied to long term projects, which include translation of GLOBE materials in the French language, and exploring options for making GLOBE instruments locally to reduce their cost. Perhaps these funds could be applied to training costs for GLOBE-affiliated organizations, though these decisions will be made jointly by USAID and the MENRS. GLOBE schools will benefit from access to GLOBE Mail once online, a structured and comfortable way to begin using the Internet and working with other schools world-wide.
One of the primary obstacles to the growth of the GLOBE Program in Benin is the effectiveness of the GLOBE Country Coordinator. The Country Coordinator is still in need of a permanent office and, although a computer and modem is available, does not have an Internet conenction which was to be furnished by the MENRS according to the GLOBE Memorandum of Understanding. He also needs Internet and computer training. In addition, the Country Coordinator is waiting for Ministry Approval to expand the number of schools nationally.
During the week of March 3, bi-annual GLOBE visits were attended by GLOBE Country Coordinator, Mr. Bello; GLOBE representative at USAID/Cotonou, Karen Kent; MENRS Technical Advisors; and Leland Initiative team member, Zoey Breslar. These visits included GLOBE schools near Cotonou. The following week saw visits to GLOBE schools in the northern regions, without the Leland team member. Internet awareness building in the northern regions was not appropriate at this time, as national rural Internet connectivity strategies are still in the planning phase.
Schools visited include CEG GBegamey (secondary) and Akpakpa Central (primary) in Cotonou, Lycée Behanzin (secondary) in Porto Novo, and CEG Lokossa (secondary) in Lokossa. At each school, attendees included the GLOBE/Ministry/USAID delegation above, the school director, GLOBE teachers, and a representative of the APE for that school. Each school visit was preceded by a courtesy call to the districts' MENRS representatives.
All GLOBE schools are enthusiastic about their Programs, and have the support and interest of the APE and the schools directors. Many GLOBE teachers have been successful in having GLOBE data be used in other classes, and have recruited and are training other teachers to become involved with GLOBE. Each school has a room dedicated to the GLOBE computer and equipment. Universally, students are committed to the Program, taking measurements every day, including weekends and vacations.
Many schools are targeting parents, other teachers, and communities in building awareness about the GLOBE Program. CEG Lokossa recently concluded a GLOBE competition of five environmental questions --some involving library research-- after a week of GLOBE awareness where the community was invited to watch and learn about the measurements taken. Though the competition was open to the public, the winner was a sixth grader -- Micarette Gomido. CEG Lokossa has also compiled a report of their findings for 1996. Akpakpa Central is planning similar activities to inform the parents and the community during their annual Cultural Week. They will display the GLOBE students' work, and emphasize the importance of the students' involvement with Internet technologies and the implications for their eventual involvement in the global economy. This will assist in gaining parents' support for an Internet connection at the school.
The MENRS Technical Advisors were consistently impressed and supportive of the Program's activities; this was their first exposure to the GLOBE Program. They will be making recommendations to the Minister for continued support of GLOBE.
Though school officials were not very familiar with the Internet's capabilities, they had an appreciation for the potential for applications and communication for their students and faculty. This was an opportune time to reinforce the value of the Internet and answer any questions about its applications, and/or cost and requirements for connectivity. Each of the schools was concerned with the latter, and Behanzin officials discussed at length the necessity of another telephone line into the school. CEG GBegamey has already applied for an Internet connection, and is waiting for the installation of a phone jack in the building with the computers. Other schools were impressed with GBegamey's progress, which made Internet connectivity a potential reality for them. The value of Internet connectivity was further enforced when students at CEG GBegamey voiced many scientific questions about their measurement results, and Karen Kent explained the availability of GLOBE scientists for answers via webchats and email (as well as postal mail for now). Bello and Karen Kent will be strong advocates for bringing this technology into the schools, and can answer most questions that will arise in the awareness-building process.
During these visits, Bello addressed the need for having a line-item in the school's budget for GLOBE activities. Though most schools had not yet incorporated GLOBE into their budgets, Lokossa had, in the line-item for their laboratory expenses. The GLOBE teacher at Lycée Behanzin approached the administration about this without success this year. Bello also emphasized the importance of having GLOBE space for students to keep their equipment and do analysis, and GLOBE student priority in using the computer. This was not a problem at any of the schools visited.
Several teachers voiced some concerns about maintenance and replacement of scientific instruments, which is the responsibility of the individual schools. Lycée Behanzin was having difficulty generating interest among other teachers in spite of informal and targeted awareness building, and is considering introducing additional incentives for GLOBE teachers.
The primary concern voiced by the secondary students was the lack of opportunities to continue with GLOBE, once completing the level where the Program is offered in each school. Though many of these students assist the lower levels with their measurements and continue their work with the GLOBE teachers, they were frustrated at not being able to focus on GLOBE academically.
As GLOBE students tend to be self-selected, they should be encouraged to continue with their interests in science beyond the GLOBE experience. Logical professional linkages exist with environmental research institutions such as the Association Beninoise pour l'Environnement (ABE) and Songhai, as well as the University of Benin. Students could become involved with these institutions as interns while in school, contributing GLOBE knowledge and data, while exploring the professional opportunities the field has to offer.
Mr. Baglo and Mr. Migan of ABE are enthusiastic about working with GLOBE students, though they feel they would have much more to offer once their Internet capabilities are enhanced (training in Web page development, a scanner, a laser printer, software). They are currently benefiting from World Bank support, and plan to have a public access center which includes Internet access, multi-media capabilities, and tailored databases of Beninese data. With Internet access and the guidance of Mr. Migan, who is familiar with the environmental applications and resources the Internet offers, GLOBE students would gain a whole new understanding of global environmental issues and the importance of Benin's contribution to global environmental research. ABE also has affiliations with national and regional organizations, and donor efforts for environmental issues.
Songhai (originally recommended as a fast-track institution in the Leland SO3 assessment in May 1996), with its headquarters located in Porto Novo, is in the process of becoming a GLOBE institution which suits its mandate as an agricultural research and training institute. Father Nzamujo, the Director, is eager to include GLOBE students to learn the applications of GLOBE activities in Africa. Songhai has Internet connectivity (though expensive), and offers training to its students in hardware maintenance, software installation and use, database development, Web use and other computer applications. Father Nzamujo is in the process of expanding his facilities to include two new computer laboratories and an intranet for his administrative staff in Porto Novo, four branch farms in other regions of Benin, and centers in Mali and Burkina Faso. He is interested in becoming an ISP for the educational domain in Benin (and is prepared to install a satellite dish on the roof of his administrative building), providing Internet service and resources to educational institutions.
Opportunities for GLOBE student involvement with ABE and Songhai should be explored, with the help of USAID/Cotonou, the Leland Initiative, the GLOBE Program, and the Peace Corps.
The Peace Corps plays an important role in five GLOBE schools in Benin and can serve as a catalyst in expanding the number of schools involved. In August 1995, the new group of Peace Corps Volunteers received three days of GLOBE training, and selected volunteers have since played an important part by encouraging schools to participate in the Program. Volunteers also help make the GLOBE activities sustainable by showing their applicability within the schools, and by facilitating information sharing between schools.
Peace Corps' support for GLOBE needs to be clear and consistent. By involving Peace Corps in GLOBE activities, the host governments will be encouraged to participate in the Program, knowing that grassroots support will be available in facilitating its success. In return, the Peace Corps can use the GLOBE Program to enhance their education activities. Support would include GLOBE training opportunities, volunteer assignments to GLOBE schools, skills training for volunteers for quick financial assessments of a school's ability to afford Internet connectivity, and a general facilitative role.
According to Marcus Chance and John Finarelli, volunteers involved since August 1995, GLOBE should be introduced to new volunteers during their three month introductory training, then formal GLOBE training should be offered at a later date after volunteers are familiar with the school and the players, and host country counterparts should be invited to attend. The new volunteer group is due to arrive June 13th, 1997.
Benin has moved forward with Internet connectivity and awareness the past year, and will
expand rapidly on this progress due to the recent signing of the Leland agreement. To
prepare Beninese Internet end-users, USAID and other players in the Internet industry must
anticipate and address their needs.
USAID should begin by getting an Internet connection, and training its staff and partners in effective Internet use for development. As USAID/Cotonou is heavily involved with Leland activities in Benin and will continue as the hardware is installed, a Leland Coordinator may need to be hired to handle the resulting inquiries and programs.
A week-long national exposition of Internet technologies, upon the operation of the national node, is an ideal way to expose the public to the capabilities of the Internet and allow ISPs to advertise their services. For the exposition to be effective, hardware must be in place on the national level and ISPs must be ready for a sharp increase in demand. USIS and the media can play an important role in the promotion of the exposition. A Beninese chapter of the Internet Society could also play an important role in developing and supporting an Internet end-user base.
There is much potential for GLOBE schools to act as leaders among academic institutions in integrating the Internet into their curricula. USAID, as a continuation to its current involvement with GLOBE, can continue to encourage and foster GLOBE school expansion and Internet connectivity with the GLOBE Country Coordinator, and pursue professional linkages for GLOBE secondary students.
USAID, with its combination of Leland and bilateral activities, will play a key role in establishing Internet connectivity with private sector involvement in Benin, adding strategic applications for a solid Internet end-user base.
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