Several internet service providers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have provided us with price quotes for installing a satellite internet connection in Djolu for the use of students and professors at Djolu Technical College. Their estimates for equipment and installation costs range from $11,000 to $17,000.

While we seek supplemental funding to cover these costs, we continue to raise funds for laptop computers so we will be ready to take advantage of the connection as soon as it is established. Third year students are currently in the process of traveling to Kisangani to have their theses typed and printed. We hope this is the last year they will need to undertake this arduous two-week journey. Installation of the internet connection and laptop computers will aid our efforts to gain permanent accreditation for the College by the government of the DRC.

Meanwhile, one of the third-year students at Djolu Technical College (also called ISDR for Institut Superieur de Developpment Rurale) has provided me with the following letter to share with the College’s supporters overseas:

“Dear Sirs and Madams:

We have the honor of writing to inform you about the training we are receiving in the ISDR college located in the heart of the Djolu territory. We the students of ISDR are proud of this institution located in a rural under-developed area which will allow us to become university-trained managers and get recognition in the whole country and the world as well. After we graduate, we will use the knowledge we have acquired to try and develop our isolated rural region in the future.

We hope you will support our initiatives and plans which will help us get jobs to develop our rural world when we have finished our education. We invite all of you to help, given that our institution is also yours, by virtue of the material and financial support you have provided.

These are some of the areas which need your support: a library, computer center, a building to house our faculty, and the permanent accreditation of the institution, lack of which causes great problems for us and our predecessors, as well as for all those who will try to study here in future.

We hope our letters will attract your attention and look forward to hearing from you.

Pie-Roger Nkoy, 3rd Year Student”