Virtual classroom 2

After so many hurdles, delays, finally deployed virtual classroom set up at Zilla Parishad High School, Gandeed. This is my first project. Feeling not very proud because this should have been done last year itself. Anyways could do it at least this academic year.

Journey to Gandeed

Started from Hyderabad exactly at 9.33am with Purpletalk volunteers - Josef, Khaleel and Vinodram and EFF teacher Sudha and of course I. Traffic in the city made us go with < 40Km speed; halted at signal and some junctions, it took 45minutes to cross the city.

Entered NH-7; wide and awesome road, one can enjoy the ride on this highway. You just fall in love to travel on a rainy day.

Cheered up our volunteers with full energy to do a noble cause.

Empty stomach journey is not good, searching for dhabas on NH-7, "this is not good", "it's too yuck", "that is good" suggestions on dhabas; couldn't withstand my hungry, halted at Baba Dhaba

waiting for the order, yeah! I got my Idly! waiting for rest of the order...

Masala Dosa and Idly then tea was our breakfast. Quality was ok, but quantity of masala in dosa is less :< We adjusted it with chutney and sambar. Geared up and never seen back till Gandeed.

I must thank Khaleel for directing the route to the driver. Though he came once could remember all the turnings and landmarks. I am very poor in that, eventhough this is my third visit to Gandeed couldn't able to remember anything [except a temple and railway track in front]

Reached Gandeed by 1.00pm; unloaded the vehicle, ourselves didn't make the children to carry the things. Started our work right away. However, I was confused where to start from...

First and important thing is internet...connected our computer to India's biggest network BSNL, AE Mr.Sudharshan has configured the ip. I was amazed to see the speed, and that too in the village. Bandwidth is enough to run our application. Tested the app with our colleagues at office

Thank God! everything is working - mics, speakers, web cam, conferencing.

Selected a place to hang the projector. The ceiling is covered with thermocol, that's an asset for us, as it reduces echo to some extent.

At last fixed the projector in the right position.

Oops! power cut, 2pm to 6pm...oh! we had to make holes in the wall to mount the screen. Did it manually, as power is not there to use drilling machine.

Lunch break...school management provided lunch from near by hotel.

Rice was hot wrapped in a leaf plate, though the quantity is less, quality of the food is good, didn't feel heavy after eating. But the only thing I don't like is packing the curries in plastic covers. Our volunteers relaxed few minutes in the school campus taking snaps here and there...

We had lot of fun :) Playing jokes and making fun of each other...

After setting up everything we had to wait for more than an hour for power. Need to test our application. Fortunately, power got before 6pm. Our faced lighted with joy. Switched on everything to test; Ouch! huge power fluctuations, dropping below 150 amps. UPS guy sweating to sort it out. Some how everything got switched on...started testing the application software with one of our colleague at office. Everything worked well. My face cheered up.

A group photo after setting everything. Though the faces were sweating, never fade our smiles :)

Hip hip hooray!!!