Ungana-Afrika
Encyclopedia
Ungana-Afrika, Swahili
for "connect africa", is a non-governmental organization
based in Pretoria, South Africa that provides a wide range of ICT services for civil society
within and outside of Africa. It aims to better empower civil society organisations, networks and related stakeholders, in terms of ICT capacity and resources, so they may more efficiently achieve their unique social missions.
Ungana-Afrika's efforts address critical digital divide
issues within African civil society (such as the lack of technology capacity and universal access), through the implementation of new support programmes and tools, capacity-building and general research. Though some services are targeted directly to civil society organisations (across sectors), many of Ungana-Afrika's efforts go towards empowering the technology service providers and general Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) networks that jointly serve these organisations.
Ungana-Afrika's work has garnered it several awards for community leadership.
s, Hivos
and the Finnish government.
Notable clients include the Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
, CompuMentor
, Sangonet
, Women'sNet
and EngenderHealth
.
Ungana-Afrika also draws upon a number of partnerships within the ICT4D community. For example, Ungana-Afrika is an official member of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
.
(a French acronym, for an association of students interested in economics), and OSISA
(the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa)." He continued to say "There were then some seven AIESEC members around the world, and they all came together in Johannesburg in 2003, with the objective of improving the technology capacity in NGOs in Southern Africa. There's still three of us of the initial seven who are still there — Ryan Jacobs from the US, Toni Eliasz of Finland
and myself."
During its initial year as an AIESEC and OSISA project, Ungana-Afrika continued to evaluate and implement support models for Southern Africa's development community, including a relatively new mobile consulting and support method called eRiding. In 2004, acknowledging the need for a sustainable nonprofit technology support hub in Southern Africa, Ungana-Afrika formally registered as a non-profit organisation and moved to an office in Pretoria, South Africa.
In recent years, Ungana-Afrika has increased its focus on capacity building and toolkit development for ICT support providers and the ICT support community. However, it still continues to deliver support and training directly to nonprofit and community service organizations in Southern Africa.
To date, Ungana-Afrika has received a number of national and international awards including an APC member award for "best initiative promoting the strategic use of ICTs for social change" and a Dirk Award for "extraordinary contributions to the nonprofit and international NGO technology communities".
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
for "connect africa", is a non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
based in Pretoria, South Africa that provides a wide range of ICT services for civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
within and outside of Africa. It aims to better empower civil society organisations, networks and related stakeholders, in terms of ICT capacity and resources, so they may more efficiently achieve their unique social missions.
Ungana-Afrika's efforts address critical digital divide
Digital divide
The Digital Divide refers to inequalities between individuals, households, business, and geographic areas at different socioeconomic levels in access to information and communication technologies and Internet connectivity and in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the information...
issues within African civil society (such as the lack of technology capacity and universal access), through the implementation of new support programmes and tools, capacity-building and general research. Though some services are targeted directly to civil society organisations (across sectors), many of Ungana-Afrika's efforts go towards empowering the technology service providers and general Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) networks that jointly serve these organisations.
Ungana-Afrika's work has garnered it several awards for community leadership.
Services and Programs
Ungana-Afrika's work centers around 3 main service areas, each targeted toward a focused group of beneficiaries. All efforts, either directly or indirectly, aim to "empower development organisations to better integrate ICTs as a strategic, mission focused, tool".. These service areas are titled as follows:- Centre of Excellence. This term refers to the central source of tools and resources that encourage excellency in technology support efforts. Ungana-Afrika provides program incubation, capacity building and resource development for technology service providers and networks that serve civil society. These beneficiaries may be nonprofit support providers, for-profit small to medium enterprises (SMEs)Small and medium enterpriseSmall and medium enterprises or small and medium-sized enterprises are companies whose headcount or turnover falls below certain limits.The abbreviation "SME" occurs commonly...
or related. Service outputs include the creation of public toolkits, resources, trainings and shared support models. - Technology Consulting Partner. Ungana-Afrika delivers technology consultancy and research to the broad ICT4D community. These beneficiaries and partners may include Free and open-source software (FOSS) initiatives, nonprofit and for-profit groups exploring new technologies for developmental applications (such as mobile communications and wireless technologies) and other initiatives addressing barriers of the digital divide. Service outputs include concept research, testing, roll-out support and knowledge dissemination via presentations and trainings.
- Regional Support Hub. In addition to supporting the technology support community that serves civil society, Ungana-Afrika provides its own support services directly to non-profit and community service organizations in Southern Africa. These efforts often make use of mobile support models that are designed specifically for civil society beneficiaries, such as eRiding.
Supporters, Clients and Affiliations
Ungana-Afrika's activities are funded through a combination of grants, project-specific funding and project revenue. Core supporters include the Open Society InstituteOpen Society Institute
The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...
s, Hivos
Hivos
Hivos is a Dutch organization for development co-inspired by humanist values. Hivos provides financial and political support to over 800 partner organizations in over 30 countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Southeastern Europe...
and the Finnish government.
Notable clients include the Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
Association for Progressive Communications
The Association for Progressive Communications is an international network of organizations that was founded in 1990 to provide communication infrastructure, including Internet-based applications, to groups and individuals who work for peace, human rights, protection of the environment, and...
, CompuMentor
CompuMentor
TechSoup Global, founded in 1987 as The CompuMentor Project, is a 501 nonprofit that provides technology assistance to other nonprofit organizations in the United States and in 35 countries. Based in San Francisco, TechSoup Global offers a wide range of programs and services that help nonprofits...
, Sangonet
Sangonet
SANGONeT is a South African organisation, whose acronym stands for The Southern African NGO Network.It is a civil society organisation with a focus on ICT, which was founded in 1987, and has a history closely linked to the social and political changes experienced by South Africa during its...
, Women'sNet
Women'sNet
Women'sNet is a networking support programme designed to enable South African women to use the internet to find the people, issues, resources and tools needed for women's social action.-Issues:...
and EngenderHealth
EngenderHealth
EngenderHealth is a 501 nonprofit organization based in New York, internationally active in contraception, HIV and AIDS, gender equity, obstetric fistula, sterilization, and other sexual and reproductive health issues in dozens of developing countries around the world.- Mission statement :From its...
.
Ungana-Afrika also draws upon a number of partnerships within the ICT4D community. For example, Ungana-Afrika is an official member of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
Association for Progressive Communications
The Association for Progressive Communications is an international network of organizations that was founded in 1990 to provide communication infrastructure, including Internet-based applications, to groups and individuals who work for peace, human rights, protection of the environment, and...
.
Origins and History
Ungana-Afrika has been active in Southern Africa since 2003. In an interview, co-founder Rudi von Staden (29) said the organisation "was formed as a partnership with the student organization then called AIESECAIESEC
AIESEC is a global youth organisation that develops leadership capabilities through their internal leadership programmes and engaging students and graduates in international student exchange and internship programmes for profit and non-profit organisations. Its international office is in...
(a French acronym, for an association of students interested in economics), and OSISA
Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa
Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa is a Southern African organization which "collaborates with other organizations on issues surrounding the rule of law, democracy building, human rights, economic development, education, the media, and access to technology and information...
(the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa)." He continued to say "There were then some seven AIESEC members around the world, and they all came together in Johannesburg in 2003, with the objective of improving the technology capacity in NGOs in Southern Africa. There's still three of us of the initial seven who are still there — Ryan Jacobs from the US, Toni Eliasz of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and myself."
During its initial year as an AIESEC and OSISA project, Ungana-Afrika continued to evaluate and implement support models for Southern Africa's development community, including a relatively new mobile consulting and support method called eRiding. In 2004, acknowledging the need for a sustainable nonprofit technology support hub in Southern Africa, Ungana-Afrika formally registered as a non-profit organisation and moved to an office in Pretoria, South Africa.
In recent years, Ungana-Afrika has increased its focus on capacity building and toolkit development for ICT support providers and the ICT support community. However, it still continues to deliver support and training directly to nonprofit and community service organizations in Southern Africa.
To date, Ungana-Afrika has received a number of national and international awards including an APC member award for "best initiative promoting the strategic use of ICTs for social change" and a Dirk Award for "extraordinary contributions to the nonprofit and international NGO technology communities".