Inveneo Laptops Archives

What’s Sierra Leone Like Almost One Year After the Ebola Virus Hit?

  1. Posted by Jana Melpolder on April 20, 2015 in the categories: Healthcare, News, Relief

Inveneo team member Eric Zan serves as a Senior Field Engineer in the Ebola Response Connectivity Initiative (ERCI). He recently explained his thoughts on the ERCI Project and the difference it has been making in Ebola-hit Sierra Leone. Read his story below on what country is like now almost one year after the virus hit.

  1. What is Sierra Leone like one year after the Ebola virus hit?
Inveneo visited a case management and burial management team in Sierra Leone. Photo Credit: Eric Kuhnke/Inveneo

Inveneo visited a case management and burial management team in Sierra Leone. Photo Credit: Eric Kuhnke/Inveneo

“Although I haven’t been in Sierra Leone throughout the entire crisis, I can see that Sierra Leone used to be a place where ‘doors were closing’ in almost all areas for the residents. What I mean is that there were serious limits on migration, how much people moved, and where people congregated. In addition, several businesses left Sierra Leone which drastically affected opportunities for individuals. The overall economic landscape was hurt from this, and often people had to change their jobs. And even if you did not contract the Ebola virus your life was still drastically altered.

Today, humanitarian organizations of Sierra Leone are transitioning to more of a “recovery” mode. Ebola is still active there, but it is concentrated in different provinces. Priorities are changing theses days since many regions are not experiencing new patients and are devoting their resources to the economic and social recovery. Not surprisingly communities have experienced different levels of fallout from all this. However, through it all, communication is the biggest factor we are concerned with and it was good to see local communities having trust in the global community.”

  1. What were your daily activities in the ERCI project?
Eric Zan organizing materials for the ERCI project.

Eric Zan organizing materials for the ERCI project.

“It was constantly different because every day presented new challenges. In general I was the logistics coordinator and helped direct the Field Team on where they could go.

  • I made sure there was a way to gather details and share them with the team about where to go and when to take precautions.
  • I would liaise with our project partners in order to come up with a plan for integrating our equipment into their core network.
  • Also, I’d discuss how to build out each tower in a coordinated way, how to ensure bandwidth strength, and how to monitor the network.

Those items were the “big picture” parts to my day-to-day activities. But they add up when working in a crowded and limited-resource environment.”

  1. How is the ERCI project making a difference?

“First, the Internet will help main hubs coordinate with their field offices because a lot of decision making and resource allocation happens in the capital. Before getting an Internet connection, main offices sometimes had to wait days or weeks to get information about what was going on in the rural areas. By then it’s often too late to respond to the key needs in an efficient way. Second, the organizations can get data back almost instantly. This communication helps them coordinate with other organizations which overall helps paints the big picture for everybody.

Photo Credit: Eric Kuhnke/Inveneo

Photo Credit: Eric Kuhnke/Inveneo

As a last note, the Internet generally helps people and organizations be more efficient in their missions, whatever their mission is. This may include having more time for projects, less need for travel, and better cost-effective strategies.”

  1. What precautionary health measures did you and your team take while in Sierra Leone?

“The health measures were mainly based on behavioral changes; they were all behavioral-based policies that we established for the team to follow. The ABCs meant Avoid Body Contact at all times. We were taking our temperatures at least twice a day, and we worked alongside a health a safety member from NetHope from their Icelandic Search and Rescue Team. Also, communication was important and people checked in with me. We also had a group chat on Skype going, and I was constantly coordinating with others in case someone needed to go to the hospital or wasn’t feeling well.”

  1. In your opinion, what ICTs would be the most effective in stopping Ebola from spreading?

“Although many people have mobile phones in Sierra Leone, they may not always be the entire solution. For example, mobile phones are not reliable to transfer large amounts of data. Instead, what is needed is a reliable Internet link and a better system for gathering and aggregating data in an automated way.

Another important part is the building of local capacity. Training is very important and it must be coordinated with local support and knowledge. Information should be made available to communities and more members of an organization’s team, too, and not necessarily to just the Project Coordinator.

Over the last few months I’ve realized that those living in Sierra Leone are incredibly resilient people, and they have so much that they are already offering. Combining these skills with ICT has the potential to play a significant role in bringing an end to this tragic Ebola crisis.”

Inveneo Buyers Guide to Sustainable ICT Infrastructure in Low Resource Settings

  1. Posted by Inveneo on January 18, 2012 in the categories: News, Publications

The Inveneo Buyers Guide to Sustainable ICT Infrastructure in Low Resource Settings is intended to serve as a planning tool for deploying information and communications technologies (ICTs) in low resource settings – i.e., communities lacking basic support infrastructure, such as grid power and broadband connectivity, and where computer skills among users and facilities managers are often limited.

It highlights the most important considerations in the selection, design, deployment and support of general facilities, ICT tools and supporting power systems. We have intentionally not addressed the complicated issue of mobile computing devices, opting instead to focus on the challenges facing those planning to deploy and operate shared access computing facilities such as school computer labs, community knowledge centers (CKCs), process outsourcing facilities, etc.

The ICT Buyers Guide is divided into two sections. Part 1 covers the key factors to consider in selecting major infrastructure components, from buildings and facilities to computers, peripherals, software and connectivity. Part 2 discusses infrastructure support and logistical issues around deployment.

Because there are many topics to cover, and to keep this resource as short and accessible as possible, each section starts with a brief introduction, followed, where appropriate, by a simple bullet list of key points to consider.

We invite you to provide your feedback on this document and ideas for improving it via email at info@inveneo.org.

Classmate PC: Inveneo Mobile Computing Solutions

  1. Posted by Inveneo on January 19, 2011 in the categories: News, Publications

Inveneo Mobile Computing Solutions are rugged, energy efficient netbook computers designed for use in rural and other off-grid locations where electrical supplies are limited or unreliable.

Inveneo now features two full-featured netbook reference designs from Intel Corporation that have been carefully selected and integrated into two configurations optimized for durability: the Classmate PC Clamshell & Classmate PC Convertible.

The benefits of the Classmate PC designs include:

  • Mobility: Lightweight design with handle, screen that rotates from laptop to tablet PC, and up to 7.5 hours of battery life.
  • Ruggedness: Durable construction with water resistant keyboard, touch pad, and LCD screen, capable of withstanding a drop from 70cm.
  • Versatility: Convertible transformation to table PC for multi-modal input: ergonomic stylus for writing directly on screen, built-in speakers, microphone, and rotational camera.

Inveneo Mobile Computing Solutions can be further optimized for education. Pre-loaded with education-focused content and software, they are powerful enough to support a wide variety of educational applications and activities.

Education-specific features and software can be combined with Intel® Learning Series solutions to support interactive, individualized and peer-driven learning environments.

Altruette Laptop Charm: The Perfect Holiday Gift for Your Favorite Geek

  1. Posted by Inveneo on December 7, 2010 in the categories: News

A computer without Internet access is like a car without fuel. And in the developing world, access to the web can mean the difference between wealth and poverty, or even life and death when disaster strikes.

Now you can support Inveneo whether you’re a techie or a technophobe, by wearing this laptop charm that connects you to the world beyond your desk.

The charm comes from Altruette, a classic line of charms with a philanthropic twist: each charm represents and benefits a different non-profit.

Charms come with a “cause card” that tells the consumer about the non-profit it represents and 50% of the net profit from the sale of each charm goes to the cause partners, a group of 25+ non-profits.

“For decades, women have worn charms to tell their personal story. They also have the ability to tell the story of the causes they represent,” says co-founder Lee Clifford.

Each charm is designed to symbolize the organization’s great work. For example, the laptop computer charm benefits Inveneo, your favorite San Francisco based nonprofit that helps connect the developing world through technology.