By Njideka Ugwuegbu Harry
Community Technology Review

The Owerri Digital Village is a paradigm community technology and learning center, the first of its kind in West Africa, serving rural people between ages 8 and 25. Many of these young people come from low-income farming communities, are unemployed, and in some cases have low educational achievement. The Owerri Digital Village is an extended learning model bridging the technology, gender, education and community divides. YTF programs are focused on youth as they are quick learners, community catalysts, and have the longest productivity horizon; YTF has designed technology programs to improve the economic, educational and social status of program participants.

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By David R. Baker
San Francisco Chronicle

Picture landing in a remote stretch of Sumatra ravaged by last month’s tsunami, your ship or plane loaded with medicine or food for survivors.

You’re ready to help, but you’re not sure where all the hospitals and health clinics are. You don’t know which roads are passable and which have been washed out. You can’t find all the refugee camps scattered along the coast. And the camps, clinics and blocked roads don’t show up on any standard map.

A project hatched at Stanford University may be able to help.

Called Global MapAid, the effort builds maps of disaster zones or other areas where international aid agencies work. With a combination of handheld computers, satellite phones and innovative software, the organization can quickly draft and update maps that show the washed-out roads and altered coastline, the location of aid centers, even areas with contaminated water.

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