Bridges.org has launched a competition supporting innovative ground-level initiatives aimed at using handheld devices to improve people`s lives.
Bridges.org, an ICT non-governmental organisation, will give prizes of 120 Hewlett-Packard H4150 iPAQs to up to 10 organisations that demonstrate a clear strategy to harness the power of handhelds for social or economic development.
Bridges.org says HP donated the devices after delegates used them at the World Economic Forum`s annual meeting in Davos earlier this year.
The competition will focus on projects that use handhelds to fulfil "local needs in local ways". Winners will be used as case study examples to illustrate how these devices can open the door for South Africans to gain the benefits offered by ICT.
"HP and their partners have provided us with a unique opportunity to demonstrate how handheld devices can be used for socio-economic development," says Bridges.org executive director Teresa Peters.
"The competition will enable promising projects to try out technology that might otherwise be out of reach to them. Handhelds have many advantages when compared to traditional desktop computers, yet they are largely being ignored in initiatives aiming to bridge the digital divide. We want to change that."
To enter the competition, organisations must outline a project idea that would make use of up to 35 iPAQs. Small businesses, public sector organisations (schools, hospitals, clinics, etc), non-government organisations and community organisations can enter.
The deadline for entries is 8 October. For further information, go to www.bridges.org/ipaq_competition.
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