Asia

Asia Vignettes

Afghanistan: The Afghan Welfare Center (AWC) began in 1982 as a humanitarian nonprofit; much in of its recent work assists Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. Long years of war and Taliban rule destroyed much of Afghanistan's infrastructure and society, leaving the Afghan people with few opportunities and little hope for the future. AWC's IT literacy project aims to rebuild the country's health and education sectors. AWC is partnering with WCE to establish a computer labs in their new community centre in Kabul and in ten schools around Kabul. Recently the King has requested computers from WCE through our ally Future Generations for a new girls school in Barmian. The average annual per person income in Afghanistan is $800 per year and far less than 1% are currently Internet users. (See Their Implementation Plan ) AWC Managing Director: Dr. Fareed Pushtoonyar. Muhammad Irfan Niaz and the WCE Santa Barbara team are seeking individual, group, Rotary Club, and corporate Sponsors for the last 1/3 (US$6,500) needed to get 200 computer sets to Kabul. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: Afghanistan.

GEORGIA: Prometheus-Amirani leads a Silk Route team of government, Tbilisi Orbeliani State Pedagogical University, the Georgian Development Gateway, the Georgian Research and Educational Network Association, iEARN, Mercy Corps, and YES to connect to the Internet 140 schools with 52,000 students in five regions of Georgia: Kvemo-Kartli (City of Rustavi), Mtskheta-Mtianeti (City of Mtskheta), Shida-Kartli (City of Gori), Kakheti (City of Telavi) and Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti (City of Zugdidi). The Governors in each of these regions has agree to cover 1/3 of the costs for training and distance learning as well as the sourcing, shipping, installing, and connecting 400 computers in each of these 5 regions. (Implementation Plan ) Prometheus President: Dr. Teimuraz Chichua. WCE has previously shipped 873 computers to this group that installed and connected to the Internet 60 schools with 25,000 students. The average annual per person income in Georgia is $3,400 per year and 4% are Internet users. Richard Gingras and the WCE San Francisco team are seeking foundation, government, individual, group, Rotary Club, and corporate Sponsors for the last 1/3 (US$50,000) needed to get 2,000 computer sets to the port of Poti. Sponsor part or all of these containers now. ~ Please designate for: Georgia.

Students in Kutaisi, Georgia help unload their WCE computers.

INDIA: Valukad Lokvidyalayin Gujarat State seeks a container of 400 computers to be shared among 16 of its Gandhian schools. Valukad Director: Nanubhai Shiroya. WCE has shipped to this group's schools before - as well as many other containers to India. The average annual per person income in India is $3,400 per year and 2% are Internet users. Hitten Zaveri and the WCE New Haven team are working with Asha International and Vichaar in seeking individual, group, Rotary Club, and corporate Sponsors for the last 1/3 (US$10,000) needed to get 400 computer sets to Ahmedabad. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: Gujarat.

President of India inaugurates center with WCE computers in Gujarat.

JORDAN: iEARN - Jordan(International Education and Resource Network) is a nonprofit organization that helps teachers and students establish multi-country online learning projects that help improve learning via the Internet while increasing cross-cultural understanding and opening up new opportunities for the participating youth. The iEARN organization in 110 countries is one of WCE's 24 Strategic Allies. iEARN-Jordan works in the government schools, the private schools, and with the Palestinian refugee community in Jordan. Due to the work of iEARN-Jordan, students are learning valuable technological and communication skills and are becoming more informed and responsible global citizens. The government of Jordan has recently been able to provide resources for many of the government schools but the private schools and refugee population do not have many computers. iEARN-Jordan is seeking computers to fill this need and also to work with UNRWA to provide computers and supportive services to five of the Palestinian refugee communities. WCE is exploring ways of involving the Peace Corps and Rotary. Jordan has an average annual income of $4,500 per person and about 8% of people -- few of them poor -- use the Internet in Jordan. (See Their Implementation Plan ) iEARN-Jordan Country Coordinator: Mohammad Jarrah. Stephen Sena and Regina Ryan and the WCE Boston team are seeking individual, group, Rotary Club, and corporate Sponsors for the last1/3 (US$10,000) needed to deliver these 400 computers to the port of Al 'Aqabah. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: Jordan.

MONGOLIA: Mongolian University of Science and Technology Computer and Foreign Language Department, (Ovorkhangai) requesting 400 computers for 12,000 students in 6 secondary schools in Ovorkhangai and the universities in Ovorkhangai, Arvaikheer, and Kharkhorin. They are meeting with Peace Corps in Mongolia to recruit their involvement with helping with English language skills and use of the Internet. They are also working with our Programme Officer to involve iEARN projects in their work with the local secondary schools. (Implementation Plan ) Director of the Computer and Foreign Language Department: Tuvshee Bandi. WCE is currently looking for a team to help seek a Sponsor for the last 1/3 (US$11,500) of the sourcing and shipping cost to Mongolia. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: Mongolia.

NEPAL: WCE has been working with theCommittee for the Promotion of Public Awareness $amp; Develop (COPPADES) since 2002 on their creative efforts to implement Basic Computer and Information Technology Education (BCICT). We have shipped two 40-foot containers of computers to them before and are now getting ready to ship the third with 450 Pentium III sets to help connect another 75 rural schools with 25,000 students. (See our Memorandum of Understanding with COPPADES. (See their Implementation Plan ) Contact: Dikendra Kandel, Chairperson. WCE is currently looking for a team or individual to help seek a Sponsor for the last 1/3 (US$11,300) of the sourcing and shipping cost to get 450 Pentium III sets to Kathmandu. Sponsor part or all of this container now ~ Please designate for: Nepal.

COPPADES Students in Nepal

PAKISTAN (Peshawar):The Afghan Welfare Center (AWC) began in 1982 as a humanitarian nonprofit; much in of its recent work assists Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. Long years of war and Taliban rule destroyed much of Afghanistan's infrastructure and society, leaving the Afghan people with few opportunities and little hope for the future. AWC is partnering with WCE to import 200 used computer sets to establish computer labs in refugee camps while also working to help educational institutions that are in the same are of Pakistan that serve both refugees and rural Peshawar youth. AWC is exploring working with YES Pakistan. The average annual per person income in Pakistan is $2,400 per year and 1% are currently Internet users. (See Their Implementation Plan ) AWC Managing Director: Dr. Fareed Pushtoonyar. WCE volunteer Muhammad Irfan Niaz of San Diego, California has raised $5,000 and is now seeking an additional $4,000 in individual, group, Rotary Club, and corporations. Tas Muhutta of WCE DC is seeking to find a Sponsor for the last $2,500 needed to get 200 computer sets to Peshawar. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: Pakistan-AWC.

PAKISTAN: YES Pakistan Network An initiative of young people to empower young people to be leaders and entrepreneurs. to connect 17 schools with 4,000 youth with 400 computer sets. The average annual per person income in Pakistan is $2,400 per year and 1% are currently Internet users. (See Their Implementation Plan ) Director: Ali Khan. WCE is currently looking for a team to help seek a Sponsor for the last 1/3 (US$11,500) of the sourcing and shipping cost to Pakistan. Sponsor part or all of this container now . ~ Please designate for: Pakistan-AWC.

Ali Khan with Former US President Bill Clinton

VIET NAM: The Hue University Learning Resource Center (LRC) provides advanced education resources as well as online training and teaching programs. The LRC, a gateway for information access and exchange with other universities in Viet Nam and internationally, was developed with the help of U.S. business people who fought in the war between their countries. LRC received 100 computers in 2003 in WCE's pilot project within the World Economic Forum's global digital divide initiative. LRC agreed as part of this pilot to help connect local schools to the Internet. WCE arranged for the computers to be donated by Siemens in Germany and for DHL to donate their delivery to Hue. All 100 computers continue to work, giving students in five nearby schools access to the Internet. LRC will share this container of computers with the Institute for Social Development Studies. Viet Nam has an average annual income of $2,700 per person. About 4% of people -- few of them poor -- use the Internet in Viet Nam. (See Their Implementation Plan ) LRC Director: Huynh Dinh Chien. Florence Gwite and Anand Wagle and the WCE Dallas team are seeking individual, group, Rotary Club, and corporate Sponsors for the last 1/3 (US$5,500) needed to deliver these 200 computers to schools around Hue and for health centres of the Institute. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: Viet Nam.

Siemens donating WCE computers to Hue Univ.

To volunteer to help us seek corporate or group Sponsors

WCE also has Partners ready in Latin America and Africa

READY IN ASIA FOR SHIPMENTS IN 2006 !