Kwala, Tanzania

Smallbean first implemented the Citizen Archivist Project at a rural secondary school in Kwala, Tanzania in February 2010. Working with the Newton-Tanzania Collaborative, Smallbean installed a solar-powered technology lab containing ten computers and supporting Citizen Archivist tools such as cameras, audio recorders, and Internet access. Our innovative curriculum taught computer and technology skills to the students as they became Citizen Archivists conducting oral history interviews and documenting other aspects of village life in Tanzania. The students in this initial class of twelve now teach their schoolmates after school in the computer lab several days a week, allowing the Citizen Archivist Project to spread through the school and the community.