In a press release, ITU indicates that the equipment was airlifted out of Geneva on Monday 1 March, and is expected to be deployed on the ground as early as today, 2 March. ITU is working with emergency communications partner Iridium Communications Inc. to ensure connectivity for satellite handsets, which will be used by local authorities to facilitate humanitarian assistance to disaster victims. ITU is also striving to source additional equipment from El Salvador and Nicaragua, where it had been deployed last year to help those countries restore communications after their own natural disasters.

“Our hearts go out to the government and the people of Chile, who find themselves having to deal with a tragedy similar to that which so recently devastated Haiti,” said ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Touré. “We are proud to be a long-standing leader in coordinating the provision of emergency telecommunications and will continue to actively contribute assistance in partnership with ITU membership.”

ITU’s Area Office in Santiago, Chile, is already providing expert on-the-ground support to local authorities, as well as to the local UN Operations Centre, to coordinate the restoration of damaged communication systems and manage spectrum requirements for the wireless systems used by humanitarian agencies.

Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, said: “I would like to thank Iridium for supporting ITU on this sad occasion. Communications networks were disrupted by this massive earthquake, hampering rescue operations and the delivery of essential logistics and services. Our assistance will contribute towards the bridging of the current communication gap.”

ITU is providing Iridium satellite phones which can use both satellite and GSM networks, as well as delivering accurate GPS positioning coordinates to aid relief and rescue. ITU covers all expenses relating to transportation, deployment and use of equipment, which will be at the disposal of the authorities in Chile for as long as they require it.

In a press release, NGO Connect Africa, a registered Section 21 non-profit organisation, has kicked off the updated version of its dynamic website and platform. Besides the social networking interface there are many new features designed to increase the knowledge, reach, and impact of non-profit organisations in Africa. The site is a social workspace that brings together technology resources, knowledge-sharing and community-building for non-profit entities and the businesses and organisations that support them.

Incorporating feedback on the first release, this update to the NGOConnect Africa platform makes it easier to access resources and to collaborate. NGOs will be able to create personal and organisational profiles. A new microsite functionality allows for free mini websites for those who don’t have them, and increased visibility and marketing opportunities for those that do. Additionally, members can blog, make friends, share information and attract fresh resources to their projects. They will also be able to get access to technology resources and find networking opportunities with other organisations working on similar projects.

“The challenges facing Africa are complex. NGOs engage on a daily basis to address these challenges, but they typically lack the resources and knowledge to access the technologies that can make them more effective, efficient and sustainable in serving those at the margins of modern life,” said Ntutule Tshenye, the citizenship lead at Microsoft West East and Central Africa, founding sponsors of the project.

“Just as technology has improved efficiency and quality in the business world, NGOs can now experience these same benefits, allowing them to use their limited resources for higher value-add activities in achieving their goals,” continued Tshenye.

Kimber Dodge, the Executive Director of NGOConnect Africa, believes that society has the responsibility to utilize technology to bring necessary resources together and remove barriers. “Sustainable solutions can occur only when all the sectors of society are involved and working together. Technology and NGOConnect Africa’s platform and programmes can facilitate that. And, because of its focus on bi-directional communication and input, it also encourages and enables Africans to share and develop African solutions.”

NGOConnect Africa is also working with the private and public sectors to help them engage more effectively with non-profit organisations. “We are delivering resources and training to technology companies, government, and academia to help them engage more sustainably and effectively with civil society. They are all part of the NGOConnect Africa community,” said Dodge. “Many partners wish to engage with NGOs, but don’t know how. The NGOConnect Africa team is here to help them learn and be successful,” she added.

As an example, NGO’s across South Africa will be introduced to NGOConnect Africa through a collaboration between NGOConnect Africa and Microsoft training provider, CTU Training. Together NGOConnect Africa, CTU will be conducting a series of workshops at various CTU campuses in South Africa. The workshops will be piloted at CTU’s Stellenbosch Campus in October 2009, and then delivered at other branches of the institute across the country.

The new site already has the support of Microsoft’s Chairman of Africa, Dr. Cheick Diarra; South Africa’s Department of Social Development; computer manufacturer Mustek; and several Technology Service Providers including CTU Training, one of South Africa’s largest training organisations.

“NGOConnect Africa offers a vibrant and easy-to-use space for NGO’s to communicate with one another and the world at large. Driven by a highly passionate and committed team of experts, NGOConnect Africa offers highly sought-after and practical tools to our sector,” said Friederike Bubenzer, Project Leader, from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation.

Interested parties can visit NGOConnect Africa to get more information and register.

To this end, please fill out the electronic questionnaire, which can be accessed by clicking on the following link:

http://social.un.org/csodirectory/ngosdirectory_add.asp

Kindly use the login credentials below:

Username: Please leave a comment and we’ll update it for you.
Password: Please leave a comment and we’ll update it for you.

It would be highly appreciated if you can submit your feedback by 15 September 2009.

ZAA-ICT Executive Coordinator, Dean Mulozi said there was need to have this network to help support the information development of rural telecentres. He said they were facilitating the development of the SATNET.
A visit to Chinyunyu Community Multipurpose Telecentre in rural Zambia showed that when a community is involved in the setting up of a Telecentre the people embrace the centre as their own. Set up in 2006, the centre last year installed solar energy and a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) with the help of UNIDO which has enabled farmers to charge their mobile phone barriers and have access to the internet.

It is important that the centre realizes the money that it pays to the Communications Authority of Zambia as regulators fees and also the monthly subscription for the VSAT connection which is a very big challenge as the centre was in a rural location.

Austin Chilala Head of Kasis Agricultural Training Centre said the centre had received a seven acres of land as a donation to the project from Chief Bunda Bunda. The steering committee now plans to put up demonstration plots for the farmers and housing for stuff.

It is clear that Chinyunyu Telecentre does not need to exist in isolation but needs to learn from other telecentres are sustaining themselves which makes initiatives of setting up SATNET relevant.

There is also need of creating an electronic network before creating a physical network as this is very vital now that telecentres are being encouraged to provide internet services to their communities.

So far feedback from Chinyunyu farmers include that fact that they had learnt how to process chili and expand their fish farming activities as they accessed information from Chinyunyu Telecentre.

Yet, if you were to walk into a library, a bookstore or search online resources chances are quite slim that you would actually find a dictionary for a Zambian language. Our language is the very essence of communication and yet living in a global economy we slowly lose touch with this foundation that we inherited.

As a result, a group of people have decided to change this by preserving our language online through a new site called Zanglish. Through a series of e-mails, the developers of the site have expressed a grand vision for the site and with this initial phase, the goal at Zanglish is to change how people learn Zambian languages by offering a free resource to millions of people who have wanted to learn an English word in a Zambian language. Although the site is still being developed, the early signs indicate that the site is on the right track to putting up the first Zambian online dictionary.

Constraints facing Macha
Macha faces the major constraints that typify a rural settlement. Firstly, there is limited funding available. There are also inadequate access roads, for example, it takes over four hours and an average week’s salary for citizens of Macha to travel to the nearest town (Choma) and back.

Existing communications infrastructure in Macha pre-2004
Before mid-2004, there was little existing communications infrastructure in the settlement. Macha had only a handful of computers and only two communication network links. The communication networks consisted of an unreliable email link via high-frequency (HF) radio (PACTOR at 300 baud), and a fading very high frequency (VHF) link, which provided a radio link for short messages with Choma – the nearest town that is 60km away.

New communications infrastructure in Macha 2004-2005
New opportunities arose for Macha when the Malaria Institute at Macha was established.

• For the first time, a LAN was implemented. This LAN incorporated a distributed Wireless LAN (WLAN) using cost-effective Linksys WAP54G equipment and Stelladoradus antennas.
• Today, over 50 different log-ins from users are registered on this network, which are registered by the DHCP service on the network.
• Since May 2004, Macha is linked into Tier 1 of the Internet through a dedicated satellite connection (C-band VSAT connection with 128 kb/s downlink and 64 kb/s uplink.)

Computers support the growth of the network
In 2004, approximately 40 privately donated computers were received amounting to a large total donation. These computers have been implemented in various sections of the Vision Community Center at Macha for use by the community, and also at various institutions. Priority is being given to investing in, or receiving additional donations of computers to further expand the network. However, as the number of computers continues to grow rapidly, the network and services have to be carefully managed continuously and the network has to run optimally.

Lessons learnt from the new communications infrastructure
Both the Malaria Institute at Macha, as well as private individuals contributed the initial investment for building the new communications infrastructure in Macha. During the project, it was discovered that the implementation and maintenance of communications infrastructure within a rural area needs an ongoing high level of attention from experts. It became obvious that this specialized expertise is difficult to find and necessitates time-consuming and varied training. The level of expertise needed to keep the new communications infrastructure running cannot be sustained for a ‘single user’ such as the Malaria Institute of Macha.

The birth of the ‘LinkNet’ concept
As a result of these learnings, the concept of ‘LinkNet’ was devised. This concept endeavors to both develop and maintain IT-infrastructure and services in all rural areas of Zambia. The IT-infrastructure developed will be used for all non-commercial and non-profit users in rural areas, and will benefit from economies of scale in rollout and maintenance. Importantly, it will also provide an innovative and challenging environment for the development and retention of IT-experts from rural areas – enabling them to stay, develop and work in rural areas.

LinkNet networking & the types of services available
In Macha, two network servers with open source software are operational to ensure that the network runs effectively. One server is dedicated to LinkNet network functions, while another server operates as a secure server for the Malaria Institute at Macha. The LinkNet server runs services such as e-mail (including IMAP and web mail interface), DHCP, DNS (for multiple domains), content filtering (spam), proxy services, firewall, virus scanning, file sharing, network printing, web servers (>10 websites and growing), content management (blogging), network and system management, traffic prioritization, and database services.

During this implementation, valuable experience was gained regarding the specific needs and (network) challenges of working in a rural setting, which are often of a different nature than those faced in an urban setting.

LinkNet network used by the whole community
After the IT-infrastructure had been implemented for the Malaria Institute at Macha, the network was opened for use by the whole community, to cater for its needs. In order, to avoid a ‘those that have’ and ‘those that have-not’ situation, the network was opened up to the public through implementations at the Vision Community Centre Macha. Among its 10 units, this community centre now boasts a fully-fledged Internet area with over 10 computers and the LinkNet computer workshop.

LinkNet trained specialists
In parallel with the development of the LinkNet concept, three locally self-trained IT experts started in Macha. Their areas of expertise are in hardware and networking, in web design and application programming, respectively. The availability of this IT expertise, combined with the practical experience gained at Macha, resulted in outreaches with training, network and system support and planning at the Churches Health Association of Zambia, and at Flying Mission Zambia’s airstrip at Chilongolo.

LinkNet potential expansion into Macha Mission Hospital
A grant request has been made, which when coming through may support the expansion of the LAN and WLAN connectivity into Macha Mission Hospital. This means that the whole hospital will be brought online – including administration, laboratory, pharmacy, theater, wards, and other departments. Then trully tele-health will be implemented.

The LinkNet concept is more all encompassing than only network infrastructure, as it also caters for specific application development (and implementation) aimed at the healthcare and education environment. Examples of applications include rural telehealth applications, training, data collection and data mining, fault ticketing, information exchange, communications, scheduling, network management, etc.

Focus at Macha is rural-to-rural development, with now rural people from other areas in Zambia coming to Macha to be guided in their ‘self training’ in IT.