GlobalGiving.org: Linking people after the earthquake in Chile

Our impact - final report

Javier Figueroa — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:20:59 GMT

Chillan course

On the 2nd of March the Mobile Telecentre had its final activity, with the graduation the participants from the computer courses which took place within partner NGOs in the earthquake and tsunami affected areas. This graduation was very special for it took place within a School for Children with special needs, with the participation of a representative of Global Giving as well as from the Canadian Embassy in Chile.

The impact of the project can be summarized in:

Over 1.000 beneficiaries during the first three weeks after the earthquake and tsunami, giving access to communication and basic IT services to affected communities, military and NGOs giving aid to these communities such as Red Cross and Hogar de Cristo.

5 NGOs and over 300 course participants benefited from the second stage of the mobile telecentre. The 300 participants gained computer skills to improve their employ-ability as well as for their use in their current jobs and micro companies. Each NGO also received a computer for their office at the end of the project.

We want to thank each one that contributed with a donation to make this second stage of the mobile telecentre possible as well as Global Giving for making this platform available and for visiting us in March.

All our best from Chile.

CDI Chile

Cabrero course

The victims of the earthquake still need help

Ludmila Berdu Elias — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:38:26 GMT

Mobile Telecentre

The mobile telecentre, in its second phase, has improved employment opportunities for people who were victims of natural disasters that affected Chile in February of this year. This emergency relief project was launched by CDI Chile a week after the earthquake with the support of the Canadian Embassy. It’s continuity throughout all 2010, has been possible thanks to the partnership with local NGOs and the financial support obtained from Global Giving and the people that donated through the Global Giving platform as well as from our partners TechSoup Global, UNESCO and other organizations that have given their support.

During the months of June and July CDI Chile reached out to various social and community organizations in the affected regions to offer them a partnership where they could provide for one month, connectivity, internet services and digital literacy training from their offices to their community. In the month of August five organizations were chosen and participated in a two day training session to be able to operate the mobile telecentre. Each organization proposed a Telecentre operator that has received continuous on-line training from the Academia de Telecentros de Chile (www.academiachile.cl) with their e-learning platform.

To date, the Mobile Telecentre has operated in the following organizations and locations:

Dichato: Escuela Pública de la I. Municipalidad de Tomé with 8 people trained.

Hualpén: Hogar de Adultos Mayores San José Obrero with 39 people trained.

Cabrero: Fundación Terranova with 41 people trained.

Curicó : Corporación NAIM with 35 people trained (Est.)

From January 3 until January 31st 2011, the Mobile Telecentre will visit Chillán, the last location of this second stage of the project thanks to the organization COANIL.

Also, positive results were obtained by the beneficiaries of the Telecentre, especially those who have been trained, with respect to improving their computer skills. This can be sensed by their feedcack, as the following by Carol Crisosto Cádiz.:

“I write to tell you that I have taken the course for Computer Users, and you have created great personal satisfaction which I've also noticed in my classmates. I learned to use Excel and Word that that are basic tools and that greatly help in different areas where we can unfold. I do suggest a deeper treatment on the details of the software. Also I learned about the origins of the internet, for what and how to used it, as well as e-mail and search engines in general and how the world is moving through the internet.

I tell you that I am surprised by your gratituity, something that is not seen every day, now a days that everything must be paid for and many time one doesn’t take courses because of their high costs, making one fall behind.

One other thing is that our teacher Crisóstomo has taught us with quality and warmth.

I appreciate the initiative, I hope that these courses are given more often and that we are notified via email when they will take place. Don’t you think that it is time to do so?

Sincerely.”

Mobile Telecentre

The next stage

Ludmila Elias — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:54:32 GMT

The second stage of the Mobile Telecenter will allow multiple social organizations take charge of the computers and the IT training offered to their clients and community. This CDI´s project is possible because we have been geeting contributions from Global Giving, UNESCO and TechSoup Global. Your contributions through Global Giving are allowing local non-profit organizations to: -Develop a strategy that involves NGOs and the community in the process of reconstruction in the affected areas by the earthquake, through digital inclusion. -Participate in a high-impact service, understanding the access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a process of digital and social inclusion. These objectives will be accomplished by CDI Chile and the selected organizations through the loan of 11 laptops, the training of 1 telecenter operator per location and the monitoring of the process made by each organization during the month of work in its community.Likewise, CDI Chile will contribute with the NGOs by donating them: -A stationary computer to each NGO at the end of its period with the Mobile Telecenter (after a month of operations) in order to improve its technological tools. - All the operational costs for the month, including the salary of the Telecenter operator. -A full scholarship for the Telecenter Operator training, through an e-learning platform provided by the Telecenter Academy in Chile, a program coordinated by ATACH where CDI Chile is the current president. The organizations selected are: Municipalidad de Tomé, CONAPRAN, Fundación Terranova, Fundación Coanil "Los Naranjos" Chillán and Corporación NAIM from Curicó Dichato will be the first town where the Telecenter Mobile will arrive in this second stage and it will operate from inside the local school. A launching event with the operators from the different organizations will be taking place during the end of August in the city of Concepción and by the 1st of September, the mobile telecenter will open it’s doors in the devastated town of Dichato. .

Links:

One step further

Luisa Gockel — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:57:05 GMT

Telecentre in Lota

After analysing how to take the Telecenter Mobile back to the devastated communities with the funding already received through Global Giving we have reached a very interesting solution, reducing to US$1.250 per month the operational cost of the project. By the end of this week we will be reaching out to local NGOs for them to apply to receive for one month the Telecenter Mobile at their headquarters. We will provide them with the equipment, training and funding for them to run the Telecenter during one month, then it will move on to the next NGO and town in the South of Chile. At least 6 new places will be visited with the Telecenter Mobile with a new focus: Giving people, small companies and organizations access and trainings in order for them to use the ICT in their reconstruction process. Each NGO that receives the Mobile Telecenter will be rewarded in January 2011 with one of notebooks used in the Mobile Telecenter. During this activity in which the notebooks will be given to the NGOs CDI Chile will make a presentation of the results and the impact of the mobile telecenter project. Thanks to the support from TechSoup Global and several of the Partners, UNESCO and the Global Giving platform we have the funding for 4 of the 6 months. With your support we will for sure raise the US$ 2.500 during to reach the last two locations. In one month we will make a new update with the locations and NGOs selected.

Helping people to reconect and rebuild their lives

CDI's Mobile Telecentre in operation

Luisa Gockel — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:35:05 GMT

CDI's Mobile Telecentre in Lota

Thanks to the initial funding for this project from the Canadian Embassy, during the first day of operation of CDI’s Mobile Telecentre, more than 40 adults and children have been reconnected with their families, friends and social networks. Fundación CEPAS, from Lota, has received, in a safe place of their damaged building, our Telecentre and has been part of the reintegration of the Lota community. For at least another day the Telecentre will stay in Lota to later move on to the next town and NGO.

Chileans at CDI's Mobile Telecentre in Lota

CDI on it’s way to Lota!

Javier Figueroa — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:27:58 GMT

1) CDI is on it’s way to the city of Lota, one of the poorest areas in the South of Chile previous to the earthquake and one that has suffered severely the effects of the earthquake. 2) During this week starting on 8th March, CDI will be giving access and connectivity to the community with the Mobile Telecentre funded by the Canadian Embassy in Chile. People will have an opportunity to reach out to their dear one’s as well as to the government, national and international community with their needs. Today many people want to help and would like to have information regarding the needs coming directly from the NGOs and people affected by the earthquake and tsunami. 3) Skype has confirmed their contribution to the project, consisting of 12 accounts with one month of free call to any phone in the world. Each one of these accounts will be set up in the 12 computers of the mobile telecentre. 4) Many other organizations and companies are being contacted in order for them to make their contribution.