ArabDev is a
Giza
Giza (; sometimes spelled ''Gizah'' arz, الجيزة ' ) is the second-largest city in Egypt after Cairo and fourth-largest city in Africa after Kinshasa, Lagos and Cairo. It is the capital of Giza Governorate with a total population of 9.2 ...
(
Egypt)-based non-profit organization that uses
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to "''promote existing development projects and for innovative developmental initiatives''". ArabDev provides women and youth with an educational venue for livelihood opportunities, through improved access to information and its use in skill development as well as small and micro enterprises.
Formation
It was formed by its
non-governmental organizations
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
(NGOs) both in
Egypt and in the wider
Arab region. ArabDev seeks to support
ICT
ICT may refer to:
Sciences and technology
* Information and communications technology
* Image Constraint Token, in video processing
* Immunochromatographic test, a rapid immunoassay used to detect diseases such as anthrax
* In-circuit test, in ...
capacity-building among disadvantaged communities and grassroots organizations to get access to better work and life opportunities.
Focus
Its focus includes, using ICTs for:
*
Poverty reduction.
* Skill development.
* Dissemination of developmental information.
* Creation of linkages between NGOs.
* Supporting developmental advocacy.
Current initiatives
ArabDev, which is a member of the
Association for Progressive Communications, has reported recent initiatives to spread
free software among youth in the disadvantaged south of Egypt. The group reported working with two middle schools in the Al Menia governorate, and also with the Faculty of Computer Engineering of the Menia University.
For this project, the goal is to establish a "core group" of
FLOSS
Free and open-source software (FOSS) is a term used to refer to groups of software consisting of both free software and open-source software where anyone is freely licensed to use, copy, study, and change the software in any way, and the source ...
users in the
Minya Governorate, which could act as a south Egyptian "diffusion point".
So far, it has created computer labs or
telecentres in some schools, which also offer their services to the community. In the
Association for Progressive Communications report for 2005-06, it was stated that ArabDev reached an agreement with the Egyptian education department to collect fees, so as to make this venture sustainable.
External links
ArabDev
* ttp://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=18647 Computers and domestic violence in Egyptbr>Children hungry for computer training held back by lack of PCs in Upper EgyptPlaying games with computer education: ArabDev’s Menia initiatives
Non-profit organisations based in Egypt
Information technology organizations based in Africa