[AFRINIC-Announce] FIRE Awards Winners 2016

[AFRINIC Communication]

Dear Colleagues,

AFRINIC is pleased to announce the 2016 FIRE Award winners. 

The FIRE Award consists of a USD 3,000 cash prize plus full travel and accommodation worth $4,000 for one representative of each project to attend the awards ceremony,and participate in sessions which will be held in Mexico during the 2016 Internet Governance Forum.

We received a total of 58 award applications distributed as follows per category

	• Technical innovation for Internet access and development: 7 applications
	• Internet and technologies for social inclusion, strengthening democracy and the exercise of rights and freedoms: 9 applications.
	• Internet and technology for social and economic development: 42

The applications came from 18 countries namely Malawi, Gambia, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Benin, Uganda, South Africa, Mauritius, Cameroon, Senegal, Zambia, Ghana, South Africa, and Tanzania. The award winners are below:
 
FIRE AFRICA AWARDS

Award amount: $7,000
Country: South Africa
Project Title: Tobetsa and WiFi TV Extension Project
Website: http://www.projectisizwe.org/
Description: Tobetsa is Tshwane Free WiFi’s unlimited access content portal which provides users with content and resources to develop and grow the knowledge and skills of the low-income, underserved communities who benefit from the Free WiFi. Tobetsa features WiFi TV content:hyper-local, mobile video content produced by young, aspiring videographers from the local communities. As Tobetsa grows into its next phase of development, this project will enable the opportunity to further extend the impact and reach of WiFi TV, including a more integrated and collaborative approach to ensuring the content on Tobetsa and WiFi TV is more closely aligned across the platform as a whole, enabling a consolidated strategy towards ensuring the platform’s continued development towards sustainability.
 
Award amount:$7,000
Country: Ghana
Project Title: DocmeUP, Prenatal care for communities and remote ultrasound imaging
Website: http://www.alessandrocrimi.com/docmeup/
Description: DocmeUP promote antenatal care. A health worker can monitor her own community, and remind continuously the people of her community to go to the closest clinic. Moreover, she can also detect dangerous signs on her patients and report them immediately to the clinic or ambulance. An easy way to support community health workers is to equip them with mobile app which contains medical advice and it is connected to main server for tracking status. Even with continuous reminders from the health workers, some pregnant women still find it difficult to attend gynaecological visits, therefore the system can remotely check ultrasound scans.
 
Award amount: $7,000
Country: Kenya
Project Title: Kids Comp Camp,
Website: http://kidscompcamp.com/
Description: The overall goal of Kids Comp Camp is to equip young learners in marginalized communities with digital literacy skills. The specific objectives are; to expose young learners, who have no prior experience with digital devices, to their ‘First Digital Experience’ through interacting with different digital devices; to enable the learners operate these devices for productive learning and leisure; and to broaden learners’ horizons and scope as they use the acquired digital literacy skills in accessing more information and knowledge on the internet.
 
GOOGLE AFRICA AWARD

Award amount: $7,000
Country: The Gambia
Project Title: All Girls Tech Camp
Website: http://www.give1projectgambia.org/
Description: All Girls Tech Camp build awareness of the various career options in STEM field for girls. The aim is to Improve digital literacy among girls; Create a platform that will build and nurture self-esteem and confidence in girls; Compete and succeed in the world of computers and information technology; Create positive and productive networking opportunities for participants; Encourage and empower the next generation of coders, designers and programmers for sustainable development; Empower and encourage more female into the field of technology to break the stereotypes most of the girls are facing; Cultivate and nurture the spirit of leadership and entrepreneurship; and Provide mentorship opportunities for participants to help in career guidance.

AFRINIC Communication