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The first workshop (TCB KnoBo)

Within in the next weeks, the TCB crew (Julian and Ina) will attend four schools in Ghana that have been equipped with computers during earlier projects over the last five years. This time, it is our aim to evaluate the impact that has been achieved in the meantime and provide all four schools in Ghana with a specialized server called the “knowledge box”. As an internet connection is not always available, this server provides learning material for all students – offline.

Currently we are in Cape Coast, visiting the St. Paul’s Catholic Basic School Nkanfoa.

26th to 27th Feb

Bild 1: Children during an ICT lesson Bild 2: Ina holds the first workshop

The next two days were dedicated to finishing touches on the inventory. Additionally, we decided to buy some chargers. Luckily, some of them could be replaced by spare ones we brought with us. We were also able to repair or replace some broken hard drives and keyboards. Later, we went to another school to install a knowledge box there. In 2015 this school was also involved in a TCB project, but this time, they had sufficient financial support so they could equip an ICT lab on their own.
George accompanied us to the city, after the school has closed. We wanted to look for chargers which we needed to replace broken ones. In the end, we found a cute little electric shop. The owner offered us to come to the school by the next day and to have a look at the laptops.
In the evening, we started to prepare the workshop and a backup for the knowledge box. On Wednesday, we started the evaluation of TCB projects that have taken place at the site earlier. A group of students was interviewed and an ICT lesson was visited. We were impressed by the content: Internet-Etiquette! Basics, some other people are struggling to learn till this day, they are basically learning it in school!
As always, we were served with amazing food. Theresa, the head mistress of the school, is one of the best Ghanaians cooks Ina was able to experience (and Julian anyway, as it Is his first time in Ghana).
The owner of the little electronics shop visited us and replaced the chargers. In the afternoon we started the introduction to the Knowledge Box. All teachers came along, also the ICT teachers from the other school. The teachers were specially fascinated by the offline Wikipedia. One of them looked for ‘bicycle’ and couldn’t stop laughing about old high-wheeled bicycles.
In the evening, we wanted to set up the backup of the knowledge box. Due to some software issues, this task had to be postponed to the next day.

For more information about TCB, check out:
https://www.teog.ngo/arbeitskreise/arbeitskreis-tcb/
For more information on the project, check out:
https://www.teog.ngo/teog_project/teog-knowledgebox-fuer-vier-schulen-in-ghana/