I would give the Desktop PC to the ZANGOC association itself, as currently they area attempting to build a website to get information about their work out to the greater global community and teach the youth how to use these computers. This is a near impossible task to do if there is no computer available to them. I want to make this possible.

I would give one of the laptops to my friend Juma. This is easily one of the most amazing people that I have ever met in my life. Juma is an amazingly intelligent young man who always thinks of others before himself. Juma is poor of money, but rich in spirit. We were in Stonetown one day when a poor woman came up to us and begged him for money. Juma gave this woman his last 500 shillings (about 45 cents American) despite the fact that he had not yet eaten that day and now no longer had the 300 shillings for the dala dala (bus) ride home. I said to Juma "but you haven't eaten yet!" he told me "She has not eaten longer, it's our responsibility to help those who need it." My entire perspective of changed in that very moment. Juma never wants to stop sharing and his goal is to become a teacher so that he can share his intelligence with the youth of tomorrow. I would send him one of the laptops so he can continue to learn and one day become a teacher.

While I was in Africa I also met another boy named Arif. Arif is Juma's best friend and equally amazing with the same wonderful, giving spirit and boundless energy. Arif also loves children and spends a great deal of time taking care of, watching out for and giving love to any child in the community. It truly does take a community to raise a child and Arif is an important community member and leader for these children. I would like to give one of the lap tops to Arif, so as he can play with the young children and teach them about technology to give them fighting opportunities while they are young to learn. I would also like to send Kung-Fu Panda to Arif to play for the children, life can't be all work and no games!

The products for photography are another part of the prize which I would like to send to ZANGOC, specifically the Club Wanawake (Women's Club) which ZANGOC runs. This club is devoted to the equality and education of women by offering many different classes and clubs to women, who would otherwise not be able to participate just because of their gender! They run a photography project for the women, where they learn how to use a camera and then take pictures to show the thankless work which women do in their every day lives. This shows the value, importance and potential which every woman and girl possess inside her. They are taught by volunteers like myself and a local woman artist. The club has had cameras donated to them, but it's very costly to have the photos printed off to show them. (They have been shown in such things as the International Film Festival!) These products, with the computer I would give them the opportunity to print off these photos and hopefully include more women and have more showings.

I am not sure if the digital media receiver would work there, as there are not towers and such as there are in North America, but if if does, I would like to send that to ZANGOC as well. Different media means different learning!

Finally, I would only really be interested in not sharing one item. Currently I am working with an HP Pavilion zt1125 laptop. I saved up my money and bought this computer when I was 18 years old. I am now 25, making the computer about 7 years old. It can be very frustrating to work with sometimes and I have lost all the information on it more then once, which is very difficult due to the fact that I am a university student trying to learn. With a new computer for myself it will make my learning much easier so I will be able to fulfill my personal educational goal and return to Africa to work. My dream is to open free schools there so that everyone I can reach out to can have a fair opportunity for the future.

(I do not have my own website, but have included the link to the ZANGOC group I worked with)