The Networking Game

I’m here in the Dominican Republic to figure out how to best provide IT education services to the population. The demand is there, the technology exists, but access to services is lacking. Why? How do we fix the problem? Can we provide quality services cheaply enough for poorer people to afford, but still be sustainable? My mission is to find answers to these questions and to formulate an action plan accordingly.

At the moment, finding these answers is about talking to the right people in the right places and thus I’m earnestly involving myself in the networking game. In week 1 of the game I’ve found myself in the office of the executive director of a prominent university, speaking with staff of a government commission, in conversation with field directors of several NGOs, and having coffee with several university professors. These meetings have led to further contacts and future meetings, which will in turn lead to even more contacts and meetings. All will form part of the equation which leads to the final plan.

While the answers are still not quite clear, there is, already, a light forming at the end of the tunnel. My mind is spinning with ideas and possibilities. How will the puzzle pieces swirling around my brain form into a clear picture and what will that picture be? We shall see…