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CONTENTS

1. Cable & Wireless Kicks Off Pro Bono Consulting

2. From the Digital Dividend Clearinghouse: Thai RuralNet and ICT Development Group

3. Make the Clearinghouse Work For You! Discussing Your Project Online

4. Expanded Funding Opportunities from DevelopmentSpace

5. TEN is Accepting Projects!

6. Clearinghouse Member Project Wins Stockholm Challenge

1. Cable & Wireless Kicks Off Pro Bono Consulting

Over the past month, teams of Cable & Wireless employees have paired up with Digital Dividend Clearinghouse member projects to provide pro bono technology consulting--"virtually." Relying primarily on e-mail, Cable & Wireless experts from the UK, Switzerland, Spain, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, and India are now working with:

Drishtee.com in India to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of wireless connectivity for its Internet kiosks, and identify specific technology options

SchoolNet Namibia to develop a plan for managing and growing its school network, which is currently expanding to include its first wireless sites

Uganda Connect's Schools Project to learn to manage its growing network, and explore business models for turning computer labs into public telecenters after school hours

For more information on the pro bono consulting program, please contact us

2. From the Digital Dividend Clearinghouse: Thai RuralNet and ICT Development Group

14 new projects have been added to the Clearinghouse since our last edition of the Digest. Thanks to all those who submitted their projects! This week, we're highlighting two organizations leveraging existing resources for multiple projects--and maximizing their learning in the process:

Thai RuralNet is a youth-based initiative using ICT to improve living conditions in rural communities in Thailand. Thai RuralNet has come up with several solutions for rural development, including the E Chaoban Rural ICT Suite; the Community-Based Tourism Project (CBT); the Young E Trader for Rural Development Program; and the Youth Network for Rural Development Cluster. To learn more about Thai RuralNet's activities, click here

Working on several projects simultaneously has been advantageous for Thai RuralNet. "It allows us to have a broad view of what's going on--what works and what doesn't--in the field of rural development," says member Sunit Shrestha. He also emphasizes the strategic importance of being able to "leverage the same resources for several projects at one time" and "transfer lessons learned."

The ICT Development Group is building spatial information networks featuring tools that help people manage water, land and agriculture. These networks are scalable, Web-based, and multilingual, and integrate a variety of data including remote sensing imagery, hydrological and meteorological data, and local knowledge. Like Thai RuralNet, the ICT Development Group is leveraging its experience to manage multiple projects including the Environmental Monitoring Information Network (EMIN); the Agricultural Information Network (AIN); the Andaman Environmental Resource Information Network (AERIN); the Water Information Network for Southern Africa (WIN SA); and the Salvadorian Property Information Network (SPIN). To learn more about the ICT Development Group's activities, click here

*Still haven't submitted your project? Register today and share your initiative with the Clearinghouse community

3. Make the Clearinghouse Work For You! Discussing Your Project Online

As many of you know, Digital Dividend Clearinghouse project "capsules" are a great source of information on initiatives providing IT tools and services to those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. But did you know that each project capsule also supports its own unique online discussion? The project capsule discussion page is a forum for

Clearinghouse users to contribute their insights and ideas on specific projects
third parties to provide references or testimonials that can help validate projects for potential funders, volunteers, or researchers
project managers to solicit specific ideas or feedback from others

To see how one Clearinghouse project is beginning to use its discussion page, click here

4. Expanded Funding Opportunities from DevelopmentSpace

Digital Dividend partner DevelopmentSpace has joined with a 70,000-employee corporation to become part of their employee giving platform. Come November and December, thousands of these employees will log on to DevelopmentSpace in search of innovative, high-impact projects to donate to.

Could DevelopmentSpace help with your funding needs? While you can post a project even sooner, you must register at www.developmentspace.com and complete the following by November 20 to be included in the employee giving platform this holiday season. Click on "Start a Project" to begin:

Project title
Summary of project (under 25 words)
Detailed description (under 200 words)
Location
Rough estimate of funding needs
Authentication

Projects are also asked to fill out a business plan and deal sheet before being funded through DevelopmentSpace--but these are not required by November 20. For more information about the DevelopmentSpace process, please contact Edouard Valla at DevelopmentSpace.

5. TEN is Accepting Projects!

Another Digital Dividend partner, the Technology Empowerment Network (TEN), is currently looking for a small group of new projects to join its network in 2003. TEN's high-level members offer time, insight and expertise--rather than money--to support and empower projects that use IT to improve quality of life in underserved communities around the world. The only criteria are that projects be past the start up phase, ready to go to the next level, and likely to benefit from the kinds of resources TEN's members bring to bear. Highly open, responsive projects are the ones that get the most out of their relationships with TEN.

Does this describe you? Get the whole story
Want to apply? Contact Ulla Skiden by November 15th!

6. Clearinghouse Member Project Wins Stockholm Challenge

Congratulations to SATELLIFE's Health Information Project, winner of this year's Stockholm Challenge Award in the health category! For details on the initiative, click here

Other Clearinghouse-listed finalists included: Bhoomi, the Swayam Krishi Sangam Smart Card Project, Drishtee, the Solomon Islands People First Network (PFnet), Educ.ar, Katha IT!, United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITeS), AKASHGANGA, Green PC, Ecosandals.com, Inter-city Marketing Network for Women Entrepreneurs, and our own Digital Dividend Project Clearinghouse.