FIRE Africa started in 2007 as a pilot project to identify and reward innovative solutions to community challenges has finally age. The Fund for Internet Research and Education has matured and is now among the prestigious awards and grants programme offering recognition and support to ICT initiatives benefiting grassroots communities.
When Dr Nii Quaynor, a pioneer of African Internet, donated his Jon Postel Awards 2007 cash prize he ignited FIRE. Together with Adiel Akplogan, the founding CEO of AFRINIC, they sowed the seed that has grown to become a successful Fund for Internet research and Education programme.
Subsequently donors came in with further support. When SEED Alliance came in in 2011, FIRE started burning brightly and spreading far and wide offering enhanced support and recognition to initiatives with potential to promote change and growth. Since we ran our pilot project in 2007 to identify innovative ICT solutions to the challenges faced by local communities, FIRE Africa has grown into a fully-fledged programme that has helped over 43 initiatives in 18 economies over the last eight years allocating around 1 million in funding as of January 2017.
FIRE, FRIDA and ISIF Asia through the Seed Alliance aim to contribute to the development of the Information Society in their respective regions by funding projects (through small grants) and by recognizing and rewarding innovative approaches in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (through awards). Regional variations of these funding mechanisms allow each program to respond to local expectations and requirements.
Over the years, The FIRE Africa sponsors are:
|
1 |
Nii Quaynor |
2007 |
2007 |
US$15,000 |
|
2 |
Kilnam Chon |
2007 |
2007 |
US$1,012 |
|
3 |
Team Cymru |
2007 |
2007 |
US$5,000 |
|
4 |
Internet Society |
2012 |
2012 |
US$30,000 |
|
5 |
Sida |
2012 |
2012-2015 |
AUD586,084 |
|
6 |
IDRC |
2012 |
2012-2015 |
US$380,300
|
|
7 |
IDRC |
2015 |
2015 - 2017 |
US$357,170 |
|
8 |
Internet Society - |
2015 |
2015 - 2017 |
US$70,500 |
|
9 |
Google |
2016 |
2016-2017 |
US$50,000 |
|
11 |
Oracle |
2017 |
2017 |
US$25,000 |
