$112,000 for the Pi-oneer Planting Project

Powering Potential is honored to have received $56,000 from the Raspberry Pi Foundation with a generous match of $56,000 by the Segal Family Foundation.

These grants will fund Powering Potential’s efforts to place the Pi-oneer, an innovative teaching tool, in 56 schools in rural Tanzania. The Pi-oneer is a portable unit which includes the Raspberry Pi computer loaded with offline RACHEL educational content and Khan Academy videos, a mobile projector, screen, and solar recharging unit that supports the entire package. Teachers can use the Pi-oneer in their classrooms to display visual representations of concepts being taught. We believe this project will plant potent seeds in fertile ground and yield a fruitful harvest of engaged and informed young people.

Country Director Albin Mathias demonstrates the Pi-oneer

The Raspberry Pi computer is an energy-efficient, low cost, credit-card sized computer. The idea behind a tiny and affordable computer for kids came in 2006 from the University of Cambridge’s Computer Laboratory in England.

Country Director Albin Mathias presents the Pi-oneer at Rigicha Secondary School in Serengeti District

Potential has also been featured in the Raspberry Pi Hacks book, which helps readers turn the Raspberry Pi into the centerpiece for a variety of electronics projects. You can find more information about this in a previous blog post. Powering Potential has already placed the Pi-oneer in three schools in Tanzania, including one remote school in the Serengeti. The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training has asked to partner with Powering Potential on this new project, which will reach over 20,000 students across Tanzania. We thank the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the Segal Family Foundation for this generous support.

Powering Potential Consults on Karagwe University College Project

Powering Potential provided consulting services to Educate Tanzania in assessing the technology needs for a new college being built in Tanzania. Educate Tanzania and Evangelical Lutheran Church Karagwe Diocese have partnered to build the Karagwe University College (KARUCO) in the Karagwe District/Kagera Region near Lake Victoria in northwest Tanzania. KARUCO will focus mainly on agriculture and environmental studies. The team at KARUCO reached out to Powering Potential to assist in establishing the technology for the school.

From left: Rev. Dr. Benson Bagonza, Bishop ELCT Karagwe Diocese; Albin Mathias, Powering Potential Country Director and Prof. Jan Hansen President/CEO Educate Tanzania.

The team was on site from January 26th through the 29th, 2015 to assess the feasibility and requirements of various systems of water harvesting, storage, treatment, filtering, distribution and re-use. Albin advised on how to ensure access to technology at the University.

Karagwe ELCT Bishop, Karagwe District Commissioner, Karagwe District Official and
KARUCO task force onsite visit. 

The KARUCO task force team and Educate Tanzania are working hard to open the University by January 2016. Powering Potential is pleased to be a part of this task force.

Prof. Jan Hansen, President/CEO Educate Tanzania; Rev. Dr. Benson Bagonza, Bishop Karagwe Diocese,;John Mongella, Kagera Regional Commissioner; and Ms. Rwegasira, Karagwe District Commissioner

Country Director Albin Mathias Participates in the Ericsson Global Perspectives Program

From January 19-23, 2015, Powering Potential's Country Director, Albin Mathias, was delighted to have the opportunity to participate in the Ericsson Global Perspectives Program, held this year in Karatu, Tanzania. Thirty-five Ericsson Leaders and eight NGO leaders from Karatu attended the program, which was organized by World Action Teams. Held at the Farm of Dreams Lodge, the program included excursions, sessions with Executive Coach Richard Leider, and opportunities to work closely with other participants. 

Participants at the Farm of Dreams Lodge

During several excursions in Karatu, Ericsson leaders took the time to learn more about NGO leaders' programs in Tanzania. A number of the participants visited Florian Secondary School and the Powering Potential offices as part of the program. Additionally, all participants visited FAME Hospital in Karatu, as well as the Ngorongoro crater. 

Participants at Ngorongoro Crater Safari

We are thrilled that Albin and Powering Potential could benefit from the experience of this powerful leadership development program. During one exercise, the NGO leaders were asked to identify their own leadership talents from a list of options. Albin learned that he brought to the Powering Potential team his natural talents in problem-solving, creating trust, bringing joy, and making things work. We would like to thank Ross Wehner and the World Action Teams for this great opportunity to learn and shard experiences with the other Ericsson Global Perspectives Program leadership training participants. 

Ross Wehner, World Action Teams, and Albin Mathias, Powering Potential