joenakamoto on Nostr: Today I visited a school for mentally challenged and disabled kids that didn’t have ...
Today I visited a school for mentally challenged and disabled kids that didn’t have a lick of AC.
Classrooms do have ceiling fans but they do sweet fuck all when it gets to a certain temperature.
It was 35 degrees + humid today but felt like 42.
That’s like when you open the oven door to check on your chicken.. every time you step outside.
Why was I there?
Well bitcoiners at btccuracao funded the school’s brand new WiFi.
I wanted to see the impact of this donation and speak to a poorer community about their experience with btc.
Btccuraco paid the internet company that installed the WiFi in Sats as part of the donation. It’s one of many grassroots initiatives they undertake to try to show that bitcoin is better money.
The new WiFi is a total game changer for the school and the teachers were tearful explaining how much it has helped them teach, inspire and lead these less fortunate kids.
But it only goes so far.
The solar panels atop the school’s long roof “stopped working” this week.
A govt contractor installed the panels this year as a “go green” initiative.
Long story of govt enraging incompetence short, basically half the school had working WiFi + ceiling fans. Sometimes the electricity simply cuts out.
So one half of the school had classrooms of engaged kids with YouTube access + useful visual aids for the kids in a semi manageable heat
while the other half slowly cooked and tried to read books in the inferno.
My white shirt was wet and transparent by the time I finished the school tour. I was like how the feck are these kids gonna get a chance in life?
I interviewed the head of ICT who was gushing about the new WiFi and was saying how some of the kids can now learn to code with this Minecraft coding thing.
She had the biggest heart. But like many islanders she had been crypto scammed a few years ago and was still really reluctant about bitcoin.
Really saddening because of course no sane person thinks “oh yeah I’m gonna learn about bitcoin now I sold my gold necklace for a crypto thing 5 years ago and never got the money back.”
I managed to send her some sats to say thank you but if I’m honest I think it’s coz I was recording this during the interview.
In all, I left the school utterly humbled and a little bit angry at the world.
I don’t have a nice thing to round off on, sorry.
Bitcoin doesn’t fix everything. And some things utterly suck.
Classrooms do have ceiling fans but they do sweet fuck all when it gets to a certain temperature.
It was 35 degrees + humid today but felt like 42.
That’s like when you open the oven door to check on your chicken.. every time you step outside.
Why was I there?
Well bitcoiners at btccuracao funded the school’s brand new WiFi.
I wanted to see the impact of this donation and speak to a poorer community about their experience with btc.
Btccuraco paid the internet company that installed the WiFi in Sats as part of the donation. It’s one of many grassroots initiatives they undertake to try to show that bitcoin is better money.
The new WiFi is a total game changer for the school and the teachers were tearful explaining how much it has helped them teach, inspire and lead these less fortunate kids.
But it only goes so far.
The solar panels atop the school’s long roof “stopped working” this week.
A govt contractor installed the panels this year as a “go green” initiative.
Long story of govt enraging incompetence short, basically half the school had working WiFi + ceiling fans. Sometimes the electricity simply cuts out.
So one half of the school had classrooms of engaged kids with YouTube access + useful visual aids for the kids in a semi manageable heat
while the other half slowly cooked and tried to read books in the inferno.
My white shirt was wet and transparent by the time I finished the school tour. I was like how the feck are these kids gonna get a chance in life?
I interviewed the head of ICT who was gushing about the new WiFi and was saying how some of the kids can now learn to code with this Minecraft coding thing.
She had the biggest heart. But like many islanders she had been crypto scammed a few years ago and was still really reluctant about bitcoin.
Really saddening because of course no sane person thinks “oh yeah I’m gonna learn about bitcoin now I sold my gold necklace for a crypto thing 5 years ago and never got the money back.”
I managed to send her some sats to say thank you but if I’m honest I think it’s coz I was recording this during the interview.
In all, I left the school utterly humbled and a little bit angry at the world.
I don’t have a nice thing to round off on, sorry.
Bitcoin doesn’t fix everything. And some things utterly suck.