We need your input! Kabissa has received a grant from the Hurford Foundation to conduct two pilot eLearning courses, based on our Time to Get Online curriculum. Let us know what topics you would like to see covered in one of these first two courses by taking the eLearning poll on our homepage.

Kabissa has four exciting internship opportunities for Summer 2007. Click the links below to explore the job descriptions at idealist.org. The deadline to apply is May 11, 2007.

• Development Internship - Washington, D.C. office
  
• Member Relations Assistant - Washington, D.C .office
• Special Projects Internship - Washington, D.C. office
• Online Community Coordinator - Position Filled

I. Welcome to Kabissa, by Betsy Malcolm

II. Check out Our Members on the Web!

III. Kabissa In Action

IV. Kabissa Member Thembanathi Uses Technology To Support AIDS Orphans in South Africa

V. Upcoming Events at Kabissa

I. Welcome to Kabissa, by Betsy Malcolm

Three individuals helping over 900 organizations in Africa use technology to serve uncounted individuals in their health care, education, and in every other important aspect of their lives. Twenty years ago it would have been impossible. Today, Kabissa is doing it.

Three years ago, as I was reading Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat, I heard Kim Lowery, Co-Executive Director of Kabissa, speak and was immediately struck by what a perfect example Kabissa is of Friedman's flat world. The global reach of the Internet allows clusters of terrorists to project fear around the world and allows the customer service person discussing my local purchase to be located in Denpasar. But it also allows the small Kabissa team to effect positive change for thousands of Africans. What a remarkable development! And Kabissa is in the vanguard - providing Internet tools and services to grassroots organizations in Africa.

The very tininess of Kabissa appeals to me. It means my donations of time and money (and Kabissa welcomes both!) have a real impact. With no bureaucracy to support, every dollar or hour I give directly impacts the ability of a non-profit organization in Africa to improve someone's life. I am pleased to be able to help.

-Betsy Malcolm has been involved with Kabissa for the last three years. She has hosted two receptions for Kabissa in her New York home, and is a member of the event committee planning Kabissa's Wine Tasting for Change on April 18.

II. Check out Our Members on the Web!

• Stakeholder Democracy Network and their partners have launched a blog focusing on the upcoming Nigerian elections - http://www.greenlightnigeria.org
• EASSI, a Ugandan organization, is the new host of the Commonwealth Women's Network. Learn about their work at http://www.cwn-network.org
• FEMRITE, an organization of Ugandan women writers, showcases their work online - http://www.femriteug.org

III. Kabissa In Action

Time To Get Online 2.0!
Kabissa's popular training curriculum is undergoing big changes this year. First, we have turned our training manual into a wiki , a collaborative Web site that can be easily edited and updated by visitors. This tool will make it much easier to access the training materials online, and allow our members to update sections with their own insights and improvements. In addition, the Hurford Foundation will be supporting us to run two pilot eLearning workshops - allowing us to reach hundreds more organizations through distance learning courses. Finally, we will be collaborating with TakingITGlobal to create a training curriculum for youth leaders.

Holiday Fundraising Campaign Wrapup
Thank you to everyone who made our holiday campaign such fun, and such a success. We held five events this year - including a small reception with Board Member Peter Eigen in New York, a wine tasting in Massachussetts, and several events in Washington, D.C. We had a great time reconnecting with longtime supporters, and making new friends - 60% of donors were new to Kabissa this year! Individual funding allows us to make our basic services available at no cost to hundreds of African grassroots organizations - thank you for your generous support this past holiday season. We had so much fun with these events that we've already had a few this year, and are planning a wine tasting in New York in mid-April!

Yes, Kabissa Blogs!
The Kabissa team is pleased to announce that we have finally joined "the blogosphere." We're excited to share our thoughts on technology news and trends, particularly as they relate to the work of African nonprofit organizations. In addition to the voices of the Kabissa team, keep an eye out for guest bloggers - we'll be inviting members and partners to share their thoughts too. Check us out at http://www.kabissa.org/blog

IV. Kabissa Member Thembanathi Uses Technology to Support AIDS Orphans in South Africa

Thembanathi , which means "hope with us" in Zulu, is dedicated to providing support for orphans of AIDS and other vulnerable children in the region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Thembanathi currently supports projects on the ground that feed and educate children, and will also be starting an After-School Program for High School students in South Africa next year. This program will focus on activities that create behavioral changes and prevent HIV transmission, as well as skills development.

Thembanathi raises money for its programs through its jewelry company, Tanda Zulu - jewelry is made by women in income generation projects in South Africa. ICT is essential to Tanda Zulu, connecting jewelry production in South Africa to sales in the United States and donations back to South Africa. Tanda Zulu has a web site that allows Americans to buy online items handmade by people affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa, helping people understand the significance of their purchase. They also use email to communicate with the women in the income generation project. Proceeds are donated back to Thembanathi's orphan projects in South Africa.

In addition to their Web sites and e-mail, they have used print technology to streamline their production methods. Women make the jewelry in their rural homes and can care for children as they work, saving time and money by traveling into the city just once a week. As many women don't have telephones, it can be difficult to communicate about new orders or changes throughout the week. Recently, to overcome this barrier, they created a catalogue of items for their Web site, giving a print copy to each of the women so they could use the pictures as a guide. They are now able to sell jewelry items of a specific color and style through their website, which has allowed them to raise more money.

V. Upcoming Events at Kabissa

• April 13 - Dinner with Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda, Washington, D.C.
• April 18 - Kabissa's Wine Tasting for Change , New York City
• April 18 - Meetup of Kabissa members - hosted by the Board Member Neema Mgana and the Tanzanian Association of NGOs, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
• May 28-30 - eLearning Africa Conference , Nairobi, Kenya

April 14-15: Roller coasters at the Six Flags Spring Spin!

Be among the first to enjoy Maryland's premier theme park while helping us raise funds for Kabissa.

When: Saturday or Sunday, April 14 or 15, 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Where: Six Flags in Largo, Maryland
How much: Just $21.15 per ticket - and $5 goes to Kabissa!


BUY TICKETS NOW!


We have been selected as one of several groups participating in the sale of admission tickets to the fundraiser Spring Spin: One Good Turn To Benefit Another^TM held in conjunction with the Park's opening.?Ǭ† Tickets to Spring Spin are just $21.15, and when you attend, you get another FREE ticket to return to Six Flags America any operating day October 6-14, 2007 - during Fright Fest!

You can also buy tickets?Ǭ† in person at the Kabissa office?Ǭ† or by check via mail .?Ǭ†

More questions? Check out the Spring Spin site or call Natalie, Vicrum, or Kim at 202-265-6116.

The Kabissa team is now blogging at http://www.kabissa.org/blog - and we are all very excited about it. As our Dear Mimi described in her "Social Web" column in November, blogs are powerful new tools for reaching out to and dialogging with people around the world. Having a team blog at Kabissa will encourage all of us to share more regularly about our day-to-day experiences and the learning we are doing about ICT in African civil society. The Kabissa blog will also give us opportunities to take some of our fiery Kabissa debates to the blogosphere so others can join in the fun! Please join us!