Part 2 “This is what we’re doing”: SAFIPA projects show solutions to improving service delivery for rural development

Filed under Rural development by Kerryn on 23 November, 2011 at 3:01 pm {no comments}

ESTIMA's stand at the SAFIPA conference expo area

In this parallel session, projects looked at the practical and innovative solutions that have been developed to improve service delivery in rural areas.  Here ESTIMA’s Teleweaver, Municipality in a Box and Naledi3d showcased their projects and activities in this area.

ESTIMA’S TELEWEAVER:
A MARRIAGE OF IDEALS TO MEET SOCIAL GOALS

Professor Alfredo Terzoli, Head of the Telkom Centre of Excellence (CoE) and Reed House Systems (RHS), Rhodes University, discussed the ESTIMA initiative, which talks to ICT4D and ICT entrepreneurship.

“It is both possible, and in fact, essential to marry ICT for development and ICT entrepreneurship.  But is it possible to make real and empowering ICT deployment in marginalised or disadvantaged areas?  The answer is that at the moment, not really.  Many townships are completely unconnected.  Infrastructure and the provision of ICT resources are just too expensive.   Also, application relevance for these areas is very limited.  And the expertise of ICT solution providers is inadequate and disconnected, with providers generally having different vantage points and backgrounds.

(more…)

A standing ovation for SAFIPA and awards for outstanding projects

Filed under SAFIPA capacity building by Kerryn on 19 October, 2011 at 9:06 pm {no comments}

The kickoff plenary session of the SAFIPA 2011 Conference

Today was the first day of the SAFIPA 2011 two-day conference, which is the third, and last conference that will be hosted by SAFIPA as the programme draws to a close next month.

The first day has been filled with thought-provoking plenary sessions, interesting and inspiring parallel sessions and an info-gathering ‘market place’ where SAFIPA-supported projects could showcase their projects and activities in an up-close-and-personal environment.

The day kicked off with a plenary session that included a joint welcome from Mr Isaac Maredi, Director:  Information and Communication Technology within the Department of Science and Technology and Dr Jyrki Pulkkinen, Senior Advisor, Information Society & Science Technology and Innovation for Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.   The welcome was followed by a keynote address by Dr Derek Keats, of dkeats Innovation, and former Deputy Vice Chancellor of Knowledge Information Management at University of Witwatersrand.  His address entitled “Emerging Future Trends in Information and Communications Technologies” provided a perfect backdrop to the rest of the day consisting, as it did, of asking provoking questions and highlighting themes around the definition, measurement and nurturing of innovation and innovators.

The two parallel sessions today included “Technology Commercialisation” during which time projects WhereIsMyTransport, JamiiX and the Meraka Tech Transfer projects outlined their contexts, activities, challenges and strengths.  The second session was on “Improving Service Delivery for Rural Development” at which time ESTIMA Teleweaver, Municipality in a Box, and Naledi3d shared how local communities can be empowered through the innovative use of ICTs.

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S@ID combining innovation, education & social media

Filed under ICT and Education by Kerryn on 11 April, 2011 at 8:14 pm {no comments}

“The Educational Cluster initiative is an innovative response, one that is based on collaboration and ‘new media’ to link together interested stakeholders from Government departments and educational agencies, academic institutions, FET colleges, content developers, content providers, infrastructure providers, donor organisations, NGOs, regional business as well as local community leaders.”

The S@ID cluster met in late January with interested stakeholders to plot a way forward for what is still an informal grouping.  Fifty-five people, some of whom came from the Eastern and Western Cape, gathered at the CSIR Meraka Institute for the meeting, despite the major thunderstorm that had descended on Pretoria that morning; according to Dave Lockwood of Naledi3d, a good omen for the organisation!

Diversity of participation – reflecting a real need

A wide range of people, from diverse backgrounds and sectors were represented at the workshop, including stakeholders from large corporations such as Intel, SAP, Microsoft and Vodacom, and over twenty companies representing the SMME sector such as Naledi3d, Learnscapes and Moveecom.  Similarly, non-profit organisations were also represented by organisations such as the Association for Progressive Communication (APC), Mindset, Young Engineers and Scientists of Africa (YESA), CampusNet, and Digi-Connect.  Donor agencies, such as the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, were also at the meeting, and government was represented by national and provincial departments such as the Department for Public Service and Administration (DPSA), the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS), and the Tshwane Municipality respectively.  Academic institutions were visible at the workshop such as the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), and government agencies were also present.

The workshop hoped to build on the purpose of the Educational Cluster initiative which is, as outlined in the invitation to stakeholders, to provide an essential link between the private sector and Government agencies in the form of public-private dialogue and partnerships, to address skills shortages at the national level and also to address the needs of regional economies and businesses more effectively.  Thus the workshop’s main objective was to build upon these aims by providing partners with a space to actively engage and begin dialogue around how to collaborate in new ways to
nurture improved skills development in the country.

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SAFIPA-supported projects nominated for NSTF Awards

Filed under Community news by Kerryn on 14 March, 2011 at 2:33 pm {no comments}

SAFIPA projects are being recognised by the National Science and Technology Forum by being included as nominations for the 2010/11 awards.

This is an honour both for SAFIPA, as supporters of these projects, as well as the projects themselves who work tirelessly to bring about change for South African communities. The SAFIPA team, especially Thiru Naidoo-Swettenham who is the South African Programme Coordinator, were responsible for compiling their project partners’ applications for the NSTF Awards nomation process.

SAFIPA-supported projects have been shortlisted in two categories, namely “Research leading to Innovation by Teams or Individuals through Organisations” and “Communication for Outreach and Creating Awareness of Science, Engineering, Technology or Innovation”.

In the first category, the projects nominated are the MoMaths Reasearch team, which includes Nokia, Kelello Consulting and Neil Butcher and Associates; the Naledi 3d project which is run by Dave Lockwood’s Naledi3d Factory (Pty) Ltd based in Pretoria, and WhereismyTransport? which is run by Devin de Vries and his Cape Town-based team. In the second category Ron Byers’ Young Engineers and Scientists of Africa (YESA) project has been nominated as well as second nomination for Dave Lockwood’s Naledi3d Factory.

The National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Awards are prestigious awards that seek to:

recognise, acknowledge and promote the wealth of excellence in the South African Research and Development (R&D) community across all sectors, levels, genders and race groups.

The NSTF is a multi-stakeholder forum within the Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation disciplines, and the awards provide an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the individuals and teams who are responsible for contributing to the development and growth of these disciplines in South Africa.
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Local education projects show commitment to working together to strengthen their goals

Filed under ICT and Education by Kerryn on 1 February, 2011 at 12:18 pm {no comments}

While in Finland, a number of the participants on the SAFIPA Knowledge Exchange Trip came to the realisation that the way in which people in Finland interact, share information and collaborate was a wake-up call which motivated them to embark on a path of discovery, cooperation, integration and innovation.  They strongly feel that these activities are capable of moving education in South Africa in a positive new direction.

Keith Maree  from CampusNet, Ron Beyers of Young Engineers and Scientists of Africa, Leon van der Merwe from LearnScapes, JanHendrik Oosthuizen from Trydian Interactive and Dave Lockwood who heads up the Naledi 3D Factory, have recently come together to found the South African Alliance for ICT and Development Education Cluster.

Inspiration from Finnish innovation practices

Based on the Finnish approach to innovation, collaboration and discovery, the South African Alliance for ICT and Development Education Cluster, established in 2010, offers a new way to tackle the education challenges facing South Africa, through dialogue and project collaboration.

Education, training and skills development at all levels of society remain high on the national agenda and few would disagree that there is a willingness to identify more efficient and accessible ways to meet this need and to promote a broader culture of learning, skills development and responsible citizens. Education is a powerful way to address poverty alleviation.  Many education projects, however, explore new approaches and technologies in isolation, leading to one major difficulty – that of sustainable replication.

Educational Cluster goals

The Educational Cluster initiative is an innovative response, one that is based on collaboration and “new media” to link together interested stakeholders from Government departments and educational agencies, academic institutions, FET colleges, content developers, content providers, infrastructure providers, donor organisations, non-profit organisations, regional business as well as local community leaders. Thus, through the Educational Cluster, partners can collectively engage and collaborate in new ways that can nurture improved skills development in the country. (more…)

The SAFIPA Newsletter

The final SAFIPA Newsletter, Spring 2011

This is the final edition of the SAFIPA newsletter. The month of November 2011, marks the conclusion of this dynamic initiative.



This newsletter pays tribute to the SAFIPA programme in the form of commentary and insights gathered during the very successful SAFIPA 2011 Conference. Project partners from the MFA, DST and CSIR Meraka Insitute applaud the programme. And SAFIPA supported projects have a final opportunity to showcase their innovations and processes.



[Download the PDF version ]



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