TechSoup Global Team

TechSoup Global Network now in France and Botswana!

Mike Yeaton — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:57:22 -0400

We are pleased to announce the expansion of the TechSoup Global Network into two new countries!

This week we launched the France program with our NGO partner, Les Ateliers du Bocage. AdB is recognized as a leader in the computer recycling and reuse arena in France and is a part of a well-known NGO network, Emmaüs, which has a long and respected history in the French social sector. This launch would not have been possible without the strong support of our Belgium partner, SOCIALware. You can view the new program here.

In conjunction with our South African partner, SANGONeT, we have also expanded the donations program to Botswana. SANGONeT has collaborated with Botswana-based NGO, BOCONGO, to promote the program to local NGOs, while SANGONeT will manage the operations from their offices in Johannesburg. This program complements other ICT focused campaigns SANGONeT is leading in South Africa and neighboring countries to help build NGO capacity. For more information, click here.

This extends the benefits of our program to NGOs in 15 countries. We’re currently working towards launches in New Zealand, Germany, Taiwan, Mexico, Russia and Egypt. Stay tuned for future announcements!

The TechSoup Global team

TechSoup Global Team

Trip Report from Africa

Mike Yeaton — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:19:06 -0500

A view of Johannesburg:

Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2007

The first part of my trip took me to Nairobi, Kenya for a Microsoft sponsored NGO roundtable. After receiving my visa at the airport, I was immediately given a visual reminder that large parts of Africa still run on paper.

The roundtable was extremely interesting, with 25-30 NGOs participating. This was the fourth in a series of these meetings (previous ones were in Ghana, Senegal and South Africa) as part of a Microsoft initiative called “Competitive Africa.” Heba Ramzy and Ntutule Tshenye from Microsoft managed the day extremely well. The discussions were informative, and the feedback from NGOs was consistent with the other sessions: namely that NGOs need complete solutions including hardware, software, service and support.

I also had a chance to meet with the leaders of some very impressive NGOs, some of whom may be candidates for a TechSoup partnership. Among them was Tom Musili, Executive Director of Computers for Schools Kenya.

CSFK is a Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher which has delivered over 12,000 computers to schools in Kenya. They get most of their computers from Europe, and provide a complete solution including training, pre-installed software, warranty support and even end-of-life handling. They have a staff of 70 (30% volunteers) and regional centers throughout Kenya. Tom estimates they have the capacity to deliver 10,000 computers per year, but are limited by the supply of hardware.

Hearing from the NGOs and seeing an operation like CSFK made me think about how our software donation program could have a bigger impact. For example, could we work with donors and MAR organizations to pre-install donated software on refurbished machines for NGOs? Clearly there are lessons to be learned from organizations like this one.

On Friday, I flew from Nairobi to Johannesburg, and the pilot made a breathtaking detour over the top of Mount Kilimanjaro (which was especially gratifying since my wife and I just failed to make the summit in December)

I spent the weekend in White River (near Kruger Park) with some members of my wife’s family who have been serving as missionaries there for 14 years. We visited some of the programs they support, including an orphanage and a day care program. Probably the most striking experience for me was meeting a boy who was head of his household at age 6.

Another interesting thing was seeing the degree to which religious organizations are delivering social services. For example, this computer lab was being constructed in a Bible college:

The principal of the school was quite interested in our programs, and happy to offer classes and access to the broader community. However, security considerations prevent them from moving the equipment to a separate building. This was a great example of the challenges and opportunities in our eligibility standards.

On Monday, I returned to Johannesburg to start my week with SANGONeT. The best news was that Matthew was out of the hospital and on the mend. Here he is with Botswang, who capably ran the program in his absence. Matthew and David were wonderful hosts throughout the week.

One of the things I wanted to understand was the reasons for the relatively low donation volumes in South Africa to date. Initially, research indicated there were up to 100,000 NGOs in South Africa. However, Matthew and team have been testing the known registries and now believe the number is closer to 10,000. Perhaps the biggest cause of this discrepancy has been the transition of services and leaders from the NGO sector to government. This clearly showed me that there are long term, structural differences among countries that should be taken into account in our model.

We had great meetings internally and with Microsoft to discuss expanding our program into Southern Africa, beginning with Botswana. We were able to draft a plan which could have us launch as early as January, while also developing a template for future expansion. We also discussed some potential options to deliver more complete solutions, for example by partnering with a local MAR.

On my last weekend, I visited Soweto and the Apartheid Museum. While South Africa certainly faces huge challenges, it is also helpful to remember how little time has elapsed since the end of Apartheid. In Soweto we saw new building projects everywhere, and even a new, luxurious Holiday Inn:

As always when I meet our partners and those they serve, I came away impressed and humbled. I also saw many opportunities to expand the reach and impact of our offerings, and look forward to exploring those in the months ahead.

Mike Yeaton
November 15, 2007

TechSoup Approved Users

Partner Summit 2007 - Details

Dara Westling — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:50:54 -0400

TechSoup Global Partner Summit 2007

October 1-5, 2007 in San Francisco
THANK YOU PARTNERS!
The TechSoup team really enjoyed our time with you and are grateful for your active participation. Evaluation summaries will be posted soon. See Notes and Presentations section below for copies of information presented at the conference.
To view Summit photos or add your own, go to: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=techsoup+partner+summit
http://picasaweb.google.com/maysfield/Miwuk3WithTSG9293007
http://picasaweb.google.com/antony.chiang/TSGSummit/photo#s5117251792495...
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The following information is provided to Partner's in anticipation of our time together in San Francisco. You will find in the links below, the following details:

Hotel and Meeting Location information

Details about pre-work and items you should bring to the Summit

A list of questions that have been submitted in advance for Donor Partners- please add your questions

The most current agenda, and

Any other details relevant to the upcoming trip

If you have any questions about the Partner Summit, please contact Dara or Djeneba. We look forward to seeing all of you!

IMPORTANT:

Please note that the week of October 1st is Fleet Week in San Francisco; an annual tradition that some San Franciscans love and others hate. This means that many naval planes will be overhead throughout the week practicing tricks in anticipation of a large air show the following weekend. Please don't be alarmed if you see them racing overhead.

TechSoup Approved Users