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Defeating Poverty through technologies |
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Less Internet More Cabernet:
a well-chosen statement on a wall some time ago. But the following
story helps us thinking that Internet is not always uselessly
pervading. As a matter of fact, Mr. Paul De Sio, an African
gentleman in his forties with successful career in Italy (Xerox,
Accenture, Ernst&Young), thanks to Internet built in Africa a self
sustaining orphanage: that is not fully dependent on charity and
funding. How? Developing beside a new enterprise: a Knowledge Center
aimed to yield income and development in the area, keeping and
attracting people and business and hindering the desertion of those
rural areas by local youth. Below you will understand how. |
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FACT SHEET |
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vision |
to facilitate the trigger of a
cultural and economic development, aimed at fighting the
abandonment of rural and poor lands and at freeing local people
from external support, thus representing a redemption chance for
weak persons, such as orphans |
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strategy |
to combine assistance and business;
to collect on site needs and suggestions; to raise funds through
a foundation (RAY
Foundation ONLUS,
www.rayfoundation.org), to
carry out, to consolidate, to hand over to local people |
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what was fulfilled |
a self-sustaining orphanage, thanks
to a near Knowledge Center (about 40 PC seats), both brand new
from cultural standpoint too |
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which
services offered |
Orphanage: assistance and care from
0 to 12 years, education (in the future), micro credit (in the
future)
Knowledge Center: Internet
connection (via satellite), IT training courses, typesetting,
colour print, photocopying, binding, scanning, fax service, card
design and making, digital photography and printing, conference
room renting, PC renting
Moreover, established a wireless
link for hospital, local authority and school |
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where |
at Jirapa, in the Upper-West Region
of Ghana, far away about 12 driving hours from the capital
Accra, in the sub-Saharan Africa (www.encarta.it) |
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who acted |
Paul De Sio, Ghanaian, in Italy
since a child, supported by many sponsors and helped by handful
IT student from Milan and some friends |
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who use it |
entrepreneurs, builder, banks,
students, local authorities, schools, hospitals, town services (eg
police, fire service), church organizations, NGO |
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results & benefits |
under consolidation; about 1,000
Internet customers; Knowledge Center salaries already paid by
current business; snowball effect: new business recently
established in the area (eg bank, mobile provider); synergy with
volunteers’ contribution (eg stage, graduation thesis) |
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time frame |
foundations stone laid on March
2003; inauguration on May 2004; consolidation: undergoing |
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key success factors |
sharing locally needs and solution; looking ahead (very ahead);
fully dedicating and persevering; leveraging savoir faire and
having a cheek |
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visibility |
presentations at events (eg ONU symposium), media presence (eg
Italian and Ghanaian TV, newspaper articles) |
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budget |
more than € 600.000, not fully funded yet, of course |
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developments |
partnering with an Italian hospital in order to develop
telemedicine; building a backup power supply (solar cells, by
Lega Ambiente); developing customer knowledge (and
segmentation); enhancing of value proposition and services. |
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PER DONARE |
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account holder |
RAY Foundation ONLUS -
Account Number: 20988 - CAB: 01601 -
ABI: 03488 - CIN: N
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bank |
Cassa Lombarda, Milano
- IBAN:
IT70-NO3488-01601-0000000-20988
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