Press Release: National Peace Corps Association Announces Africa Rural Connect First Round Winners
Ideas on fair trade, achieving literacy via information communication technologies top the list
Washington DC- The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA), the nation’s leading 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization supporting Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the Peace Corps community, announced today the two winners of the first round of the Africa Rural Connect (ARC) (www.AfricaRuralConnect.org) 2010 ideas competition. Launched last summer, ARC is an online program of NPCA that fosters collaborative thinking to generate ideas to help solve rural Africa’s greatest challenges.
We received close to 100 new business plans and ideas during this first round,” said Molly Mattessich, manager of online initiatives for the National Peace Corps Association who served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali. “Project ideas ranged from food security to women’s issues, so we definitely had a broad spectrum of plans submitted.”
The ideas that received the most endorsements in this first round were submitted from the United States and Canada, but Mattessich says people who reside in dozens of other countries also submitted their ideas for consideration.
The first round winners of the 2010 ARC online ideas contest are as follows:
- Achieving Rural Literacy via Innovative Web 2.0 Use in Post-conflict Northern Uganda
Posted by a Canadian on behalf of BOSCO Uganda.
- Africa’s Fair Share of Fair Trade
Posted by a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from the United States.
“We are beginning this year’s ideas contest on a strong foot,” adds Mattessich. “And I hope to see an increased number of participants submit their innovative and creative ideas through November.”
To share your idea on Africa and be part of the Africa Rural Connect online community, visit: http://www.AfricaRuralConnect.org
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About The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA)
Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Washington, DC, NPCA is the nation’s leading 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization supporting Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the Peace Corps community through networking and mentoring to help guide former volunteers through their continued service back home. It is also the longest-standing advocate on behalf of the Peace Corps and its values. For more information, visit: www.peacecorpsconnect.org
-Follow us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/PeaceCorpsConnect
-Join the Twitter conversation @ideasforafrica and use hashtag #ideasforafrica.
Win a prize for your idea!
Win a prize for your idea!
Every round we will award prizes to the top ideas. Collaborate with others to turn your best idea into a practical, creative, sustainable plan with real world impact
Featured Person
Mwaniki Eunice is working to get her bachelors for special education at Kenyatta University in Kenya. She is heavily involved in posting ideas on ARC including an idea for income-generation for women living with HIV/AIDS and orphans. Read More
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