Battery Operated Systems for Community Outreach (BOSCO)

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

is a Not-for-Profit Organization (NPO) under the trusteeship of the Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu with registration number B9410051328-N registered on March 9, 2007. The organization which initially started as a collaboration between friends from Gulu,

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

of America, who thought of using ICT to help end the isolation of communities in the ID
camps
by setting up ICT centers in the camps and connecting one ICT Centre with another. BOSCO is also named in honor of the Roman Catholic

Saint John Bosco John Melchior Bosco ( it, Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco; pms, Gioann Melchior Bòsch; 16 August 181531 January 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator, writer and saint of the 19th century. While working ...

. BOSCO collaborated with Inveneo to place their low-power PCs powered by solar panels in the Catechist Training Center and the Caritas Office in Gulu, as well as at schools, hospitals, colleges and Churches in Pabbo, Alero, Lacor, Coope, Jen'Geri, Unyama, and Pagak IDP camps. The organization aims to use ICT to help end the isolation of communities in rural northern Uganda as well as to improve

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...

documentation Documentation is any communicable material that is used to describe, explain or instruct regarding some attributes of an object, system or procedure, such as its parts, assembly, installation, maintenance and use. As a form of knowledge manageme ...

health care Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

and rural development. The rich success of the past projects has led BOSCO to establis
55 community ICT
& Development Centers in rural areas in Acholi, Lango and West Nile regions. These centers aim to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban communities by expanding access to ICT skills and services for the poor rural communities of Northern Uganda.

Regional history

Twenty years of conflict and displacement have isolated the people of northern

from the technological developments rapidly evolving in their own country and throughout the world. This isolation and lack of access to 21st century

Information and Communication Technologies Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals) and computers, ...

(ICT) have prevented communities from using the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

for creative and innovative ways to meet community needs. Instead, many communities have become reliant on traditional aid. However, with peace in northern

, BOSCO-Uganda attempts to turn dependency into self-advocacy through the use of innovative and collaborative ICT technologies. Initiated in 2006 under the umbrella of Gulu Archdiocese, BOSCO-Uganda implemented a pilot

ICT ICT may refer to: Sciences and technology * Information and communications technology * Image Constraint Token, in video processing * Immunochromatographic test, a rapid immunoassay used to detect diseases such as anthrax * In-circuit test, in ...

project in 6 IDP-camps in Gulu and Amuru district (including CooPe, Unyama, Lacor, Pagak, Pabbo and Jengari) BOSCO-Uganda has since expanded its activities in Amuru and Gulu and is planning the further expansion to

Kitgum Kitgum is a municipality in Kitgum District in the Northern Region of Uganda. The town is administered by Kitgum Municipality Council, an urban local government. It is the largest metropolitan area in the district and the site of the district ...

and

Pader District Pader may refer to: People with the surname *Hilaire Pader (1607-1677), French painter and poet. Places * Pader District, a district of Uganda * Pader, Uganda, capital of Pader District * Pader (river), a river in Germany Organizations * PADER, ...

s. BOSCO-Uganda uses innovative technology particularly adapted to rural regions. Its internet stations, situated in rural communities and former internally displaced persons camps, consist of low-power,

solar powered Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar power to generate electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating), and solar architecture. It is an essenti ...

PCs connected to a high-speed, long-range WiFi Internet connection. Each communication station is linked to other BOSCO sites via a free VoIP telephony network and through a high-speed internal network (

INTERNET The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

) content management page. Moving beyond the provision of technical solutions, BOSCO is concentrating on the development of both proven and emerging directions for ICT usage. These directions include computer education adapted to the realities of 21st Century global interconnectivity and a Web 2.0 collaborative approach to cooperation with health centers, e-agriculture, educational outreach,

e-government E-government (short for electronic government) is the use of technological communications devices, such as computers and the Internet, to provide public services to citizens and other persons in a country or region. E-government offers new ...

, etc.

Organizational history

BOSCO USA was founded by Gus Zuehlke in 2007. Mr. Zuehlke established relationships with the Archdiocese of Gulu, including the Archbishop

John Baptist Odama John Baptist Odama (born 20 July 1947) is a Ugandan Roman Catholic priest, who serves as the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu, in Uganda, since 2 January 1999. Background and priesthood Odama was born in Riki-Oluko Village, ...

and Fr. Joseph Okumu, with whom he later co-founded the organization. In 2007, northern

was benefiting from a tenuous cease fire, yet nearly 1.7 million people throughout the region remained stuck and isolated in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. Mr. Zuehike discussed some of the needs and challenges the

archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

and the people were facing. The Archbishop's priority was to help the Acholi people of northern Uganda end the severe isolation they were experiencing in the camps. By connecting camp schools, community centers, parishes, and health clinics to the outside world through Internet, the Acholi people could begin to end their isolation by advocating for their own cause. In 2007 Mr. Zuehlke assembled an all-volunteer

Board of Directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

and incorporated BOSCO, Inc. as a

501(c)3 A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

not for profit organization. In April 2007, with the help of

Inveneo Inveneo is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in San Francisco with focus on Information and Communication Technologies for organizations supporting underserved communities in the developing world, mostly in Africa. The organization has d ...

and BOSCO's Founding Technical Director, Ted Pethick, BOSCO deployed the first set of low power, solar, PCs with long-range Internet in 6 site locations. BOSCO USA has watched BOSCO-Uganda grow as they now employ a Uganda-based staff and administration and have expanded the BOSCO network to 22 sites. BOSCO-Uganda has attracted partnerships from both local and international development organizations, including War Child Holland and

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

BOSCO-USA

Role

Since the founding, BOSCO USA, based in South Bend,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, has taken on a distinct role for BOSCO-Uganda. BOSCO-Uganda, in Gulu, handles the day-to-day operations of the organization and employs a local, Ugandan staff. BOSCO-USA consists only of a volunteer Board of Directors who are mainly responsible for these points: #Capacity building: BOSCO-USA periodically sends technical staff on training trips to Gulu; BOSCO-USA has also supported the work of a full-time Gulu-based

communications Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...

envoy to report on-the-ground progress in Gulu #Vetting of

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

: BOSCO-USA is engaged in assessing the trends of low-power computing and wireless networking equipment and passes on equipment recommendations to BOSCO-Uganda staff. BOSCO-USA is also involved in shipping some equipment for deployments to

#Public Relations: BOSCO-USA actively promotes the BOSCO project in the US with media outlets and in various communities #Fundraising in US: BOSCO-USA raised the initial capital to start the project and is involved in

fundraising Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...

to support the work of BOSCO-Uganda in Gulu.

Leadership

The BOSCO-USA Board of Directors is made-up entirely of volunteers. The notable members of this board are Gus Zuehlke (

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

and

Founder Founder or Founders may refer to: Places *Founders Park, a stadium in South Carolina, formerly known as Carolina Stadium * Founders Park, a waterside park in Islamorada, Florida Arts, entertainment, and media * Founders (''Star Trek''), the ali ...

), Thomas Loughran (

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

), Kerry Vickers (Technical Consultant) and Kevin Bailey (Former Organizational & Communications Envoy in

). With the help of other board members, these individuals consult with BOSCO-Uganda and aid in fundraising, technology, capacity and

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...

Role

BOSCO-Uganda is primarily involved in the day-to-day implementation of the BOSCO project. This includes: #Managing all Internet sites in the Amuru and Gulu Districts in northern Uganda. #Developing content, with a focus on education and peace building, for BOSCO's Intranet system. #Supporting the expansion of BOSCO-Uganda through new proposals and partnerships. #Managing communications between local, regional and international stakeholders in partnership with BOSCO USA.

Leadership

The BOSCO-Uganda leadership employs a

-based staff and administration. They have overseen the network expansion and are the essential component for BOSCOs attempts to promote self-advocacy through ICT. This leadership oversees the daily implementation of the BOSCO mission and ensures successful use of the network at each site. They aid in developing new BOSCO content, create proposals for expansion, seek mutually beneficial partnerships, and assist in creating dialog between local users, BOSCO stakeholders, and the BOSCO team. The Ugandan team is currently led by Ms. Jennifer Okusia Erejo as its Executive Director having joined the organization early last year in 2020 from HORIZONT3000 to replace former Executive Director Fr. Joseph Okumu who was at the helm of the organization for thirteen years.

Partners

HORIZONT3000 – Austrian Organization for Development Co-operation

BOSCO-Uganda has partnered with HORIZONT3000 since 2007. They first provided a technical volunteer in 2007–2008 and then provided a technical advisor. The organization has also provided funding in the past for projects and staff salaries.

UNICEF

has provided an initial grant of $10,000 to carry out community ICT trainings and install five Internet sites. A second grant worth an estimated $270,000 has been submitted and would support BOSCO's expansion by providing new computers and bandwidth, strengthening training programs at all sites in Gulu and Amuru, and installing news sites in Pader and Kitgum district. UNICEF's ICT4D department in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

also works in partnership with BOSCO-Uganda to develop concepts on technology and collaboration.

War Child Holland

War Child Holland has partnered with BOSCO-Uganda in Pagak. War Child Holland provided computers and a working space and BOSCO-Uganda provided Internet connectivity and training. Another site has been installed in partnership with War Child Holland at a school in Koch Goma.

H&S Italia

The software company based in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

donated 20,000 Euros to BOSCO-Uganda's work.

University of Notre Dame

The

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

partners with BOSCO-Uganda on an internship program where the university funds a student's work with BOSCO-Uganda over a period of 10 weeks.

Notable awards

Breaking Borders Award

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

, Global Voices and

Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters Corporation ( ) is a Canadian multinational media conglomerate. The company was founded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where it is headquartered at the Bay Adelaide Centre. Thomson Reuters was created by the Thomson Corpora ...

partnered to create the Breaking Borders Award. This award rewards individuals or organizations spearheading web-based projects. The recipients must have demonstrated bravery, outstanding effort and ingenuity through use of the Internet. Winners of this award must be using the Internet to encourage

free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been ...

and reveal varied political opinions. The award goes to those organizations making difference in these areas as well as those helping to stand up against

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...

. The award attempts to promote resourcefulness and originality for public benefit. The Breaking Borders Award was presented to BOSCO-Uganda on May 5, 2010. This occurred at the Global Voices Citizen Media Summit in

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

African Rural Connect First Round Winner

The

National Peace Corps Association National Peace Corps Association is an American nonprofit organization for future, current, and returned Peace Corps Volunteers, former Peace Corps staff, host country counterparts, and family and friends of the Peace Corps. It works to support ...

(NPCA) presents the Africa Rural Connect award. The ARC endorses collective thought supporting the creation of new ideas. The ideas are aimed at solving the principal challenges rural

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

faces. Close to 100 organizational ideas and charitable plans were submitted for the 2010 ARC competition. Throughout a large variety of plans present two winners were chosen in the first round. The NPCA announced BOSCO and their proposal, “Achieving Rural Literacy through Innovative Web 2.0 ICT Use in Post-conflict Northern

,” as one of the two first round winners in June 2010.

References

IDPs Get Internet AccessUgandan Refugees Go OnlineInternet Access Fuels Development War-Torn UgandaGlobal Activism: Bringing the Internet to Ugandan Refugee Camps

BOSCO UgandaICT4 Uganda

Gulu visit I: BOSCO and ICT4D in Rural UgandaFocus On BOSCO UgandaFour Tech Startups that are Transforming African DevelopmentA Web 2.0 Strategy for Boosting Literacy in UgandaInaugural Breaking Borders Awards at GV 2010 SummitHonoring Free Expression OnlineAnnouncing the Breaking Borders Award WinnersPress Release: National Peace Corps Association Announces Africa Rural Connect First Round WinnersThe National Celebrations of World Communications DayBreaking the Silence: BOSCO UgandaInaugural Breaking Borders Awards at GV 2010 SummitThe Inveneo EffectBOSCO MissionBoard of DirectorsBOSCO Organizational ChartBOSCO-Uganda LeadershipBOSCO HistoryBOSCO USABOSCO-Uganda RoleBOSCO AwardsBOSCO NetworkBOSCO Training ManualBOSCO InformationBOSCO FlyerBOSCO PartnersBOSCO Media
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bosco-Uganda 2006 establishments in Uganda Communications in Uganda Internet access organizations Non-profit organisations based in Uganda Organizations established in 2006 Telecommunications in Uganda