Dear David and All, Hello and fantastic news! I have been speaking over the years with folks at the (W)RAP project (World Rotary AIDS Project), and my colleagues in Kenya met some Rotary International members when they attended a conference in Nairobi a couple years ago. Rotary chapters in Kenya are helping with everything from installation of Sun Ovens (solar-powered community ovens) to providing wheelchairs for youth and adults who need them to hosting holiday parties for children affected by HIV/AIDS. The news that you are also wanting to develop ICTs-related projects is very exciting, and am sure many here will have suggestions. The fact that you work often at the chapter/country level is great too, as partnerships can be forged on the ground which will help to ensure that what is done is appropriate for each setting. Models which can be "tweaked" a bit and yet are generally replicable elsewhere are highly valuable and exciting. My suggestions are along some of the lines we've been pursuing discussion-wise, and would involve development of a multipurpose telecenter (which might address everything from ICTs access to healthcare to skills workshops, and development of multimedia materials to address a range of themes, from computer literacy to health and HIV/AIDS, nutrition and agriculture, income-generation), and "adjuncts" to that central and fixed location, via with some means of mobility for the educational materials which may emerge, some of the equipment, and any trainers and/or peer educators who might help to implement this project and spread its benefits. The idea of having a "central" location for these activities appeals to many communities. However, mobile capabilities and lower-tech equipment (which can be easily transported) will be important to include as a component of whatever activities are taking place at a telecenter, especially given high electricity costs, scant availability, and general lack of infrastructure in many countries. Radio listening groups (and linkages to community radio stations, or even the ability to broadcast directly, using the centers as a base of operations) is one way to approach broad info dissemination. Mobile phones, laptops, kiosks in various locations, a transport system like bikes of one kind or another might all be contemplated. Some mix of school/youth (in and out of school) and community access and usage would be good to keep in mind, and the special needs of women, who often have less access due to cultural constraints. Local languages, the arts, connectivity issues, and equipment are things for consideration: local languages so people will understand the material, arts and media which can communicate by means other than tech equipment and the need for literacy (though arts performances, for instance, can be recorded for use), and tech questions like the use of solar, wireless, radio (and all varieties of same, from hand-cranked and solar-rechargeable to Internet-enabled), as computers--while highly prized and inportant for some functions--are not as practical, given current conditions. My own org in W. Kenya has begun to address these subjects in an integrated program (more can be seen at the CTA "ICTUpdate" site, where there are other great examples as well: http://ictupdate.cta.int/index.php/article/frontpage/29). Others like Asante Akim (Ghana), Oke-Ogun (Nigeria), Fantsuam (Nigeria), Swaminathan (India), WOUGNET (Uganda), UNITeS, WiRED International come to mind too as good sources for models, programs, and ideas. This might be a great chance to test "podcasting for mobcasting" too. With many thanks for this excellent endeavor and look forward to hearing more and hopefully to collaborating! All best wishes, Janet Feldman, KAIPPG International www.kaippg.org [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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