Connecting Communities Part 2

Connecting Communities

Connect 2 Connect Conference, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Joseph WalusimbiGeneral Manager, SINFA Uganda

Tuesday, 30 September 2014

Page 2

Internet Now!

Project Background

• Oxfam funded project to improve livelihoods in Northern

Uganda via Internet driven services

• Establish a sustainable social enterprise as a micro telco

(SINFA), comprising local ‘service & employment’ centres

all connected to the Internet

• SINFA interconnects these service & employment centres via

a license free wireless infrastructure

• The Internet Now! project will help generate income and

employment in rural communities.

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Internet Now! Project Goals

• Establish a sustainable social enterprise (SINFA);

• Deploy Fifty (50) “Service & Employment” centres in rural communities in

Northern Uganda

• Connect these centres via license free wireless infrastructure

• Provide Internet cafe services at affordable prices, i.e. at least equal or

below the price level of 0.3 dollars per hour (800 Uganda shillings, 514

Tanzanian shillings, 27 Kenya shillings)

• 450 people have directly generated an income via impact sourcing (a

specialised form of business process outsourcing also known as

microwork);

• 5,000 people have received free basic ICT training;

• Actors in the various value chains in the agricultural sector have enhanced

their revenues via an online web and mobile connected platform (OctionX)

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Internet Now! Project Goals

• Share lessons learnt, successes and failures at international Conferences;

• Develop a market tested Plan of Action for spinning off the Microtelco

social enterprise concept in other rural areas of Africa;

• Develop a Business Plan for business growth in terms of service portfolio

(i.e. the number of additional income generating services) and geographical

spread (i.e. the number of additional centres).

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PROJECT PARTNERS

• An International NGO that works to find

practical, innovative ways for people to lift

themselves out of poverty and thrive.

• A Kenyan based NGO whose mission is to

improve the livelihoods of arid lands

communities in East Africa through delivery

of practical information using modern

technologies

• A non profit social enterprise with a mission

to connect and empower rural and

underserved communities in the developing

world with information and communication

technologies

• a non-profit social business that provides

life changing work opportunities via the

Internet

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Northern Uganda at a Glance

Challenges

•Disconnected villages (Rural

Communities)

•Severe lack of infrastructure

•Huge youthful population

•Agriculture-based economy

•High levels of unemployment

Our Population

Coverage

Adjumani 202,000

Agago 184,000

Amuru 135,000

Gulu 298,000

Lamwo 115,000

Kitgum 167,000

Moyo 194,000

Pader 142,000

Nwoya 41,000

TOTAL 1,478,000

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How do we do it?

Building Infrastructure

Specially designed, solar powered, flat pack, fully furnished containers

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How do we do it?

Building InfrastructureAll centers connected via license free wireless infrastructure (5.8Ghz ISM band)

Achievements to Date

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SINFA: THE SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL

ENTERPRISE• SINFA was incorporated in Uganda in May 2013

• SINFA now has 40 permanent staff

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BPO SUPER CENTER

• A Super Centre hosted

by Gulu University

•50 workplaces fully

dedicated to Impact

sourcing (Microwork) - a

specialised form of

business process

outsourcing that provides

rural indigents with a daily

income of 5 to 10 dollars a

day

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20 CENTERS ESTABLISHED IN 2013

30 more centers to be established in 2014-2015

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CREATING EMPLOYMENT

• Impact Sourcing is a type of business process outsourcing

(BPO) that creates jobs for individuals with limited opportunity

in rural or economically depressed communities.

• Work is sourced (digital jobs) from companies in the USA

• SINFA employs local community members (18-30 years old)

as microworkers to do the work

• To date about 300 individuals have benefited from microwork

with 75 currently employed at the Super Center and 25 at

centers around the region

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OCTIONX

• The Agricultural Commodity Resource Platform developed for

• Online platform for agricultural trading

• Enables sale/purchase of agricultural goods and supplies

• Links farmer to suppliers of farming implements, extension workers,

financial services, storage facilities etc

• Enables interaction and knowledge exchange with local and

international stakeholders

• Some services are free, some are subscription based

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Village Level Services via Centers

• Mobile Money

• Free Basic ICT Training

• Internet Cafe

• Secretarial Services

CHALLENGES

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Common to Most Africa rural

communities

• Northern Uganda has very sparse and unreliable electricity

supply

• Millitary, political and social conflicts have caused population

displacement, instability and extreme poverty

• Very high unemployed youthful (18-35) population

• Unaffordable & unreliable internet services (2G & 3G)

provided by mobile network operators.

The “Secret Sauce”

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A SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL

ENTERPRISE

• Driven by a well thought out Business Plan

• Identifying revenue opportunities

• Microwork

• Broadband Resale (Wireless ISP Services) – most rural

communities have no dedicated Internet Service Providers

• Internet & Secretarial Services to Local Government,

organisations and institutions,

• Mobile money distribution points

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Current Goals (by March 2016)

• 50 functioning centres: special containers, solar powered, fully furnished,

equipped with 10 computers and connected via high speed wireless

internet.

• At least 600 youth employed in microwork.

• 5.000 people in remote villages have received free basic IT training and are

computer literate.

• 7,200 farmers are making use of the commodity resource platform.

• 1,000 internet users a week (combination of visitors to village based centres

and monthly internet service subscribers)

• A complete funding proposal for establishment of a microtelco based on the

same model at least one other African country.

• A open access model (in the form of a white paper) for

delivery/implementation of the microtelco concept in rural areas in Africa

THANK YOU!