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- Digital Divide Data's project: A networking resource for disadvantaged people in Cambodia and Laos
Digital Divide Data's project: A networking resource for disadvantaged people in Cambodia and Laos
Voting Summary (Elevator Pitch):
DDD provides socially responsible outsourcing services to clients and creates better futures for our employees in Cambodia and Laos. DDD will build an online forum for our graduates as a way to provide ongoing networking and growth opportunties.
Supporting organization:
Digital Divide Data
URL:
www.digitaldividedata.org
City:
Battambang & Phnom Penh, Cambodia & Vientiane, Laos
Country:
Cambodia & Laos
Project Vision Statement & Potential Social Impact:
One of the most important pieces of DDD's mission is the long-term impact we have on our employees' lives. While they work for our organization, they gain computer, IT, and English skills; earn money to support their families and education; attend school part-time with 50% scholarships from DDD; build friendships and relationships with people that share their disadvantages and learn from those that have different hardships.
We measure our ultimate success in the jobs our employees graduate to after DDD. Over 200 graduates have moved on to jobs earning 6x the average annual income. They are future IT leaders for their communities. Disabled and disadvantaged individuals carry with them a newly gained confidence. Sovannara, an operator in DDD’s Phnom Penh, Cambodia office, said, “Before I worked at DDD, I was a disadvantaged person, but after I came to work at DDD, I become an advantaged person for my family and for my country as well.” The added challenge for our employees -- coming from poor families, rural villages -- is that they do not have access to a network of professionals as a resource for their development.
The vision of this web portal for graduates is that it will be a place for people to:
- Network professionally
- Learn about the jobs their fellow graduates have and gain ideas for their own professional development
- Keep in touch with old friends and former colleagues
- Organize and learn about DDD events, milestones and developments
- Maintain an alumni community that can participate in social events, volunteering opportunities and community projects
- Serve as a model for how online communities can help raise awareness and inspire action so that our graduates may build online communities of their own for other causes or purposes
- Demonstrate the ongoing impact of our organization and share graduate stories with clients, donors, friends and employees
- Track our graduates progress and developments as further tools for measuring our success as an organization
- Maintain current contact information for graduates
Sustainability (financial) model:
Digital Divide Data’s model of sustainability is based on creating a successful business which has earned $1.3 million to date by providing data entry, digitization and other IT outsourcing services to 150 clients. DDD creates a business in a poor country along with a set of educational and training opportunities for our employees. Our unique model has led to more than 100 graduates earning six times the average income in Cambodia and Laos. DDD’s success is due to the staff in our three offices, our board and senior management, our many partners and volunteers, foundation, and individual donors.
Potential obstacles:
There is an amazing thirst for computer skills and technology experience in poor countries like Cambodia and Laos. However, despite the enthusiasm for internet technologies in these areas of the world, online communities and portals are a new resource. Initially, we expect that building an active, thriving web network will go somewhat slowly. Through word-of-mouth efforts, graduate events and regular reminders, we expect that graduates will start to use the website more regularly. Once they find fellow graduates putting this tool to use, the effectiveness of the site will grow exponentially.
Resource Needs:
Resources required for this project:
· Web design assistance for creating a comprehensive portal including forum, logins, message boards and other utilities utilizing pre-existing DonorPerfect database
· Research and planning for best ways to establish a highly user-friendly and functional site for graduates from both Cambodia and Laos
· Staff salary for someone responsible for upkeep and management of the site
· Funds for organizing kick-off events in both countries to build awareness and enthusiasm for the project
Key Milestones:
Key Milestones:
1) Design a plan for the site, incorporating suggestions and opinions from active members of the graduate community as well as current staff
2) Build the online portal with tools and functionality required for purposes of networking, contact management, etc.
3) Launch the site and organize events to build awareness in Cambodia and Laos
4) Assign staff person to manage the site and work on publicity efforts to build web traffic
5) Monitor usage of the site and work towards having 30 graduates connect to the site within the first 90 days to update their current contact information and post messages for fellow graduates
6) Maintain bi-monthly updates with news from DDD
7) Establish an expanded database of graduate records, adding 15 new graduates to our database within the first 90 days
Project Summary:
Digital Divide Data’s mission is to provide economic and educational opportunities for our staff (disadvantaged young people in Cambodia and Laos) and high-quality services to our customers through sustainable technology-related enterprises. DDD’s project is an online community for our graduates, a web portal for networking with fellow graduates and a way to find resources to further their professional development. This online community will enhance DDD’s social impact on disadvantaged individuals in Cambodia and Laos and will demonstrate the effectiveness of how online communities can change social attitudes, aid in human and economic development as well as provide support and resources to people who would otherwise have no access.
Comments
100+ grads earning 6 times the average income in Cambodia!
It's a great project and you have my vote!
Great Project
This is a great project - I have heard many great things about your program.