June 1st, 2012

Within the framework of a partnership with the association Ny Hary Deutschland, the coordinator of the TSF telecom centre conducts weekly computer training for the benefit of the most unprivileged children of the region.

Ny Hary association offers approximately 80 students who originate from remote rural areas and attend schools in Miarinarivo, nutritious meals, clean drinking water, hygienic living conditions, medical care and pedagogical support.

The educational centre is one of Ny Hary’s most important tools in advocating youth education. The presence of students from surrounding areas allows for development aid with broad impact. The association furnishes students with the tools needed to improve their own lives, creating ambassadors for progress when returning to their home villages. Access to new technologies is an integral part of this educational and development program.

More info about Ny Hary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

On February 29th 2012, Télécoms Sans Frontières, IT Cup and the partners of the project inaugurated the telecom community centre of Miarinarivo, Madagascar. It is the sixth telecom community centre in the world to be opened by TSF.

Several representatives of local authorities attended the event, including the Malagasy Telecommunications Minister, the vice First Minister of Decentralization and Territorial Management, the Director General of the Malagasy Bureau for Studies and Regulations of the Telecommunications (OMERT), the head of the Itasy Region and the Mayor of Miarinarivo.

 

The delegation officially inaugurated each of the points connected to the Internet thanks to the satellite antenna Vsat set up by TSF (the IT CUP centre in the town hall of Miarinarivo, the PROSPERER access point, the CCI access point, and the access point in the Itasy Region offices) in the presence of the managers of these different places.

IT Cup brings together new technologies, football and charity, and the inauguration of the IT Cup centre was the opportunity for a big football tournament opened to the national federation license holders of the Itasy Region. The day of 29th February crowns three weeks of football matches with teams of 7 and 11 players, where the final match was played out in front of more than 130 guests and several of the local inhabitants. The inauguration day ended with a medal and trophy ceremony to award the finalists.

 

The right to information is a universal right. By opening this new IT Cup telecom centre, Télécoms Sans Frontières commits itself to provide access to information and new technologies for the most vulnerable communities in the world.

 

TELECOM SITUATION IN MADAGASCAR

The local telecom operators currently offer 3G-based services, however this solution particularly responds to mobility matters, and it needs to be improved in terms of performance and costs for the most disadvantaged populations.

 

A joint consultation with the Itasy region allowed a sustainable solution to be found to meet the main needs of the regional actors and the population. A partnership agreement has been signed between IT Cup, the TELMA Foundation, the Itasy Region and TSF, who recognize their mutual interest in promoting the use of ICTs to support the Malagasy population development and expand local capacities.

 

TELECOM COMMUNITY CENTRE IN MIARINARIVO

Thanks to the funds collected during the 2010 IT Cup edition, TSF commits itself to carry out the installation (6 computers, IT equipment and furniture) and management of the Miarinarivo centre and create a local employee position for the general management of the centre, the programme and the training of beneficiaries.

In addition to the local population, different regional stakeholders will benefit from the broadband Internet connection. Given the geographical configuration of Miarinarivo and in order to get the best response for the whole community, TSF went to Madagascar from December 1st to 20th 2011 and set up the VSAT satellite equipment of Eutelsat inside the «Itasy Region» building. It connects 17 computers in 3 differents access points: the telecom centre/the City Hall, Prosperer Program and the Chamber of Commerce.

 

BENEFICIARIES

Internet connection sharing helps to:
- meet the needs of the population: pupils, students, private individuals,…
- meet the needs of the beneficiaries from multiple sectors: health, education, agriculture…
- meet the needs of local and national organizations

 

 

The projects/programmes of these beneficiary organisations require constant Internet access so as to improve the exchanges between their headquarters and those in the field. Their involvement later in the project will highly contribute to guarantee the sustainability of the centre and its funding over time.

 

 

TELMA Foundation

Within the framework of its policy to reduce digital isolation in Madagascar, the mission of the TELMA Foundation is to narrow the digital divide between the different regions by facilitating the access of the Malagasy population to ICT tools and enabling the development of projects linked to education, health and sustainable development.

 

IT Cup

The IT Cup is a large sport event organized each year in Clairefontaine and reserved to IT and Telecommunication companies. The originality of this event lies in its purpose, because the sums paid by the participant teams are redistributed to charities. The other particularity of the IT Cup: these associations use new technologies as a mean of sustainable development in disadvantaged areas.