The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Imfundo Project - Sub-Saharan Africa

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Imfundo is a programme launched by the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, to transform the education sector in Africa through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). It is a new kind of public-private partnership dedicated to finding new ways to improve the training of teachers and to identify the most effective way to improve the management and support of teachers in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, using new technologies where appropriate.
Communication Strategies

In close partnership with the United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development (DFID)'s Rwanda country programme team, Imfundo is working in two areas:

  • a distance learning programme for the in-service training of unqualified secondary teachers through regional training centres that are being developed by the Kigali Institute of Education (KIE)
  • the development of options for an educational network to connect higher education institutions and their outlying centres, including KIE and its proposed regional centres, the Ministry of Education, and science and technology specialist schools; the provision of recommendations on which of these options would be most effective; and facilitating links with sources of funding and with private sector companies who can provide the necessary technical infrastructure.


The Gambia Department of State for Education (DoSE) has requested assistance with developing an ICT-based approach to distance education. In conjunction with the DFID Gambia country programme team, Imfundo is developing two projects:

  • the establishment of pilot primary clusters for ICT-based distance teacher training in the socio-economically deprived Central River Division
  • support to Gambia College for developing ICT-based distance learning materials


Imfundo's interactive KnowlegeBank of reference material is designed to foster the sharing of information on the use of ICTs for education in Africa. It includes examples of how ICTs can be used in an innovative way to support education in the region. There are also a number of analytical papers and guidelines focusing on wider ICT issues in Africa.

Development Issues

Education, Teacher Training, Children, Youth.

Key Points

Imfundo has decided to operate pilot projects only in sub-Saharan Africa: Rwanda, the Gambia (possibly jointly with Senegal), Uganda and South Africa (possibly jointly with Mozambique). Other countries under consideration are Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Zambia. Imfundo is focusing on sub-Saharan Africa in the first instance, but will be prepared to work in any developing country.

Partners

Africa Lakes Corporation, Atticmedia, Business Dynamics, Christian Aid, Cisco Systems, Computer Aid, Department for Education and SkillS, DigitalBrain plc, Fahamu, Internet Learning Trust, KPMG, Marconi plc, Muslim Hands, OneWorld, Taylor and Francis, The BBC (Factual Learning), The British Council, The Commonwealth of Learning, The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, The Institute of Education, University of London, The Open University, The Virgin One Account, The World Bank, Unisys, World Links for Development, World Space (East Africa), Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft, British Educational Suppliers Association.

Sources

Imfundo website; and email from Aida Opoku-Mensah to The Communication Initiative on February 18 2002.