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Hi Don
Titi and I are already 'virtual colleagues'. She
has helped me out in various ways, over the last few months since we first
'met, and I hoped to thank her face to face during my August trip to Nigeria.
She and 'Gbenga Sesan and another member of their group were on the list of
people I was hoping to see 'for real'. David (OOCD project manager) and I
hoped for some serious planning meetings with PIN. Predictably nothing worked
out according to Plan A (Nigerian trips usually work around Plan M or so) -
so although many good things happened in August, unfortunately Titi and I did
not get to meet.
However David. Chief Adejumo (OOCD Chairman) and I did meet Gbenga in Abuja, at the
West Africa Internet Forum of ACT 2003. Gbenga was giving a presentation
about Open Source, and we were there with John Dada and Comfort Kazanka of
Fantsuam to provide information on rural realities. Our Fantsuam friends
are of course part of your Hausa group.
The plan is for OOCD and PIN to do some work
together, but it's not my place to share details at this stage - other than the
fact that we are looking at English and Yoruba. Enough to say that in
typical OOCD fashion things will be bottom up, so David and Gbenga were planning
community involvement before technical details. They were talking
about involving the young people of Ago-Are, but some of them go away to
college and only come back in the holidays. As it was too late to arrange
anything for the Summer holidays, and the next will be dominated by Christmas,
it could be well into 2004 before they can arrange the meetings they want
and before there is anything to report. On the other hand, perhaps OOCD and
PIN will start some work together beforehand, so there will
be something for the young people to focus on and respond to, and
something to tell you about.
Ref the Yoruba keyboard and my Nigerian trip. I
downloaded the necessary software onto my laptop before I left (this included my
30 days free trial) but we had such problems with the electricity supply and
other pressures that I never even got a chance to look at it with anyone - and
now its time has elapsed, and I am back home.
However, on the plus side, I am recognising an
increasing number of people with a strong Yoruba interest who are actively
connected with OOCD in some way, so although I have had little to report,
things are gently moving below the surface.
Pam
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2003 7:05
PM
Subject: [A12n-forum] Afárá, ALTI, and
OOCD 2000+
Titi, Does your Afárá project have any link with
Francis Egbokhare and the African Languages Technology Initiative (ALTI)
described in the iConnect Africa interview (the one recently posted)?
Another organization working on ICT in southwest
Nigeria is OOCD 2000+. They are actually in a rural area, but a very
interesting effort that includes a Yoruba language aspect. Pam McLean
who works with them is on this list.
Thanks and all the best!
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