Disaster response training course launched for Asia region

By Gisli Olafsson, Humanitarian Advisor, NetHope During the first week of April, NetHope conducted its inaugural disaster response training (DRT) course for the Asia region in Makati, Philippines. Thirty-two participants from 17 member organizations and three governmental organizations were given hands-on training in emergency telecommunication networking, wireless distribution, TV white space, installation of VSATs, alternative … Continued

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Signs of hope on a Colombian homecoming

Above: NetHope’s Alexandra Alpert, left, with Norwegian Refugee Council’s Cindy Reales and Claudia Marcela García during her trip to Colombia.By Alexandra Alpert, Director of Membership, NetHope As a native Colombian, I looked forward to my homecoming as I traveled to Santa Marta for the NetHope Latin America Chapter meeting. Each time I go back to … Continued

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NetHope team to assess connectivity following Cyclone Idai

Above: NetHope Field Operations Director Rami Shakra (front in black shirt) coordinates connectivity assessment team inn Beira, Mozambique. Photo courtesy ETC. On March 14, Tropical Cyclone Idai made landfall in Mozambique as a Category 3 storm, deemed by the United Nations as “one of the worst storm-related catastrophes ever to hit the southern hemisphere.” The … Continued

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A Personal Account of a Tech Partner in Colombia

Every day, humanitarian response―and the promise that digital transformation holds for nonprofits to aid the world’s most vulnerable and underserved―is the focus of our work. But this is not a theoretical, detached proposition. The impact this work has on individuals and the communities we serve is what motivates all of us to perform this work … Continued

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Reflecting on a new year and new hopes

By Lauren Woodman, CEO, NetHopeThis is the time of year when many review the past 12 months before we take a deep breath and dive into the next year. While it’s true to a large degree that our pasts color who we are—the actions we took, the decisions we made—and brought us to where we … Continued

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Remembering Paul Allen

By Lauren Woodman, CEO, NetHopeIt was September 2014, and NetHope had been hearing from our member NGOs working in West Africa about the desperate need for improved connectivity in the rural districts of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. The Ebola outbreak was ravaging the region, and the lack of connectivity in hard-hit areas was making … Continued

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Indonesia response a window to NetHope model of collaboration

Damage around Palu, Indonesia. Photo courtesy DoGoodFilms.By Brent Carbno, Managing Director, Global Programs for NetHopeWhen the news broke on September 28 that a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and subsequent tsunami had leveled villages on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, I immediately contacted our field connectivity team and others to learn about the impacts of this double … Continued

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NetHope Deploys Connectivity Team in Aftermath of Indonesian Earthquake

Photo credit: Shutterstock.comUPDATE: 2018.10.05  As of today, the NetHope team is in Jakarta and have obtained more information from local teams active in the affected areas.  While there are still issues with power, the mobile networks have started to recover rapidly and are providing some connectivity in urban areas.  While we wait for more detailed recovery … Continued

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Global refugee crisis: Refugee turned humanitarian shares reasons for optimism

Conflict-affected youth in Lebanon interacting with and testing Hakeem chatbot in September 2018 (Photo credit: NRC)This month, governments, humanitarian organizations, the private sector, and civil society are convening in New York City for the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. One of the pressing topics on the agenda is how to accelerate and expand efforts to deliver education … Continued

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