Yesterday, many of the volunteers that work in (or will work in) the CTCs met with representatives from the Dispacho de la Primera Dama (the Office of the First Lady) to welcome the new volunteers, and to say goodbye to those that are at the close of their service. I expected it to be a mundane, predictable event, but the question/answer session turned into a pretty great (sometimes heated) discussion between the officials and current volunteers about lab policies and management.
Here is some back-story: The Dispacho runs a number of community and social programs and centers, including the Centro Tecnologia Comunitario (CTC). CTCs usually have a radio station, daycare center, small library, and 1 or 2 labs of 10 computers each. They get funding from the Dominican gov’t, as well as other gov’ts, NGOs, and multinationals (Taiwan, Brazil, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, etc.). It aims for the “democratization of information” and “self-sustainable community-based centers,” and on paper and in presentations it does a great job. Volunteers, however, have to work with all the structural problems endemic to the institution.
The most salient is that, within the last few months, the Dispacho decided to offer all CTC services for free. It is a wonderful opportunity to provide IT services to anyone, regardless of his/her ability to pay, therefore breaking down a barrier between the poor and a set of tools for self-advancement. From an American’s (or a donor’s) perspective, this is terrific.
Great, right? Before, patrons would pay around $0.60 or $0.70USD for an hour of internet in the lab, or maybe $3.00USD for a month of classes (depending on the area). This money was used to pay for things the lab needed- new keyboards, microphones, etc., and could possibly be used to pay for utility costs, upkeep, and staffing. Not having these funds on hand makes it pretty hard to run the labs smoothly, and destroys their sustainability—they are dependent on the Dispacho for all funds and help. Our Associate Peace Corps Director explained that this goes back to Trujillo, and the overarching sense of patronship, where everything comes from the government, and the government is embedded in everything. Dominicans also tend to not value things that are free—something must be better if you have to pay for it. So, they don’t show up to classes, they don’t do homework, and they don’t take advantage of the labs.
Also, since the labs are funded and run by the First Lady’s office and other gov’ts, they are susceptible to political winds, and often are perceived as having a political bent. Free programs make the admin look pretty good! Como se dice “clientelism”? If the other party wins the next presidential election, what happens to all this investment? If national funds are stretched, what gets cut? The Dispacho also hires all personnel, who may or may not be the best people for the job.
Furthermore, in some cases, the CTCs may be competing with private institutions. CTCs may duplicate services that are already provided by private or community-based organizations. The CTCs grew out of the LINCOS (Little INtelligent COmmunitieS), which were tents stretched over shipping containers that held a few computers and power generators, and could be dropped in remote communities. They have come a long way since then, but so have internet cafes and NGOs. A program built out of shipping containers probably was not supposed to be permanent.
So: millions of dollars of investment, considerable resources, significant inherent/institutional problems. I really think that the Despacho staff wants the program to succeed, and they are some pretty impressive folk. They are doing a lot of good—it is important to not overlook that—but there is space for much more, and I’m excited to see what I can do.
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