"How do we keep this running for years?"

You've built an incredible network. But here's the hard truth: if you leave, will it survive?

Technology is the easy part. Sustainability is the real challenge. A community network that depends on a single person is fragile. One that is embedded in the community is resilient.

Sustainability has several dimensions:

Financial

• Community contributions — small monthly fees to cover electricity and internet costs
• Grants and funding — from NGOs, governments, or international organizations
• Shared costs — partnering with local institutions (schools, clinics) that also benefit

Knowledge

• Train local people — at least 2-3 community members should understand the basics
• Document everything — write down configurations, passwords, procedures
• Create a maintenance calendar — monthly and quarterly tasks that anyone can follow

Organizational

• Community ownership — the network belongs to the community, not to the person who built it
• Local champion — identify someone in the community who takes responsibility
• Regular check-ins — even remotely, schedule periodic reviews of the network's health