Marc

In the Mid ‘90s, with the rise of PC’s and the early Internet, it became common within the 5 Flemish University Computer Centres, to travel to ‘the South’ to assist universities in adapting these new technologies within their local environments. After a first short mission to Lusaka, Zambia (training network technologies), I was asked by VLIR-UOS to head a major project in the D. R. Congo, consisting in installing a ‘backbone’ fiber network between the 10 faculty buildings on the main campus of the University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN). At the same time, UNIKIN would be connected to the Internet via a satellite antenna receiver.

The majority of the equipment was shipped from Belgium, but, as much as possible, local people/companies were hired to do the on-site work, e.g. digging trenches, drilling holes, installing cabinets, etc.

In general the project became a success, in the sense that it is still until today delivering network facilities to the whole university community.

At the same time it marked the ‘revival’ of Belgian Development aid to the DRC, which had more or less stopped due to the civil war in the late ‘90s.

I personally gained a lot of experience, but also many good friends, which remained active through several upcoming projects in e.g. Lubumbashi and Kisangani.

It finally shows that not only members of the Teaching Staff but also technicians or others can be eligible and most welcome in some of these challenging projects.