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Note: This document is from the archive of the Africa Policy E-Journal, published
by the Africa Policy Information Center (APIC) from 1995 to 2001 and by Africa Action
from 2001 to 2003. APIC was merged into Africa Action in 2001. Please note that many outdated links in this archived
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Africa: NGOs and Electronic Communication
Africa: NGOs and Electronic Communication
Date distributed (ymd): 020429
Document reposted by Africa Action
Africa Policy Electronic Distribution List: an information
service provided by AFRICA ACTION (incorporating the Africa
Policy Information Center, The Africa Fund, and the American
Committee on Africa). Find more information for action for
Africa at http://www.africaaction.org
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Continent-Wide
Issue Areas: +economy/development++gender/women+
SUMMARY CONTENTS:
Despite limitations of resources and cost of internet access,
large numbers of African non-governmental organizations, both on
the continent and in the diaspora, are making effective use of
internet communications tools, including e-mail and the web. This
posting contains information recently sent to us from two such
ventures, Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) and Ghana Computer
Literacy & Distance Education (GhaCLAD).
For additional information see the websites of these organizations
cited below. Other similar resources can be found on
http://www.kabissa.org, a non-profit organisation that seeks to use
technology to strengthen organisations working to improve the lives
of people in Africa. Kabissa provides a variety of internet
services to its partner organizations, and also collaborates with
Fahamu and Sangonet in publication of the weekly Pambazuka News
(http://www.pambazuka.org), going to more than 7,500 readers.
Pambazuka News provides African viewpoints on important advocacy
issues as well as direct, timely access to essential news and
information relevant to Africa, including links to hundreds of
online resources each week.
Further sources can be found through links in the country pages at
http://www.africaaction.org/inet.htm
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WOUGNET Update Newsletter - April 2002
Here is a list of what's new at the Women of Uganda Network
(WOUGNET) website - http://www.wougnet.org For comments or queries,
please contact [email protected]
To subscribe/unsubscribe to the WOUGNET Update Newsletter, send a
message to [email protected] with the following
command in the subject or body of your message:
subscribe/unsubscribe
WHAT'S NEW
1. WOMEN ORGANISATIONS IN UGANDA
* Ntulume Village Women's Development Association (NVIWODA) NVIWODA
strives to create a window of opportunity for promotion of a
sustainable social, political and economic empowerment of women. In
line with this, NVIWODA established a Centre for Women
Entreprenuership and Career Development to impart entreprenuerial
and technological skills to the grassroot women. NVIWODA focuses on
fully equipping women with technical skills as well as enabling
women's access to modern information and communication technologies
(ICTs), and is currently seeking partners interested in
collaborating with NVIWODA in achieving these objectives.
http://www.wougnet.org/wo_dir.html#NVIWODA
* March 2002 update on Isis-WICCE activities around the Critical
Area of Concern "Women and Armed Conflict". (a) Report: Women's
Experiences in Situations of Armed Conflict,1987-2001: The Teso
experience. The Report covers the experiences of women in
situations of armed conflict in the districts of Soroti, Katakwi
and Kumi, which make up the Teso region in Eastern Uganda. (b)
Enabling Victims of Armed Conflict Smile again. As part of the
efforts to rebuild the shattered minds of the women affected by the
armed conflict, Isis-WICCE in conjunction with a team of medical
doctors have embarked on a medical intervention exercise in Teso.
This intervention is just a drop in the ocean. Many women and
children will miss this opportunity given the meagre resources. Any
body who can help one more woman live a happier life can contact
Isis-WICCE. http://www.wougnet.org/Profiles/isis.html#Teso
* Gender Advisory Board Africa Region Secretariat The Gender
Advisory Board Africa Region Secretariat collaborates with
governments and all stakeholders, including international agents,
nation, local government organisations and the society, on matters
of Gender, Science and Technology for sustainable human development
in Africa. GAB Africa is hosted by the Association of Women
Engineers, Technicians and Scientists in Uganda (WETSU)
http://www.wougnet.org/wo_dir.html#GAB
* Uganda Media Women's Association (UMWA) Call for Support UMWA
announces a campaign seeking exemption from paying for technical
services for Mama FM community radio station. UMWA has been granted
14 days by the Office of the President to appeal for an exemption
from the Minister of Finance starting from March 28th. When the
Office of the President - Department of Information does not
receive a written permission from the Minister of Finance by April
17th then Mama FM will have to be disconnected but a debt totalling
to Ug shs 7,623,000 has to be paid, and other funds have to be
found if Mama FM will have to continue transmitting. UMWA is
seeking petitions to be sent in by email or fax before April 7,
Details of the campaign are available at:
http://www.wougnet.org/Documents/UMWA/MAMAcampaign.htmlN2. LINKS AND RESOURCES
a) African/International Women Organisations
* Centre d'Espoir pour Filles et Femmes (C.E.F.F. - O.N.G.) CEFF
have launched their new website. Based in Lubumbashi, Democratic
Republic of Congo, CEFF's goal is to advocate the girls' and
women's rights in promoting their formal education and vocational
training as well as to help them to find sustainable solutions
through loans. The goal is to make them self-sufficient - to be
economically independent.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/africa_int.html#CEFF
b) Agriculture
* Update: CD-ROM for Rural Women in Africa A CD-ROM entitled "Rural
Women in Africa: Ideas for Earning Money" tries to meet the demand
of providing content material to use online once rural women have
access to computers. Designed as a visual "computer book," it
allows the user to easily navigate using only a click of the
"mouse."
Since the first field test of the programme in February 2001, the
women farmers at the Nakaseke telecenter have been greatly
empowered by the programme and are outspoken in their support for
the project, for the information given, and for future
possibilities. (Report includes pictures taken at Nakaseke)
http://www.wougnet.org/News/cdupdate.html
c) Development
* Baobabconnections
The Baobabconnections project wants to provide an environment for
young people from Africa and the Netherlands to share stories and
express opinions about globalisation. If we want to know what
globalisation is, how it affects the world in general and our world
in particular, we need to meet at the Baobab tree and talk about
it. The website will host an extensive information database on
globalisation as a useful resource tool for people that want to
formulate and share their own ideas on the website.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/development.html#BAOBAB
* Child Development Foundation
The Child Development Foundation is an initiative concerned with
the education of disadvantaged children in Mbale, Eastern Uganda.
C.D.F's mission is to provide education assistance to the needy so
as to enable them enjoy equal social, economic and political
opportunities with the rich who have all opportunities at their
disposal.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/development.html#CDFUG
* Family SupportNet
Family SupportNet is a website designed for individuals with
disabilites of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and their
families to access disability resources on the Internet. The site
includes links to international communities, accessible activities
for families, health issues, education, disability issues and more.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/development.html#FSNet
* Potential Resource Center
Potential Resource Centre (PRC) is a Ugandan non-governmental
organization of young professionals whose aim is to identify the
potential resources within themselves, their immediate communities,
the country and the international communities and turn and/or
exploit the potentials to achieve social, economic and personal
professional development goals.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/development.html#PRC
d) ICT-related organisations
* Computers for Africa Computers for Africa collects used
computers, refurbishes them, and ships them to African high
schools and non-profit organizations. We are developing a model
whereby U.S. cities can partner with villages in Least Developed
Nations to help bridge the international digital divide.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/ictresources.html#CFA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EVENTS & NEWS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 2002
* Global Women's Voices: An Online Dialogue-Featuring Global Women
Leaders From Around the World In recognition of International
Women's Day, March 8, women leaders from Brazil, India, Uganda, and
the United States, discussed the successes and challenges facing
women in different parts of the world in a series of live chats
from March 5-7 at: http://www.feministcampus.org/globalvoices.asp.
Global Women's Voices: An Online Dialogue was a joint initiative
of OneWorld U.S., Feminist Majority Foundation, PLANetWIRE.org,
Women's EDGE, Global Health Council and Digital Freedom Network.
Rehema Baguma, WOUGNET Administration Board member, participated
in the online dialogue.
http://www.wougnet.org/projectnews.html#GWVOnline
* FOWODE: seeking book writer Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE)
has been implementing the Women's Intergenerational Learning and
Documentation (WILD) Project. Its goal is to build women's
leadership skills through intergenerational learning and
documenting women's contributions to the political process of
Uganda from the 1940s to date. The main output of this project is
a book, which records women's experience in their leadership
carriers over generations. More than 30 stories have been recorded
on audiotapes and later transcribed. FOWODE is now looking for a
writer to read, analyse and put together the above stories into a
book of up to 250 pages following set guidelines.
http://www.wougnet.org/projectnews.html#FOWODEw
May 2002
* Call for women artists The University of California-Berkeley
African Studies Center is engaged in an academic exhibition of
fine art opening this fall (August-December 2002) involving East
African artists. The focus of the exhibition centers on the Uganda
Women's Movement, and will feature original works by artists of
both sexes, accompanied by information related to this topic. Art
works are expected at the Center by end of May 2002.
http://www.wougnet.org/projectnews.html#WOART
June 2002
* Horn of Africa Regional Conference on Women and ICTs The Horn of
Africa Regional Conference on Women and Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) is to raise awareness on ICT
amongst women in the Horn of Africa region and to explore
opportunities for harnessing the technology to work as a tool for
their development. The conference is organised by the African
Centre for Women, Information & Communications Technology
(ACWICT), a non-governmental organisation in Kenya committed to
promoting the use of ICTs amongst women in the African Region.
http://www.wougnet.org/projectnews.html#ACWICT
September 2002
* Youth Employment Summit, Egypt, September 11-15, 2002 The Youth
Employment Summit will be the first time diverse stakeholders
convene to focus their attention on addressing youth employment.
The Summit in Alexandria will be the launch pad for the Decade
Campaign of Action to promote youth employment. Leading up to
September 2002, the YES Secretariat is raising awareness on the
issue of youth employment to develop the necessary support systems
for youth to have productive and sustainable livelihoods.
http://www.wougnet.org/projectnews.html#YES2002
To list your event/news on the WOUGNET website, send details about
the event/news including contact information to:
[email protected]
Note: The Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) website and mailing
lists are hosted by Kabissa - Space for Change in Africa
(http://www.kabissa.org).
Ghana Computer Literacy & Distance Education (GhaCLAD)
http://www.ghaclad.org
To: [email protected]
From: Osei Darkwa <[email protected]>
April 9, 2002
GHACLAD remains committed to the inclusion of Ghana and the rest of
Africa in the mushrooming information technology movement and in
working with organizations in promoting technology-based education.
Our goal is to assist such institutions tap into and use such
information that is available for the purpose of raising the level
of the quality of education in Ghana and other parts of Africa.
Since the GhaCLAD 2000 conference, we have been working behind the
scene on a number of initiatives to reposition the organization, to
assist in providing a number of IT-related services to support the
non-profit sector in Ghana, the United States, and other parts of
the world. Here is a brief project update and a list of planned and
new services GhaCLAD is currently providing to support the
development of information technology.
1. Launching of the Asante Akim Multipurpose Community Telecentre
(AAMCT)
This is the first major project we embarked on after the GhaCLAD
2000 conference. The AAMCT is the first solar-powered multipurpose
telecentre in Ghana (see details at http://www.patriensa.com). For
the first time in the history of Ghana, rural underserved people
now have access to computers, the Internet, and electronic
networks. This project is being used to promote rural electronic
commerce, computer education, and "digital culture." You can now
listen to music from the village of Patriensa at
http://www.e-greenstar.com/Music. This pilot project will be
duplicated around the country through GhaCLAD's Telecentre
Franchise Network (TFN). If your organization is interested in
becoming part of the TFN, kindly contact us for additional details.
2. GhaCLAD Technology Camp 2002
The Tech Camps will run from late July through early September,
2002. The focus of the Tech Camps will be on children, teens, and
youth groups from ages 7-25. The camps will offer participants the
opportunity to receive exciting hands-on experience with
fascinating technology, while stimulating creative minds-on
learning. Participants will have a wide selection of high-tech
interests to choose from, with classes offered in three primary
disciplines: computer knowledge, multimedia production, and
renewable energy. Specific activities will range from learning
hands-on computer skills (building computers, designing web sites,
programming, developing software, networking computers, using
Internet search engines, developing VR panoramas, etc.); graphic
design (visual communications, digital illustration, image editing,
3D modeling and animation, digital photography, and digital
production techniques); and designing renewable energy projects
(learning and installing PV models, SHS, solar cooker).
In all, a total of five (5) Technology Camps will be organized by
GhaCLAD within the Greater Accra region. Four of the Camps will be
in Accra. The remaining camp will be in Tema. Details will soon be
published on the GhaCLAD website. Interested participants will be
able to register on-line to attend the Tech Camps.
3. IT-related Services to support Non-Government Organizations
Internet use is growing in Ghana. There are about 10 registered
ISPs in the country. And, new Ghanaian PoPs (Point of Presence) are
planned in Bolgatanga, Tema, and Cape Coast, where ISPs have
established further satellites. And, the country continues to see
an increase in Internet cafes.
Even though there seems to be a dearth of any substantial
countrywide programs, individual Internet usage continues to grow.
While over 150,000 Ghanaians have access to the Internet, under 10%
of all Ghanaian NGOs have reliable computers and access to the
Internet. The main barrier to Internet use for most Ghanaians is
cost. With an average computer costing over US$1000, and the
cheapest dial-up monthly access at between US$35-$40, access to the
Internet for most Ghanaians is limited.
With parallel offices in the United States and Ghana, GhaCLAD is
now in a position to provide IT-related services to non-profit
organizations in Ghana, the United States, and other parts of the
world.
Among the specific IT-related services that GhaCLAD currently
provides are as follows:
Website Development: The continuous demand for some form of cyber
presence among NGOs drives the demand for GhaCLAD to offer this
service. Over the years, we've been able to train our volunteers to
use cutting-edge tools to design award wining websites (see
http://www.patriensa.com). Kindly contact us for details about this
service. Web Hosting Services: GhaCLAD provides web hosting on our
server on the ghaclad.org domain. Kindly contact us for details.
LAN/WAN Services: GhaCLAD is now in a position to offer LAN/WA
solutions to support non-profit organizations who might have a need
for such services. Kindly contact us for details.
Computer Repair Services: If your organization is located in Accra
or Chicago, GhaCLAD can build, upgrade, or repair your computer for
you. Kindly contact us for details about this service.
IT support services: GhaCLAD now provides an array of support
services to address the IT needs of non-profit organizations in
Ghana and the United States. This includes full IT -service
technology consulting and staffing, providing non-profit
organizations with temporal trained and experienced professionals
to compliment their existing IT resources, and to help complete
projects.
Placement and Outsourcing Services: GhaCLAD recruits IT personnel
internationally for both short- and long-term placement with
non-profit organizations in Ghana. This is done through our
GhaCorps services (See details at
http://www.ghaclad.org/ghacorps/index.htm)
IT Training in Various Coursewares: Fact is, there is very little
training offered to the non-profit sector for computer
literacy/familiarization. GhaCLAD now provides IT training services
to improve computer skills; and expertise needed to perform daily
routine tasks. The training is instructor-led (if your organization
is located in Accra or Chicago), online self-study, or online
instructor-led. The bundle includes hands-on computer labs,
flexible training schedule, and informative and interactive
learning CD-ROM. Contact us for details about our non-profit
support training program. If your non-profit organization is
located in the Greater Accra area, and you are interested in our
training program, kindly contact our LaBone local affiliate office
at 021-784-778. If your organization is located in the Ashanti
region, kindly contact the Asante Akim Multipurpose Community
Telecentre at 024-417527/531-24626/531-24626 for registration
details and class schedule.
We look forward to serving you.
Osei Darkwa GhaCLAD President
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by
Africa Action (incorporating the Africa Policy Information
Center, The Africa Fund, and the American Committee on Africa).
Africa Action's information services provide accessible
information and analysis in order to promote U.S. and
international policies toward Africa that advance economic,
political and social justice and the full spectrum of human rights.
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