Open Digital Villages

Low-Cost/Low-Power Computer Stations

Improving Community Prosperity Locally

We have over the last several years focused our work on the development of a program called Open Digital Villages.

The Winneba Open Digital Village is the practical incarnation of the ‘Unity Center’ concept which coordinates the integrative solutions to build an eco and sustainable way of living through a process or approach called oneVillage Initiative (OVI). The communication and connection for OVI is facilitated by the ICT.

Background of WODiV and Winneba Region

We established first Open Digital Village in Winneba, Ghana (Winneba Open Digital Village/WODiV) in Dec 2008, building on our participation in the Air Jaldi 2006 Conference in Dharamsala, India. The conference focused on follow up to a previous conference in 2005 that led to a convergence of open source hardware hackers (World Summits on Free Information Infrastructures) who led the way to promote free and open source platforms for community wireless networks. We are inspired by their vision and accomplishments in making wireless technologies suitable for grassroots empowerment. Our plan is to eventually expand to several other locations around the world with a focus in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Social Enterprise Focus

The idea of social enterprises is to help communities develop their own income streams that have direct social benefits. For example, the proceeds from consulting to help other communities get their telecenters off the ground can be used to sustain an Open Digital Village. Similarly with the WODiV wireless network and Internet Cafe, it is designed as a business model in which revenues from income generating activities sustain the overall operation of the center. One of the key challenges to the Social Enterprise approach is to balance social benefit programs with income generating activities such as those mentioned above, so that the costs of running the facility are covered by revenues coming in plus any donations and/or grants. Ideally a balanced approach is best to ensure the center is sustainable that includes a mix of revenue sources (donations, volunteering, grants and income generation activities).

Overview of current Programs/Operations

Thus the 3 units currently working under WODiV are:

  1. Internet Café/Solution Center: This unit has 8 computers and a server. Plans are for this to be increased to a 15 seater with thin clients and appropriate software to reduce costs. The unit provides the following services the general public at very subsidized rates: Desktop/LAN & Wireless browsing; Printing – Black & White and Coloured; Scanning and CD Burning and; Photocopying – Black & White and Colored.
  2. Training Unit: This unit provided computer literacy lessons to the general public at values close to cost recovery. It has 3Ncompuing stations giving a total of 12 seats, 1 other PC dedicated to the training and a borrowed projector. In all 13 seats are in the training room. We need to increase the room to a 20 seater with a projector.
  3. WODiVnet Internet Sharing: This unit provides internet access to institutions and individuals at home. Some of our clients include the Effutu Municpal Assembly (Local Government Office), an Internet Café and 8 individuals. The distribution is done with a mesh network using the Freifunk Firmware (www.freifunk.net) and a Nano Station. It has 1 computer used for network monitoring. The WODiVnet Internet Sharing Unit also undertakes repair and maintenance of computers and laptops for the general public.

We are currently working to secure low powered 12Volts ASUS systems to replace these high energy consuming HPs we have at the training room and café.