In Dar es Salaam, about 70-80 young ICT entrepreneurs meet every first Monday of the month to talk about their ideas, new projects and trends on global markets. They are part of a global open community – MobileMonday – which brings together industry visionaries, developers and influential individuals with the aim of fostering cooperation and cross-border business development through virtual and live networking events.

There is a range of applications which are designed to extend the services of money transfer apps (M-Pesa) for paying electricity, water and cable TV bills and other SMS-based applications such as job vacancy alerts. All over Africa, mobile technologies are widely used for money transfers, health services and location mapping. SMS4life in Tanzania and Ushahidi in Kenya are two of the most popular examples.

The MoMo network

MoMo chapters are active in more than 107 cities worldwide and continue to launch new locations monthly. In 2007, the number of groups swelled to over fifty and new groups are being launched all the time. Since the summer of 2006, over 60 locations have already seen successful launches. In 2010, there were launches in various African countries, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Palestine.

 

The remarkable MoMo phenomenon began almost by accident in Helsinki, Finland, during the chilly autumn of 2000. Vesa-Matti ‘Vesku’ Paananen, a well-known Finnish mobile visionary, invited more than fifty mobile innovators to an Irish pub for an informal get-together and perhaps a warming drink. The only suitable time was Monday evening.

 

After meeting many new faces and discussing the latest developments in mobility, the group decided to continue meeting on the first Monday of each month – and MoMo was born. Tokyo and Silicon Valley were the first groups to be established outside Finland in the autumn of 2004.

How MoMo works

Unlike technical bodies or regulatory taskforces, MoMo is focused more on private and social entrepreneurship in the mobile ecosystem, and helps start-ups air their concerns and find partners with the larger private sector and government agencies in the mobile space.

 

The overall aim is to grow the entire mobile ecosystem in the country, bring value to national industry players and individual citizens, and provide local start-ups with global opportunities.

 

The MoMo concept is a kind of ‘open source forum’, a counter-force to other existing organisations. Most industry associations drive very important industry initiatives, but their challenge lies in integrating those initiatives with the community beyond their member representatives. Individuals participating in our events and discussion groups do so because of their personal interest and not because it is their duty as a company representative. Which is why the meetings are more informal, fun, and also valuable on a personal level.

eLearning Africa, the Continent’s premier annual conference on ICT-enhanced learning and which this year is hosted by Tanzania, will once again be showcasing a wealth of proposals that promise to stimulate thought and discussion.

Individual topics range from eBook clubs in Uganda and multimedia storytelling in Tanzania to eBusiness among women in Nigeria and school governance in Francophone Africa.

In line with the main theme – Youth, Skills & Employability – many proposals focus on the affordability, sustainability and pedagogical integration of ICTs in ways which can improve the learning, living and employment opportunities of young Africans.

Mobile learning in health, education and agriculture and Open Educational Resources (OER) feature very highly on our agenda. Given the popularity of OERs as an issue, the eLearning Africa Debate will provide a platform for argument about the controversies at the heart of the OER enterprise.

With its new and dedicated research stream, eLearning Africa aspires to nurture African research and knowledge in the field of ICTs in education.

Main Facts:

• eLA is the largest gathering of eLearning and ICT supported education and training professionals in Africa, enabling participants to develop multinational and cross-industry contacts and partnerships, as well as to enhance their knowledge, expertise and abilities.
• At eLearning Africa 2010, 1778 education and training practitioners, experts, researchers, newcomers and providers from 78 countries gathered during the three conference days at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Zambia. 86% of the participants came from African countries. The conference programme featured the work of 323 speakers and chairpersons from 51 countries, addressing all forms of technology-enhanced learning and including a rich mix of themes, topics and a variety of session formats.
• Delegates are high-level policy and decision makers and practitioners from education, business and government – the three key areas driving eLearning adoption and innovation.
• The conference is held in English and French. It includes plenary sessions with world-class experts, smaller presentation and special focus sessions, practical demonstrations and debates on specific topics, as well as various informal networking opportunities where practitioners share their experiences, ideas, new information and perspectives.
• An exhibition and demonstration area accompanies the programme, where leading international eLearning manufacturers, suppliers and service providers present their latest products and services. Participants evaluated the exhibition as a critical meeting point for professional interaction within the conference.
• A full-day programme of workshops conducted by leading eLearning practitioners precedes the event. These small, intensive sessions offer attendees a unique opportunity to fine-tune their skills and acquire new ones.
• A number of special events take place alongside the conference, such as product launches, special interest group get-togethers, sponsored workshops, best practice showcases and meetings.