Access to eMails for locals in Kenya - how?

[Klaus Scharfenstein]

Hi there,

a bit OT, I fear ... But, does anybody here know how people in Kenya
normally can get access to eMail, if they don't have a computer of their
own? A Kenyan friend of mine, with whom I set up a (of course) very slow
communication via air mail, just came up with an eMail address (which he
gave me in his latest letter). As he also told me that he tried to send
me some eMails just before which I didn't receive, I guess something did
not work properly. He wrote me, that he had to give his eMail messages
(on paper?) to somebody who was supposed to forward them via eMail but
he did not get any sending confirmation ...

The eMail address he gave me has the area where he lives in it and is
like this:

He also gave me some ID number (7 digits) ...

What's the use of an ID number when sending or receiving eMails? Sounds
completely confusing to me :-(. Can anybody give some helping hints on
this issue?

Thanks
Klaus

[Hans-Georg Michna]

Klaus Scharfenstein > wrote:

>a bit OT, I fear ... But, does anybody here know how people in Kenya
>normally can get access to eMail, if they don't have a computer of their
>own? A Kenyan friend of mine, with whom I set up a (of course) very slow
>communication via air mail, just came up with an eMail address (which he
>gave me in his latest letter). As he also told me that he tried to send
>me some eMails just before which I didn't receive, I guess something did
>not work properly. He wrote me, that he had to give his eMail messages
>(on paper?) to somebody who was supposed to forward them via eMail but
>he did not get any sending confirmation ...
>
>The eMail address he gave me has the area where he lives in it and is
>like this:

>He also gave me some ID number (7 digits) ...
>
>What's the use of an ID number when sending or receiving eMails? Sounds
>completely confusing to me :-(. Can anybody give some helping hints on
>this issue?

Klaus,

Africa Online is one of the local service providers, another big
one is SwiftKenya. The latter runs a telephone Internet
connection that's charged to the telephone call, using the
Kenya-wide number 0900-555555, named Swift Global. The charge is
5 shillings per minute. Not very cheap, but you can immediately
use this number when you travel.

Some Kenyans I know just get themselves free Yahoo mail accounts
and use these through Internet cafés in the cities.

I don't know more about the account of your friend.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

[Javier Gómez-García]

"Klaus Scharfenstein" > escribió en el mensaje
...
> Hi there,
>
> a bit OT, I fear ... But, does anybody here know how people in Kenya
> normally can get access to eMail, if they don't have a computer of their
> own? A Kenyan friend of mine, with whom I set up a (of course) very slow
> communication via air mail, just came up with an eMail address (which he
> gave me in his latest letter). As he also told me that he tried to send
> me some eMails just before which I didn't receive, I guess something did
> not work properly. He wrote me, that he had to give his eMail messages
> (on paper?) to somebody who was supposed to forward them via eMail but
> he did not get any sending confirmation ...
>
> The eMail address he gave me has the area where he lives in it and is
> like this:
>
> He also gave me some ID number (7 digits) ...
>
> What's the use of an ID number when sending or receiving eMails? Sounds
> completely confusing to me :-(. Can anybody give some helping hints on
> this issue?
>


Klaus, people in Kenya usually access email through internet cafes. There
are plenty of them in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu, and even in smaller
places like Nyeri, Voi, etc.

Africa On Line is one of the big internet service providers in Africa. They
give out free email addresses which can be accessed via webmail through
their website from any computer connected to the net (just using the web
browser). The ID number should be his username when connecting to the
service (useless for you then) and he should have a password as well.

I'm sure someone at any of the net cafes will be able to help your friend on
how to use his email.

Best,
--
------------------------------------------------------
Javier Gómez-García
www.kenyalogy.com
------------------------------------------------------

[Peter Gower]

Before Internet cafes - like four years ago - there was another way to
send which produced just the problem you mentioned. I was not connected
to the internet at home. I would save messages on disk and take them to
a computer store, who would send them for a fee. The store would also
receive messages, print them out, call me, and I would pick them up. (If
you know the Mombasa phone system, that was very efficient!) However,
every so often, I would give the wrong address, or he would type the
wrong address, or he would just forget to send them, or tell me answers
had arrived. In true African way, it worked, but pole. Hope that helps.
Peter

[Klaus Scharfenstein]

Javier Gómez-García wrote:

> The ID number should be his username when connecting to the
> service (useless for you then) and he should have a password as well.

Thanks, Javier,

I understand that. But how can he be aware that any incoming eMail is
especially for him? The eMail address he gave me seems to be quite
non-individual, more like a global company address.

Should I specify his name in any eMail's subject - or his ID number? Of
course, that won't keep any other collegue of him (having access to the
company's eMails like he has) from secretly reading what was basically
for his eyes only, right? And me, on the other hand, can not be too sure
that it is he at all, who might eventually answer my eMails :-(

Seems to be an even less secure version of eMail communication, that way.

Klaus

[Javier Gómez-García]

"Klaus Scharfenstein" > escribió en el mensaje
...

>
> I understand that. But how can he be aware that any incoming eMail is
> especially for him? The eMail address he gave me seems to be quite
> non-individual, more like a global company address.
>
> Should I specify his name in any eMail's subject - or his ID number? Of
> course, that won't keep any other collegue of him (having access to the
> company's eMails like he has) from secretly reading what was basically
> for his eyes only, right? And me, on the other hand, can not be too sure
> that it is he at all, who might eventually answer my eMails :-(
>
> Seems to be an even less secure version of eMail communication, that way.
>

Reading the other posting by Peter, it might be that they are using that old
system, maybe there is a global email address provided by a store where they
"open" different "accounts" for customers the hard way. However sounds
pretty strange to me now: since in Kenya telephone is mainly by radio
relay -mind you, I'm not a tech expert- I guess it would be quite difficult
to establish an internet connection this way (at least I've never tried).
And now in many towns where there is a reliable phone connection there is an
internet cafe (reliable phone connections in Kenya are more easily provided
to businesses than for home use). If your friend lives in some place where
there is an internet cafe but he is using a shared account provided by
someone else, perhaps he could just go to the cafe and open a free Yahoo -or
other- account just for himself. Obviously the account is free, but the cafe
will charge for the use. Not a big deal for a westerner's economy, but quite
different for Kenyans. I have used internet cafes but I can't remember an
average usage fee, maybe someone else could help you out here.

Best,

--
------------------------------------------------------
Javier Gómez-García
www.kenyalogy.com
------------------------------------------------------

[Miguel Cruz]

"Klaus Scharfenstein" > escribió:
> Seems to be an even less secure version of eMail communication, that way.

It's about the same as sending a fax to someone who has to pick it up at a
shop.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu

[Hans-Georg Michna]

"Javier Gómez-García" > wrote:

>I have used internet cafes but I can't remember an
>average usage fee

The one at Wilson Airport charges KSh2 per minute. It is one of
the cheaper ones. Some charge by larger blocks of time, like 10
or 15 minutes.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.