GenARDIS small grants fund

Gender and Agriculture in the Information Society - GenARDIS
(A French version of this announcement will be circulated shortly)

Winners announced for second round of GenARDIS Small Grants Fund ­ more
than 310 nominations received

The GenARDIS small grants fund was initiated in 2002 by CTA, IICD and IDRC,
to support work on gender-related issues in ICTs for ACP agricultural and
rural development. In 2004, Hivos joined the team of sponsoring
organisations in time for the second round of the programme. The fund
supporters are pleased to announce that the selection of Round 2 GenARDIS
grant winners has been completed. As in Round 1, the response was
overwhelming, with more than 310 submissions received in a period of 2
months. This provides a clear indication that there still is a real need
for support in the field of Gender and Agriculture in the Information Society.

The programme was developed in recognition of the constraints and
challenges encountered by rural women in ACP countries with respect to
ICTs. The challenges include cultural factors that hinder women’s access to
ICTs, limited time availability to participate in training and use of ICTs,
minimal access to technology such as radios, mobile telephones or
computers, and inadequate availability of information in local languages
that is relevant to local contexts.

Submissions consisted of research programmes, training courses,
publications, broadcasts, theatre productions, promotion materials, etc. ­
whatever need could be addressed by the means available to the many
creative applicants for the grant. All projects focused on innovative use
of ICTs by or for rural women to improve the well-being of their families
and communities.

The expert panel who judged the submissions consisted of Helen Hambly-Odame
(University of Guelph, Canada), Ramata Molo Thioune (IDRC), Judith
Veldhuizen (IICD), Marjan Besuijen (Hivos) and Gesa Wesseler (CTA).
Administrative support was provided by Dorothy Okello and Milton
Aineruhanga (WOUGNET), on behalf of APC.

We congratulate the winners and honourable mentions, and extend special
thanks and appreciation to all those people and organisations who put time
and effort into preparing applications for the GenARDIS fund.

WINNERS of € 5000 one-time grants:

1. Mabela Khabele, Lesotho. Widening the Wellhead - creating and using
a dedicated cellular phone network to add information, value and dignity to
the work of women in Lesotho's agricultural sector

2. Gabriela Demergasso and Bettina Koelle, South Africa. Developing
rural expertise in spatial dynamics - participatory GIS in the rooibos tea
lands of the Suid Bokkeveld (Northern Cape Province, South Africa)

3. David Dolly, Trinidad & Tobago. Proposal to test the use of mobile
cell phones among a select group of female and male farmers in Trinidad and
Tobago

4. Eric Ilboudou, Burkina Faso. Projet de renforcement des compétences
de 30 femmes paysannes en NTIC

5. James Onyango, Kenya. Engendering equality: a health and
agricultural community-based information & communication system project

6. Anil Naidoo, South Africa. Mobile learning for change

7. Brigitte Kasongo Mawazo, Democratic Republic of Congo. Campagne
d'accompagnement et de sensibilisation des femmes rurales d'Uvira sur la
promotion des TIC à des fins de plaidoyer pour le genre

8. Ofa Guttenbeil, Tonga. Production of a training video aimed at
covering 8 main segments to be used as a training methodology at Gender and
CEDAW Advocacy.

9. Collins K. Osei, Ghana. Promoting the Cultivation of Healthy
Vegetables by Farmers: A Gender Approach to Using ICTs

10. Guy Raoul Gbaguidi. Benin. Projet de sensibilisation, de formation
et de mise en place d'un système d'information agricole basé sur les TIC au
profit de dix groupements féminins de la commune de Dassa-Zoumé au Bénin

*****
Congratulations to all these winners! You will be contacted shortly for
follow-up and next steps towards implementation
*****

Honourable Mentions go to:

· Williams Ezinwa Nwagwu, Nigeria. Information and Communication
Technology skill acquisition among female schoolteachers in Umuahia, Abia
State, Nigeria

· Helen Lwemamu, Uganda. Rural Agricultural Community Connectivity
Project

· Joseph Kandeh, Sierra Leone. ICT mediated livelihood training of
women in vegetable production in the western rural areas of Sierra Leone

· Joyce Endeley, Cameroon. Gender and the cellular paradox:
Innovation and Transforming Societies in Rural Africa

· Della Ablavi Koutcho Diagne, Senegal. Réseau des jeunes filles
rurales pour l'emploi ménager à Dakar

*****
Invitations will be extended to recipients of honourable mentions to attend
the GenARDIS workshop in late 2005.
*****

On behalf of CTA, Gesa Wesseler
On behalf of IDRC, Ramata Molo Thioune
On behalf of IICD, Judith Veldhuizen
On behalf of Hivos, Marjan Besuijen
[email protected]