In August 2024, the LocNet Initiative have made a closed call to existing partners and networks from Brazil, South Africa, Kenya and Indonesia for the submission of Micro Grants proposals on CN/CCC implementation support, capacity-building, gender and research for a six months time frame. The Micro Grants call had the following lines for proposals:
1) Peer-to-peer (P2P) mentoring and scholarships on network infrastructure and local services
2) CN laboratories – thematic research and training workshops
3) CN/CCCs exchanges between regions of a focus country
4) On-demand micro-grant for CN sustainability
The call for proposals was very successful resulting in 33 projects supported from the 4 countries and around 100,000 dollars sub-granted. The projects had covered many themes, including fiber and mesh networking training, support for country specific regularization, development and training of value-added services for content and financial management, digital care for users and the CCCIs networks, and activities focused on the inclusion of women in community networks. The call involved early-stage and also more advanced community network projects, technical groups and different target audiences, like youth, women, tech and policy communities.
Check out these experiences in more detail in the pieces listed below, written by people involved with them:
A popular recipe for digital sovereignty (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Teto (Homeless Workers Movement – MTST). Also available in Portuguese.
Hackasertão: Teaching community networks in Brazil’s Caatinga ecoregion. Also available in Portuguese.
From Kakuma to Mankosi: Stories of connection, courage and community-led tech in Africa.
From connectivity to opportunities: What we’re learning from Africa’s community networks.
- Projects developed with microgrants in Common Room / Indonesia.