Back row (left to right): Ndunge E. Kiundi (APC), Gustaff Harriman Iskandar (Common Room), Lilian Chamorro (Colnodo), Josephine Miliza (KICTAnet), Sarbani Barnerjee Belur (Gram Marg), Shalini A. (Janastu), Thiago Paixão (IBE-Brasil), Mary Dim Suan Huai (ASORCOM), Solomon Okot Nono (Bosco), Julián Casasbuenas (Colnodo), Memory Jere (CYD-Malawi), Michael Suantak (ASORCOM), Mike Jensen (APC), Immaculate Laker (BOSCO), Carla Jancz (IBE-brasil), Hiure Queiroz with baby Amina (Coolab), Arum Tresnaningtyas Dayuputri (Common Room), Chako Armant (Ensemble – Pamojanet), Nicolás Pace (APC), Patrick Byamungu (Ensemble – Pamojanet), James Gondwe (CYD-Malawi), Girish Kumar (Janastu). Front row (left to right): Tomas Sikanisi (Zenzeleni), Karla Velasco Ramos (REDES-Mexico), Ramprasad V. (Gram Marg), Kathleen Diga (APC), Talant Sultanov (ISOC-Krygstan), Santiago Piccinini (AlterMundi), Jésica Selene Giudice with little Sihuel (Altermundi), Cynthia El Khoury (APC), Marcela Guerra (Coolab), Sol Luca de Tena (Zenzeleni).
“Connecting the unconnected: Supporting community networks and other community-based connectivity initiatives” is a project by APC in partnership with Rhizomatica that aims to directly support the work of community networks, with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The initiative intends to contribute to an enabling ecosystem for the emergence and growth of community-based connectivity initiatives in developing countries. It is part of a multi-year, multi-donor strategy envisaged to address the human capacity and sustainability challenges, along with the policy and regulatory obstacles, that limit the growth of community-based connectivity initiatives.
As part of this project, 12 community network organisations (four in Africa, four in Asia and four in Latin America) were selected and granted funding towards activities that create and foster a peer learning community. The selection of grantees was based on an evaluation of the submissions received via a public call. The community network organisations then nominated two “in-house” individuals that became the peer community member representatives. The 12 community network organisations selected, and the representatives appointed by them, are the following:
Africa
- BOSCO Uganda (Uganda): Represented by Immaculate Laker and Solomon Okot Nono
- Ensemble Pour la Différence (Democratic Republic of Congo): Represented by Chako Armant and Patrick Byamungu
- Centre for Youth and Development (CYD) (Malawi): Represented by James Gondwe and Memory Jere
- Zenzeleni (South Africa): Represented by Sol Luca de Tena and Nontsokolo Sigcau
Asia
- Alternative Solutions for Rural Communities (ASORCOM) (Myanmar): Represented by Mary Dim Suan Huai and Michael Suantak
- Common Room Networks Foundation (Indonesia): Represented by Arum Tresnaningtyas Dayuputri and Gustaff Harriman Iskandar
- Servelots (India): Represented by Girish Kumar and Shalini A.
- Gram Marg Rural Broadband (India): Represented by Sarbani Banerjee Belur
Latin America
- AlterMundi (Argentina): Represented by Jésica Selene Giudice and Santiago Piccinini
- Colnodo (Colombia): Represented by Julián Casasbuenas and Lilian Chamorro
- Coolab (Brazil): Represented by Hiure Queiroz and Marcela Guerra
- Instituto Bem Estar (Brazil): Represented by Carla Jancz and Thiago Paixão
The members of the selection committee who assisted in the process, organised based on regional base and experience, were:
- Kathleen Diga (APC)
- Mike Jensen (APC)
- Valeria Betancourt (APC)
- Josephine Miliza (Regional coordinator – Africa, KICTANET)
- Talant Sultanov (Regional coordinator – Asia, ISOC Kyrgstan)
- Karla Velsaco (Regional coordinator – Latin America, REDES A.C.)
- Christian O’Flaherty and Maria Deambrosio (ISOC-LAC)
- Michuki Mwangi (ISOC-Africa)
- Naveed Haq (ISOC-Asia Pacific)
- Leandro Navarro (Pangea, APC Board member)
- Sylvia Cadena (APNIC Foundation, APC individual member)
- Nils Brock (Rhizomatica, Pathfinder Grant coordinator)
Read APC communiqué: Employment and funding opportunities for strengthening community networks and local access here.