Africa Rural Connect Contest Announces Second Round Winners

Web site driven by unique technology encourages collaborative thinking to help rural Africa

Washington, D.C. - Africa Rural Connect (ARC), a new online community hosted by The National Peace Corps Association, announced today the second round of winning ideas on how to help solve rural Africa's greatest challenges and strengthen agricultural development. The first, second and third prize winners were from Ghana, the United States and Senegal respectively. Powered by a unique software called Wegora, the ARC Web site is revitalizing the international development landscape by helping change the way people around the world share their ideas online and build upon the knowledge of others.

"We are excited about the caliber of ideas that have been posted on the site so far and we're really seeing the Wegora technology help foster a whole new way of thinking online about these types of issues," says Molly Mattessich, manager of Africa Rural Connect and a former Mali Peace Corps Volunteer. "The volume of posts from people and groups around the world has steadily increased and we hope to see that trend continue in the coming months."

The second round winners of the ARC online contest are as follows:

1st Prize: $3,000 project seed money | Name: Self-Support Ghanaian Subsistent Farmers

Location: Ghana | URL link: http://arc.peacecorpsconnect.org/view/511

Summary of idea: The Self-Supported Ghanaian Subsistence Farmers Consortiums initiative aims to bring together subsistence farmers help them use of their potentials, opportunities and resources.

2nd Prize: $2,000 project seed money | Name: The Acceleration of Innovation

Location: United States | URL link: http://arc.peacecorpsconnect.org/view/637

Summary of idea: The Full Belly Project's "Acceleration of Innovation Program" will open channels of communication among groups of people interested in designing simple technologies that can be reproduced in developing countries (project to be piloted in Malawi). The project is working to develop simple, locally produced, income-generating technologies for developing countries.

3rd Prize: $1,000 project seed money | Name: Project Irrigation Initiative

Location: Senegal | URL link: http://arc.peacecorpsconnect.org/view/503

Summary of idea: The Project Irrigation Initiative is a small-scale irrigation project to increase fruit tree and gardening production and promote agro forestry technologies in rural communities in Senegal.

Through November, monthly winners are chosen based on the number of endorsements they receive from other participants on the site. Each month, the top three ideas are awarded a cash prize of $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 respectively to help implement their idea. Winners also receive a prize winner badge that appears on their ideas page on the ARC Web site. All monthly round winners will compete in the final round later this year where one winning idea will be selected by a panel and awarded $20,000 to implement their plan. Last month, the three top ideas selected were from Nigeria, Washington, D.C. and Ghana.

"The contest has spread geographically and transcended borders--we hope to continue receiving ideas particularly from participants on the ground in Africa because we believe they have so much to add to the online discussion," adds Mattessich. "This is a contest that's powered by a unique technology platform that fosters collaboration so that every idea counts."

The NPCA is a non-profit, membership-based alumni organization that serves all returned Peace Corps Volunteers and former staff, as well as Peace Corps family, friends, and supporters.

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To bring your best ideas for Africa to the ARC community, please visit: www.AfricaRuralConnect.org.

About The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA)
The National Peace Corps Association is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization connecting, informing and engaging returned Peace Corps volunteers, former Peace Corps staff and friends of Peace Corps committed to fostering peace through service, education and advocacy. The NPCA network also includes 140 member groups across the U.S. For more information, visit: http://www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org.

-To learn more about Africa Rural Connect, visit: http://www.AfricaRuralConnect.org/

-Follow us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/PeaceCorpsConnect

-Join the Twitter conversation @ideasforafrica and use hashtag #ideasforafrica.

-To join the conversation through your mobile phone, dial: 001.202.316.7310 and punch in "ideas."

Ghana / Africa / Modernghana.com