President of the United Republic of Tanzania,
Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete and
Tanzania Ambassador to the U.S.
Honorable Mwanaidi Sinare Maajar
being briefed by
Janice Lathen, Founding Executive Director and
Walter Minja, Director of ICT
DICOTA convention, Washington D.C.
September 2011
U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania
Honorable
Alfonso E. Lenhardt
Janice Lathen, Founding Executive Director
Justine Joseph, Headmaster – Banjika School
Check Presentation Ceremony
U.S. Embassy, Dar es Salaam
December 2010
2011
The U.S. Embassy in Tanzania funded the expansion of the solar energy system at our flagship school, Banjika Secondary School in Karatu. This expansion was completed in May.
Installed 14 more computers at Banjika. The school has 21 computers and can now offer Information and Computer Studies courses as part of their curriculum.
Initiated a five-month technology training course for secondary school graduates. The course is being taught by two Tanzanian teachers, one has a B.S. in Computer Science and the other is a candidate for a Bachelor of Engineering in Information Systems and Network Design.
Visited nine more Karatu district schools to determine the sites of our next installations.
The U.S. Embassy in Tanzania invited us to apply for a second grant.
The Tanzanian Rural Energy Agency invited us to apply for a grant.
A front page article about the work of Powering Potential was published in a prominent Tanzanian newspaper - The Daily News.
2010
The U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania presented a grant to Powering Potential at a Check Presentation Ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
A satellite dish for Internet access was installed at Banjika secondary school in September and the solar energy system was expanded.
Four computers and a printer were installed at a Maasai secondary school in the Monduli district of Tanzania.
Banjika teachers conducted four technology training sessions in March, June, November and December for a total of seven sessions since 2009.
Janice was an honored guest and spoke at Banjika's graduation ceremony.
2009
During the June school holiday, Powering Potential conducted a four-week technology training course. This course provided extensive hands-on experience and fundamental technology knowledge to the Banjika students.
The Banjika teachers taught two more training sessions.
2008
Janice spent one month in Tanzania managing the installation of a small computer network at Banjika Secondary School.
Janice accepted an invitation from Banjika to be an honored guest and give a speech at the school's first graduation ceremony in September.
She delivered her remarks in Swahili and as she returned to her seat, people rose to shake her hand.
2007
Janice delivered one laptop to Banjika Secondary School and provided one week of technology training to the teachers and students.
A solar energy system was installed at the school to provide electricity for a soon-to-be-delivered computer network.
2006
Powering Potential was conceived during a safari visit to the Banjika Secondary School in Karatu, Tanzania.
After a safari tourist (Janice Lathen) introduced herself in Swahili, the Banjika students burst into excited applause. This passionate, spontaneous response to someone who spoke their language stunned Janice and she was filled with a sense of being deeply appreciated. She decided then to return to Banjika. Her idea was to raise money to buy computers for the school and to volunteer her time teaching the teachers and students how to use them. Then she learned the school had no electricity.