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"It takes a village to raise a child" –
African proverb
The oneVillage Initiative addresses end-to-end
human services for community prosperity. The efforts
of many working in harmony realize much greater short
and long-term gains than the efforts of many working
disparately. It takes each heart, in unity, to care
for our children and their children. It will take the
people of the world, working together, to restore the
human heritage of community, love, and meaning.
The oneVillage Initiative is a comprehensive
platform for sustainable economic development, built
on six 'pillars', which are the foundation of the oneVillage
Initiative Ecosystem. They are represented by the six
'pie slices' in the 'pie' diagram above. The pillars
are: education, governance, economy, ecology, wellness
& healthcare, and culture & tradition. The pillars,
and the concentric rings around them, describe the ecology
of community revitalization.
The Unity Center (members of the community who are
personally committed to support each other, as well
as a physical location where they can meet and work
together) is the core of the Ecosystem – the beginning
point in revitalization. The oneVillage Community (the
Field Agents and others who support the oneVillage mission),
and Connection Portal (an ICT platform with an Internet
connection) are the 'next steps'. The ICT platform makes
it possible to track real market prices for their products,
educate their children to use the Internet, ask family
members abroad for marketing support, and gather necessary
data to certify crops as organic.
The white labels in the lower left areas reflect the
succession of developments in each 'pie slice'. The
pillars are actually basic areas of knowledge. When
the village decides to make a difference in one of them,
it starts an initiative, for example, organic farming,
usually on a shoestring basis. As initiatives grow successful,
they may become businesses – the outer ring –
such as efficient farms and cooperatives.
What does the oneVillage Foundation contribute
to the initiative?
oneVillage Foundation (OVF), founded in 2000, is a US-based
501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization with offices
in San Jose, California, Cape Town, South Africa, Winneba,
Ghana, Ile-Ife, Nigeria and Zurich, Switzerland. Viewing
the impact that the HIV/AIDS epidemic has on the social
structure, healthcare system, economic growth and political
stability in our global village, OVF sees the challenge
and opportunity of using ICT to address the epidemic
while providing a platform for development. We are devoted
to increasing collaboration and access to ICT in underserved
communities, facilitating local content creation and
dissemination, and building bridges among digital communities
globally. |
