The UN ITU Telecom named the 'Digital Hope project as one of the best digital ideas at ITU Telecom World 2011.
The objective of the Digital Hope project
is to provide innovative ICT skills amongst amputee war victims as tools to
enhance education and a means of access to sustainable livelihood. The
project’s aim is to use ICT as tool to creating an inclusive society. The
project uses innovative approaches to engage war victims [whose arms and limbs were amputated] during Sierra Leone's civil war to be productive via ICT. They are for the first time given a new lease of hope of access to technology which was not the case before the project began.
The project is
helping to bridge the digital divide by targeting an approximately approximately 2,000
amputee war victims marginalized from information technology. The project is
creating impact as it is giving war amputated victims a new voice through ICT
tools and a way to learn skills with a potential for employment and
empowerment, and a chance to bear witness and share their war time stories to
the world thereby creating attention to their plight, hope and healing.
Although there is peace across the entire country currently, most of the war
victims still cannot live a normal life, and marginalized from the main stream
of using Information Communication Technologies (ICT). This educational
practice in a non-formal setting creates the leverage for people who are unable
to access facilities at a formal education setting because of their conditions
to be able to do so at last. The project does shows what can be achieved
through creating a space for people with disability to gain access to
educational tools.
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B-Gifted Foundation Digital HopeCreative Courage |
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Journey of Hope |
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Journey of Hope |
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Creative Courage |
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B-Gifted Foundation Digital HopeCreative Courage |
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| Journey of Hope |
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| B-Gifted Foundation Digital Hope Creative Courage |
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| B-Gifted Foundation Digital Hope - A Journey of Hope'. |
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| B-Gifted Foundation Digital Hope Creative Courage |
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| Journey of Hope |
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| B-Gifted Foundation Digital Hope Creative Courage - B-Gifted's Journey of Hope |
The project has created the widespread impact that disabed people especially those impacted and amputated by the war, can have equal educational opportunities enhanced by the use of ICT. The project which is geared towards providing ICT and elearning educational possibilities to an approximated 20,000 people brutally amputated by the decade long conflict is already began to target rural amputee camps narrowing the marginalization of these people from the main stream of using Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and the information society. This has raised awareness about the rights of disabled in several other spheres of life. The project is also giving voices to these victims.
The project offers new possibiities for access to learning
for learners with disabiity and speaks volumes of the potentials of ICT in
education has for an inclusive society. This interaction is made possible by
the information society for the beneficiaries who have previously detached
themselves from society due to their war induced disability. The project
encourages the beneficiaries to make informed decisions and the benefits in the
use of ICT. Through this unique learning experience, trust and life-skills are
built which enable the war victims to reach out to others across the world and
become gobal citizens
digital Hope ICT Project
B-Gifted Foundation ITU award-winning Digital Hope ICT banner
to sell his craft work. Despite his disability caused
by war, this young man in Sierra Leone, like the rest
of his colleagues have discovered tools previously
unknown to him.
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| B-Gifted Foundation Digital Hope Creative Courage |
Digital Hope ICT centres
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| B-Gifted Foundation Digital Hope Creative Courage |
Gender, Disability and ICT. Women and Girls at the
B-Gifted Foundation Digital Hope centre are afforded
Equal opportunities to learn and grow their talents,
despite their disability and amputation caused by the war
in Sierra Leone.
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hope project and a beneficiary displaying the donated laptop
Former US Diplomat 'John Graham, visited the Amputee Camps to hear first Hand the stories of war victims supported by B-Gifted Foundation
“The B-Gifted foundation has developed many tools, including, for example the imaginative use of technology to give war amputees needed skills so that they can rebuild their lives as well as their country, as well as raise the resources they need to carry out their dreams. The B-Gifted Foundation also helps war victims by documenting their personal stories, and in that process gives them hope.Now the scourge of Ebola has hit this poor country, adding that human and physical destruction to the conflagration of the civil war. Again, the B-Gifted Foundation is at the center of efforts to rebuild the peace and rebuild the country.Peace building amongst children and youth is the main activity of the B-Gifted Foundation and, considering the strong feelings remaining after the brutal civil war, there is considerable risk in carrying out the Foundation’s work. Yet it forges ahead. 2500 people have been served directly and 5,000 indirectly in Freetown, Makena Town in the Northern Province and Bo Town in the Southern Province. B-Gifted's work sites is fully supported by the people it serves. Its most popular peace-building programs include, Rising Artist Rap for Rights, the Digital Hope Project, the Waging Peace not War Project, the Support to Survivors of Amputation Project and the Love and Forgiveness Project”. John Graham, President Giraffe Heroes international
Founder Greene, Speaking at the ITU Telecom World 2011 in Geneva at the International Open Innovation Competition.
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