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Ungana-Afrika |
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PRESS
RELEASE
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Contact: Toni Eliasz |
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eRiding model proved successful for non-profit ICT consulting in Africa Johannesburg, 17.9.2003 - Ungana-Afrika initiative, which is providing ICT (Information and Communication Technology) consulting for civil society organizations, has finished its pilot phase. The goal of this pilot phase was to introduce the internationally proven eRiding model to the NGOs in Southern Africa. "We have found a huge niche for this kind of services among southern African NGOs. The demand has been bigger than we were able to satisfy, " says Toni Eliasz, Ungana-Afrika's project manager. The accomplishments of the first phase confirm his words. During the six month period Ungana-Afrika's consultants (or eRiders, as they are known internationally) worked in six countries in southern Africa, training 117 participants from NGO staff in computer-related fields, implementing 15 major projects including network setup, formal technology plan development, website strategy development etc., and tens of minor projects such as software/hardware optimization and maintenance, system and network optimization and infrastructure and staff skills assessment. Ungana-Afrika addresses the reality of the "Digital Divide" in Africa. Civil society organizations working in a variety of developmental capacities often suffer from a lack of ICT infrastructure, connectivity and skills. Limited access to these resources prevents such organizations from reaching their maximum efficiency, coverage and impact. "eRiding model was developed and tested in the USA and Eastern Europe, and is now being implemented in over 20 countries worldwide, so we can draw on the extensive experience of this global network of projects. eRiding is basically mobile consulting - our eRiders travel within the region and help NGOs in the field of information technologies," Toni Eliasz continues. The response from NGOs was overwhelming, especially the demand for computer skills training and capacity building. Janet, an employee of one of the Swaziland NGOs visited by eRiders, talks about the benefits for her organization: "They really listened to what we want, not just what they might think we need. The language was less technical, easy for us to understand. We really appreciated the training and basic computer information they provided." As a result of the positive feedback received, Ungana-Afrika is determined to continue providing their services. "The pilot project was funded by OSISA (Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, www.osiafrica.org) as a part of their ICT program. Now Ungana-Afrika is going to become an independent non-profit organization with branches in all SADC region countries to achieve greater impact in less time. We have defined our strategy for the future and we're looking for partners and additional donors to support our mission, so that we can keep building the most exciting non-profit ICT organization in southern Africa," Toni Eliasz concludes. For more information about this project, visit Ungana-Afrika website www.ungana-afrika.org. ### |
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