In June last year I met with the Director of Geekcorps who told me about a project in Mali that would potentially provide communication, banking, printing, copying and sales services at markets. It was an ingenious plan and I'm very happy to have received a Press Release from VIA that confirms that it is now taking fruition:

"Mali, the 4th poorest country in the world with an average annual income of just US$1,200, is home to nearly 12 million people, most in rural communities with 64% below the poverty line and 60% illiterate. Much of the country is desert, so temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius and dust pollution are common. The extreme poverty, scarcity of natural resources and poor communication between villages makes the region susceptible to conflict, so Geekcorps, in partnership with USAID, is approaching these problems with innovative technology solutions.

Cybertigi mobile kiosks comprise a low power, ruggedized VIA pc-1 PHD (Power, Heat and Dust) appliance linked to a Nokia 770 mobile phone, plus an LCD monitor, printer, scanner and digital camera, all of which run off car batteries – essential in low- or no-power areas. Voicemail is proving very popular for the largely illiterate population, as is photography and e-governance services such as land registration. Services are usually asynchronous, with package up- and downloads batch-processed when the vendor can access an Internet connection, and with reply mail and information delivered on the following market day."