Grants:Project/Rapid/GastelEtzwane/WikimedSenegal/Ouala

Wikimed in and around Ouala

Village of Ouala (Senegal) on the banks of the Senegal River.

A trial distribution of Wikimed devices, USB keys and SD cards was conducted from November 17 2018 (Saturday) until November 26 2018 (Monday) in the area surrounding the village of Ouala. Ouala is a small Peul fishing village on the banks of the Senegal river, on the border between Senegal and Mauritania.

The village was chosen because it is Mamadou Diop's village, and Mamadou was lodged with his relatives. The area around his village has poor internet connections, and the data plans are expensive. Mamadou Diop visited a few Postes de Santé (medical centers) and a hospital in the area surrounding his home village and presented the Wikimed project to the personnel.

One Wikimed Internet-in-a-Box device, one 64 Gb USB key and one 64 Gb SD card was loaned to the medical center for them to test and try out over a two month period. Once this trial period is over, Mamadou will return and collect the devices and interview the medical personnel. The medical centers will have the option of buying the devices at cost so that they may continue to have access to the encyclopedia.

Ouala (also called Wallah)

Volunteer medic at the First Aid station in Ouala, Senegal, being presented Wikimed on a laptop computer.

The village does not have a « Poste de Santé » (medical center), a volunteer medic runs the first aid station. The volunteer will not be able to use the Wikimed resources: there are no computer or tablets, and the medic does not have a smartphone. He uses a « button » mobile phone.

Trip to up north to Ouala

Taxi brousse at the Saint Louis garage waiting for passengers

Day 1 - start of mission in Thiès (Nov. 17 2018)

The mission started out in Thiès. Ibrahima, the Senegalese coordinator, met with Mamadou and provided money for transportation as well as per diem, three WikiMed devices, three USB keys and three SD cards and different contracts and agreements for the Health centers. All of the storage devices had the WikiMed files as well as Kiwix and offline French wikipedia. The trip to Ouala is approx 600 km and usually takes a little over a day.

Viallage of Ouala seen from the Senegal river

Day 2 - travel to Ouala (Nov. 18)

The trip is done by « taxi brousse » and it involves a few different vehicles. The road is unpaved and the taxi brousse do not travel very fast. At every change of vehicle, one has to wait until the car is filled up with passengers before leaving.

Day 3 - arrival at Ouala (Nov. 19)

Mamadou arrives in the village of Ouala during the night at 03h00 AM. The rest of the day is spent recovering and making contacts for the distribution of the WikiMed devices.

Day 4 - Ouala (Nov. 20)

The youth and students of the village had all returned home for a big gathering and feast. This is the occasion for networking and getting to talk to important people without formal appointments.

Visits to Health Centers

Entrance to the Pété hospital

Day 5 - Pété hospital (Nov. 21 2018)

The visit to the hospital was not successful. The director was not there so Mamadou was able to present WikiMed to the deputy director. He was very interested and tried it on his portable computer but the deputy did not have the authority to sign any sort of agreement about the WikiMed project (loan / purchase of a iiab device, purchase of the USB keys or SD cards containing the WikiMed files). They sent messages to the director who suggested that Mamadou come back one week later.

Mamadou decided to go to the Health Center in Barobé - Wacétaké instead of Pété.

Head nurse at the "Poste de Santé" of Saldé during the WikiMed and Kiwix demonstration.

Day 6 - Saldé and Barobé Wacetacké (Nov. 22)

The first visit was to the "Poste de Santé" of Saldé and Mamadou was able to demonstrate Kiwix to the nurse in charge. After an exchange of emails with the project coordinator, she accepted the WikiMed device, the USB key, and the SD card. The main issue is the cost of the equipment, and the nurse was willing to try it out over a five-week period. Mamadou was also able to do some maintenance and fix up some problems on the computer. The Wikimed files were then installed on the computer.

Entrance gate to the Barobé Wacetacké "Poste de Santé".

Mamadou then went to Barobé Wacetacké "Poste de Santé" using the same motorcycle that took him to Saldé. The return trip from Barobé Wacetacké was 5 km on foot to the "Gare routière" of Saldé. The head nurse accepted to try the Wikimed internet-in-a-box device as well as the USB key and SD card.

Day 7 - Mboumba hospital (Nov. 23)

There is no direct connection by road between Ouala and Mboumba. The trip to Mboumba involved taking a horse cart to the river, crossing by "pirogue" and taking another horse cart to Mboumba. Mamadou demonstrated the Wikimed internet-in-a-box device, as well as the Kiwix program on a USB key and SD card. The head nurse at the Mboumba at the Mboumba Poste de Santé is quite enthusiastic about the offline Wikipedia and the Wikimed projects.

Horse cart taxis
Passenger ferry (Pirogue)
Horse carts waiting for passengers
Mboumba "Poste de santé"
Mboumba ambulance

Day 8 - Ouala (Nov. 24)

Return south to Dakar

Taxi brousse garage at Saint Louis

Day 9 - return trip to Dakar (Nov. 25 2018)

Mamadou left Ouala at noon on November 25. The trip back is very much the same as the trip over.

Day 10 - Dakar (Nov. 26 2018)

Mamadou arrives at the Dakar taxi brousse garage at 18h00 (6h00 PM).