More publicity for African Digital Diaries

A nice piece from the United Nations Media Global news service on African Digital Diaries and focusing on Bishop Tilewa's keynote speech.

Football

The day after the launch of African Digital Diaries I presented at the football and learning session and showed the Zanzibar Beach Boys film again. It went down very well. Expertly chaired by Harold Elletson from the UK and Mor Seck from Senegal it was a lively, varied and interesting forum. I was very impressed with the work of the Zambian EduSport Foundation described by its marketing officer Patrick Mweshi. And the session also gave me the chance to learn about iSchools Africa from the irrepressible Michelle Lissoos. I hope we will be able to collaborate in the future it was a serendipitous meeting.

Lusaka Conference

I think the trip to Lusaka can be counted a success. First the conference itself. Rebecca and the team from ICWE did a great job getting nearly 2000 delegates to Zambia from all over Africa. The conference had a really African feel and I was most refreshed that the usual poverty industry crowd had stayed away leaving the stage clear for constructive ideas and hope for the future. That is after all what the digital universe can offer.      

The launch of African Digital Diaries went very well. There was definitely a buzz around the project. Particularly after Bishop Tilewa Johnson gave us a cracking plug in his opening plenary address. His speech about the need for an African approach to social networking was the most memorable and reported of the conference. He is a class act.

 

We had been worried about filling our 90 minute slot but in the end we ran out of time. Our co-presenters -- Themba from Zimbabwe, Billy from Zambia and the Bishop from Gambia -- gave a really textured mix of viewpoints, styles and stories. The proof of it all came from the lively discussion that followed each presentation. We connected with other enthusiasts and that is what really matters. 

Now the challenge is for African Digital Diaries to build on this momentum and enthusiasm.

Paje Boys on Film

Gerrardi, Ahmedi, Zaharani and Maasai Juma worked wth Zanzibits and Stone Town director Ibrahim Matukuta to make "Zanzibar Beach Boys" which you can now see here along with all the other African Digital Diaries we launched with in Lusaka.

The little film shows how a passion for football can be a real driver to informal learning. The boys have taught themselves how to use computers, find a wifi signal and connect with other football fans worldwide. It's a great African Digital Diaries story and the team made a really special film. We presented it at two ELA 2010 sessions and it went down a storm both times.

I am very proud of them all. 

Ministerial Transport

Only in Africa. I was waiting for my taxi to take me to the conference centre this morning when a big pick-up appeared. "Come-on let's go!" said the guy driving. "I'll take you to eLearning Africa". I was confused until he explained that he had spotted my pass and that's where he was headed. He was the Zambian Deputy Minister for Education and had given his driver the day off. We have a good chat. He told me all about a legal dispute he was in with Caterpillar Zambia and I told him about African Digital Diaries.

Flying Tonight

Just sitting at Heathrow looking out at an absolutely scorching runway -- maybe it's hotter now than it will be in Africa tomorrow morning.

Have reacehd the point where all the preparations for the launch of African Digital Diaries have been taken as far as they can, we just have to do it now.

Lusaka Football

The football session is getting some publicity.The ELA News Service has issued this. A bit worrying as I don't remember doing an interview. Even more worrying they think I am an expert!

British Airways

Dear Old BA...I get a call from them to say that my return flight from Zambia will be delayed by the strike. Delayed from May 29th to June 10th. They do however offer to "Try and find me another flight back from the Africa region". I explain that the "Africa region" is rather large and popping from Lusaka to Mogadishu or Accra isn't just a case of getting on a bus or in a taxi. A lot of phone calls and frantic internet sessions later and I am taking a detour via South Africa.

Busy week in Lusaka

I have also been asked to present at another session in Lusaka, this time about football as a stimulus to learning. The conference organisers are keen to capitalise on the buzz around the World Cup being in Africa. I will tell my Zanzibar stories again but need a bit more!

Lusaka Countdown

Well with just about 10 days to go it looks like African Digital Diaries at ELA is actually going to happen. We have confirmed the line-up for our session now.

Bishop Dr Tilewa Johnson will be joining us from Gambia

Thembinkosi Nyathi will be making a road trip from Zimbabwe to Lusaka to take part.

 

And we will be joined by Zambian distance learning student extraordinaire, Billy Sichone.

Each has a great story to tell. The aim of the session is to launch our African Digital Diaries project. Its ongoing success may depend a lot on the reception, ideas and offers we get there. Fingers are seriously crossed.

UN Media Global

The African Digital Diaries session for ELA in Lusaka is getting more notice. Media Global -- a UN sponsored international news service -- features it here in a piece about how mobile phones are being used to support learning.

On the Road to Lusaka

I have written a short article here for the eLearning Africa news service. I talked to a few ordinary African practitioners who make great efforts to get to professional conferences. For me it was refreshing and rather humbling -- so many conferences are seen as freebies, opportunities for sightseeing and shopping, but here were people keen to learn, share and develop. 

You can see the conference programme for our session here and the main eLearning Africa website is here .

eLearning Africa - Lusaka

I am delighted that me and my colleague Stephen have been invited to present our African Digital Diaries project at this year's eLearning Africa Conference in Lusaka in May.

We have been scheduled in a keynote session at the conference and we are getting a lot of attention. The fight is now on to raise the funds -- in a matter of weeks -- to bring some of our African colleagues to the conference. Our aim is to give a voice to the ordinary Africans who are making their way in the digital universe through a mixture of ingenuity, adaptation and sheer persistence. It is an unashamedly grassroots and narrative-led look at things. We aim to be a bit disruptive.