If you don't see your favorite initiative listed, please let us know.

The projects are grouped into a few distinct categories: Consultation, Education, Natural Resource Management, Citizen Empowerment, Delivery of Government Services, Support of NGOs and Philanthropy in India, and other Web-based Resources and Initiatives.

Consultation

Center for Knowledge Societies (CKS) Consulting Pvt. Ltd. -http://www.ict4d.info/ The Center for Knowledge Societies provides consultancy services to technology houses, international development agencies and grassroots organizations, regarding the use and applicability of Information & Communications Technologies (ICTs) for the benefit of non-elite and rural users. The projects taken up by CKS come under one of the following three of its areas of expertise:

Blind People's Association (BPA)
-http://www.unomaha.edu/~wwwsped/wc/cbs/pro/ind/bma.html
The organization aims at the overall development of the blind through various training courses such as stenography, telephone operation receptionist, education programs and special computer training programs. It also conducts various health care camps for prevention of disability. It attempts at making blind self-reliant and encourages them to lead a normal life. Apart from this, it translates educational material in Braille.

Foundation for Computer Education (FORCE)
-http://www.hibiscus.net/force
FORCE collects computers to donate to schools, and seeks to impart computer education to the students of municipal schools and disabled children.


Back To Top


Natural Resource Management

The Integrated Rural Technology Centre of Kerala
-http://www.propoor.org/ngo/575.html
This regional NGO has undertaken a number of research projects in areas like Wood Burning Stoves, Energy Conservation and Management, Small Hydel Investigations, Solar Thermal Devices, Electronic Ballasts, Solid Waste Management, Low-Cost Construction Techniques, and Land and Water Management. Additionally, the organization hopes to promote income-generating activities such as rabbittry, mushroom culture, spawn production, aquaculture, and fish and seed production for rural women.

Rural Development and Social Welfare Society (RDSWS)
RDSWS works towards improving environmental conditions in the rural areas through introduction of new biogas plants, usage of solar cookers and smokeless chulas. One focus of the group is technical training and education for rural children. It also offers medical assistance in an effort to improve health and hygiene.

Centre for Ecology and Rural Development (CERD)
CERD is a trust sponsored by Pondicherry Science Forum to undertake research and development activities that contribute to the science movement's intervention in the area of developmental policy and practice. Its work is focused on interventions in the area of natural resource management including the environment. Under natural resource management, it has work going on in the field of soil nutrient management, wasteland reclamation; biomass based local manufacture and computer simulation studies of land, water and vegetation changes. Health and sanitation is another focal area of CERD's work.

National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE)
-http://www.manageagri.com/profile.htm
MANAGE has initiated a project for Cyber management of Natural Resources which connects the Manshal watershed with the MANAGE and DPAP office through a computer and communications network, using dial-up connectivity. This network is expected to empower farmers who are part of watershed management and facilitate them to do their own data analysis and generate reports.

World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) -http://www.indev.org/wwf
WWF-India is involved in the promotion of nature conservation and environmental protection as the basis for sustainable and equitable development. This project was launched to map vegetation with the purpose of identifying forest community patterns using satellite imageries and GIS. The project proposes to identify and prioritize areas, and analyze the immediate need for management intervention to maintain viability of corridors, which link the major residual forest patches. An inventory of the higher plants has been completed along with height, shrub cover, water availability, level of disturbance, contiguity of forest patches, instances of shifting cultivation and burning of forests.

Centre for Spatial Database Management and Solutions
-http://www.csdms.org/
CSDMS is the leading regional center committed to the promotion of GIS and its usage in various development activities. CSDMS aims to assist the South Asian community in developing their capabilities and policies to maximize the benefits of GIS through advocacy, training, information and the provision of expert advice and assistance. Its mandate is also to assist South Asian countries in formulating policies and strengthening capabilities in all aspects of Geographic Information Infrastructure.

Safer/Solar Power Utilization Resource (SPUR)
SPUR aims at promoting utilization of solar and other natural non polluting energy sources for power generation distribution and supply by creating awareness among the population and conducting research work through projects on non conventional energy resources.

Back To Top

Citizen Empowerment

Abhivyakti Media for Development (AMD) -http://www.abhivyakti.org.in/
Abhivyakti is committed to the empowerment of the under-privileged and marginalized people and the development of a just and democratic society. Abhivyakti believes that alternative media has an essential role to play in this process of development. Abhivyakti seeks to promote the use of media for development through both workshops and training programs. Besides familiarizing people with various media techniques, Abhivyakti seeks to rectify the structural limitations of mass media by bringing people-centered media messages to the fore. Its areas of focus include media production, publication, training and media education in schools, media dissemination and networking.

Drishti Media Collective -http://education.vsnl.com/drishti/
DMC is a group of media professionals working on issues of gender justice, human rights and development. Its work seeks to document alternative histories, give expression to voices on the margins, create public awareness and build public opinion, and mobilize people to act. Drishti plans to develop an advocacy cell, which will work to provide grass-roots issues of social urgency access to the television networks and the press. It also plans an outreach cell, for innovating new routes to reach new audiences with films, theatre and other media to propagate values of social and gender justice.

Back To Top

Delivery of Government Services

Andhra Pradesh Electronic Governance Initiative -http://apts.gov.in/twins/
TWINS is a unique IT project under taken by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to delivery benefits of Information Technology to all citizens.


National Informatics Centre -http://home.nic.in/welcome.html
National Informatics Centre is a premier organization in the field of Information Technology (IT) in India. It provides state-of-art solutions to the information management and decision support requirements of the government and the corporate sector. NIC has set up a satellite-based nation-wide computer communication network, called NICNET, with over 650 nodes connecting the national capital, the state capitals and district headquarters to one another. The IT services provided by NIC range from conducting feasibility studies for computerization, designing, developing and implementing computer-based information systems; to undertaking large turn-key projects, including setting up of networks and imparting training to personnel in user organizations.

Supporting NGOs and Philanthropy for India

A number of websites have been created with the goal of promoting philanthropy in India. Some of these sites have searchable databases to identify projects serving particular populations, projects using particular technologies, or projects based in various geographic locations. Other sites simply provide links to NGOs.

India's Development Information Network (INDEV) -http://www.indev.org/
This is a user-friendly site of searchable databases.

Propoor Infotech Centre (PIC) -http://www.propoor.org/
This is another user-friendly site of searchable South Asian NGO databases.

Braintrust Consultants Pvt. Ltd - http://www.braintrustindia.com/index.htm
Braintrust promotes socially responsive corporate citizenship. Braintrust promotes a new development paradigm by forging relationships between institutional actors related to poverty and information technology. Braintrust wishes to make initiatives that are socially responsive and pragmatic for the global village.
This site has a number of services provided, and has lists of NGOs, however, there is little or no information provided about the NGOs.

Charities Aid Foundation India
-http://www.cafonline.org/cafindia/default.cfm
CAF's mission is to increase the flow of funds to charities and NGOs across the world. The CAF India website has a searchable database of over 2000 Indian NGOs.

Mahiti-Samuha -http://www.mahiti.org/
'MAHITI' is a resource group started by SAMUHA -- a Karnataka based NGO -- to provide affordable and appropriate information technology services and solutions to Indian NGOs. Mahiti's goals include promoting the use of the Internet within the voluntary sector, helping voluntary organizations establish an effective online presence, and consolidating the presence of voluntary organizations on the Internet by setting up portal sites. Mahiti has programs to promote the donation of equipment to the voluntary sector that is currently being destroyed, free email accounts to anyone in the voluntary sector, and a variety of other activities.

Daan
Daan provides free web page hosting to NGOS, and has numerous links to NGO websites. Daan does not have a search engine.

One World Online (OWO) -http://www.oneworld.org/
One World is a fellowship initiative devoted to global social justice and sustainable development. One World strives to link people's organizations/agencies both in the developing and developed world on a single network with the help of the Internet. The One World website acts as a "Supersite" with a daily updated news pages and analytical features on specific topical issues. It also encourages organizations with similar interest/profiles to become partners, enabling them to create their own development information exchange network .

Back To Top

Web-based Resources and Initiatives

Health Education Library for People (HELP)
-http://www.healthlibrary.com/library.htm
HELP is India's first consumer health education center. It has become a prototype of the modern digital library. The website has many full-text health books and magazines, so that people can read them free. This is innovative service allows the center to provide medical information to users from all over the world.

Bosco Integrated Computing Services -http://www.bicsindia.com/
The main aim of BICA is to empower rural youth with the modern weapon of Information Technology. BICA provides quality training in IT and seeks placement for students in the IT industry, in software development and/or data processing.

Soyachoupal.com - http://www.soyachoupal.com/
Tobacco giant, ITC Ltd is launching a new web site for soybean farmers. The web site is billed as the first of its kind in Hindi, and will give soybean farmers access to the latest information about the weather, crop position, arrivals in markets and crop prices. Besides functioning as an information bank, the site also has an interactive element where farmers' queries would be answered within 24 hours. There are plans for developing Web sites along the lines of www.soyachaupal.com for wheat and rice growing farmers.

Bytes for All -http://www.bytesforall.org/
Bytes for All is a web-based venture seeking to update readers about interesting IT ventures in South Asia that focus on people, not profits. Through a website, and an e-mail based mailing list, interested parties can receive relevant information.


OneNest.com -http://www.onenest.com/
OneNest is an international digital marketplace where sellers of artisan-made goods meet wholesale buyers. Using customized software, sellers easily create catalogs of their product lines-then get ready to receive orders from a steady stream of qualified wholesale buyers. These buyers browse, search, sort, and buy goods from the comfort of their home or office-without traveling to remote regions or even to big-city tradeshows.