After a crazy week of research and writing I finished and sent off the grant proposal for the Apolima ICT Telecenter. Money from the grant will be used to set up something like a cybercafe in the village of Apolima on the west end of Upolu. Computers, a photocopier, and printer and digital imaging tools will be added to the existing telecenter run by the Women's Commitee.

It's a very cool roject. If it gets funded, I'll have lots of work to do, acquiring, installing and then training. It's going to be a challenge to get everything done out in this remote village, but it should be fun as well.

The grant was sent off to an operation known as the Global Knoledge Partnership out of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The organization is dedicated to improving information communication technology access for rural women. This project should be right up their alley. I have no idea, though, if they will fund it. I suspect that if they don't, we can find the money ($24,702) somewhere else rather easily. It's a very good idea.

Once up and running, this telecenter will be a role model for the rest of the village and Women's Committees in Samoa and should push Samoa a little further along towards its goal of information technology for every Samoan.