The Brazilian Peninsula Project
As many of you have read recently, I have been helping to start a people's Internet access point on an isolated peninsula on the east coast of Brazil, a peninsula that is populated principally by Indians and Afro-indigenous peoples. [ http://www.dailykos.com/... ] [ http://www.dailykos.com/... ]. (Please see these links for some spectacular and compelling photographs.) The peninsula has neither telephone service nor is it part of the national electrical grid. Their only mode of communication with the outside world is by exorbitantly expensive cell phones.
Although they have less money than the rest of us, without Internet they have no access to e-mail, instant messengers or Voice over Internet Protocoal Voip (Skype), and so they pay much more for communication than people who are much wealthier.
I've made it my mission in life, for the next few months, to help them to successfully start an Internet cafe there, by getting a satellite connection working for them. To facilitate the involvment of others, I've given this project a name - the "Brazilian Peninsula Project" - and I've gotten it a PayPal account, BrazilianPeninsulaProject@Yahoo.Com, where DailyKos members can make contributions.
So, far DK members have been very generous. One DK donor from the southern United States gave ten dollars, and sent a PayPal message saying "Good luck with this wonderful project". Another DK donor from the midwest gave forty dollars by PayPal with a message saying, "My best wishes to you in this good work"!
The locals have also been very active in giving. Six locals have given twenty dollars each and one gave old but working computer. The local teachers have asked to site one of their computers at the Internet, so that it will be connected to the Internet. And let's not forget the restaurant/dancehall owner, who has turned his ticket-booth into a Internet room.
I thought the Project would have to pay for the installation of a satellite dish, but that may not be necessary. The owner of a bed and breakfast on the peninsula already has a working satellite for Internet dish that he had abandoned because he couldn't afford to make the monthly payments for Internet access. This weekend, we agreed to split the cost of Internet access which, if successful, will mean that the Brazilian Peninsula Project will not have to pay the $150.00 USD for the installation of a satellite dish and may only have to pay $200 per month for Internet access instead of $400.00 (It would only be 200 Kbps, but that's a start.) This is a link to the Star One service and prices page: [ http://img244.imageshack.us/... ]
I've already bought a computer for this project and maxed out my own financial ability; my wife and I will be paying for the Project computer in monthly payments until this November. Since the four payments were made by cash down-payment plus 3 post-dated checks for September, October and November, you can bet I'd better find a way to have the money in my account on the due dates! But that's my problem.
I have only asked DailyKos participants to help pay the monthly Internet access fees. Assuming that the "pousada" (bed and breakfast) makes its contribution, we'll need $200.00 USD for each of four months - September through December - until the tourist season starts in earnest. Once the tourists season starts, it is our hope that this business will fly on its own.
Here's the Vendor information, and Romério, the salesman, will also give references about this project and the peninsula (but only in Portuguese). The Vendor is very familiar with the peninsula and has agreed to answer question both about the peninsula in general and the internet industry on the island in particular. Although he cannot accept multiple payments to pay the Internet access, a payment of one month's access or the installation fee could be made directly to Electrosat, by deposit in the corporate bank account, on behalf of this new Internet.
"romerio ferreira da silva" <eletrosat2@hotmail.com>
Romério Ferreira
EletroSat
73-3294-4573
73-9198-4546
The website for Electrosat, to confirm the product and pricing information, is www.primenetwork.com.br
conforme falamos por tel. segue em anexo o Informativo
referente ao produto Internet Via Satélite e Proposta de Adesão e Termo de
Modalidade
escolhida.
ATT,
Electrosat 55 (73) 3294-4573
Praça Castelo Branco
Itamarajú, Bahia, Brazil 45836-000
Romério Ferreira da Silva is the vendor.
It should be noted that this is not a non-profit. To give the people's access point staying power, I have recruited a local family that owns a restaurant/dancehall/fishing business with a prime location along community's the riverfront. If the Internet generates money for them once the tourist seasons starts, then that should make it possible for the Internet to stay open without outside contributions, which will make it a self-determination and empowerment thing - something this community can rely upon for the long term.
Although this indigenous community is isolated, its residents need Internet access just as much as the rest of us do. The children receive research reports and need some basis on which to provide answers. The teachers need information is they are to serve their teaching function, which is why two of them have ponied up $10.00 each to support this, and to avoid traveling two hours when they need Internet access. There is a Brazilian government health post on the peninsula (with free health care) and one would expect that healthworkers' access to the Internet would improve the quality of care in a variety of ways. Residents need a way to communicate with relatives and friends in the United States and elsewhere.
Residents constantly stop by to ask when the Internet access will begin, most people on the peninsula have never touched a keyboard. They're eager to learn and for their children to learn. The Project is aiming for a high computer literacy rate (e-mail accounts, MSN . . .)
I am so encouraged by the supportive and generous response from the DailyKos community. Please continue to give at PayPay to BrazilianPeninsulaProject@Yahoo.Com.
Finally, if anyone has a ratty old digital camera sitting in a drawer that nonetheless works and is Windows XP compatible, please consider mailing it to the Project. This will help us to continue posting pictures of the Project's progress, since I'm not very digital-camera literate and foolishly took my Sony DSC-40 to the beach, where sand got into the lens mechanism. You can contact me at Manic_Lawyer@Yahoo.Com, and please continue to make donations at BrazilianPeninsulaProject@Yahoo.Com.