Project outlines

Recess playing volleyball at the Morelia Middle school

We are still in the definition phase of this project, but here are the main lines.

• Train FUNDAP Education department collaborators on the use of technology and online content/applications that will help them serving their partners better. We are currently specifically looking at the Khan Academy, eBooks and Scratch. 
• Define a simple low cost technology kit. This will most likely be a laptop, a projector, a screen, and an internet connection. The kit will be deployed in 3 pilot schools.
• Train the teachers on the use of the technology and the online applications.
• Learn and adapt the project with constant support, monitoring and bottom up feedback.
• Define a larger scale deployment kit, based on the learning of this one year project.

Both of our organizations are quite excited about this initiative, and its potential. 

We will have a fundraising campaign for this project in the months to come.

www.tinfa.org

Partnership with FUNDAP

I am just coming back from a visit to our partner in Guatemala FUNDAP. Although TINFA has worked with FUNDAP since 2006 on 2 projects, this is the first time I made a visit there.  

I am so pleased with this visit. I had the chance to meet with school directors, teachers and students of 7 rural schools, see the fruits of our past projects, understand more in depth the activities of FUNDAP, and get a sense of the culture and leadership of the organization. 

TINFA's model is to partner with organizations locally. We need to share strong common values and have complementary added values. I feel that we have a very strong partnership with FUNDAP:

• Respect and focus on the dignity of the human being, 
• avoidance of the paternalism, 
• focus on collaboration with local partners, 
• strengthening the self reliance and community engagement, 
• and a strong believe in the inherent values of the people we serve. 

Students performing a dance at school. The choreography and costume designs were done by the community.

FUNDAP has a strong presence on the ground. It is well respected with deep relationships within the community. Although FUNDAP does not "own" any of the projects they collaborate on, their facilitation and expertise is clearly seen as a welcoming and beneficial. 

Both of our organizations are interested in defining simple and common sense solutions that are precisely helpful for the communities we serve. 

I am very excited that we are about to kick out a new project together.

www.tinfa.org 

Heading to Guatemala

I am heading to Guatemala next week, to continue defining our latest project with our fearless partner, FUNDAP. This will be a pilot project with 3 rural middle schools in the Xela region.

The questions we are asking ourselves :

• What type of technology would be the most useful for schools and students? 
• Can the Khan academy resources or the likes be taken advantage of in such settings?
• What is the right empowering approach to the use of technology for education in such environment?
• Can we find an answer that can be replicable?

www.tinfa.org

TINFA is picking up steam

After couple of years of low activities – I went back to school to get a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy school at Harvard – TINFA is picking up steam again. 

It is starting with renewing our non profit status. According to our accountant, Howard, it can take about 6 months.

This Dec/Jan we made a family trip to Guatemala, and took this opportunity to visit our long time TINFA partner there: FUNDAP. It was great to finally put a face to some of the people we have worked with for the past 6 years. The timing was not ideal, as this was the holiday season, and pretty much every body is on vacation during that time, including FUNDAP and the schools. But still, there is nothing more powerful than making a physical contact, and picturing the places where TINFA is involved with.

www.tinfa.org