Dear Alex,

a) No other capital necessary other than human capital :)
b) The monthly cost of 128/512+ satellite access on Astra2Connect Triple Play with IPTV and VoIP is $100 per month. This price wil be reduced when the O3B network is launched.
c) The RIKs cover that cost by acting as cyber cafes and training centers in locations with no previous access to such services. Actually that fee can be made if the three terminals are used only for simple browsing at 1Ksh per minute 50% of the time the kiosk is open. That is without considering any value added services...

Having the funding completely secured with only implementation to be concerned about would be my ideal Christmas wish and would make many others in rural villages in Sub Saharan Africa, particularly in Kenya, very happy as well. 

Many blessings,

Crystal

On Mon, Dec 28, 2009 at 1:11 PM, Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com> wrote:
a) Besides the shillings 1.5 billion capital needed,
b) What will be the monthly cost of (what?) bandwidth (at current rates) and
c) How will the RIKS recover that cost?

thanks,
a.

On Mon, Dec 28, 2009 at 12:50 PM, Crystal Watley Kigoni
<crystal@voicesofafrica.org> wrote:
> Dear Brian,
> Yes! The Rural Internet Kiosks (RIKs) will be sustainable and we aim to show
> it through a case study in the Coast and in Western the beginning of next
> year.
> There are several levels of enterprise involved:
> 1) Intersat Africa creates the kiosk and sells them at cost... BUT they make
> a return on the bandwidth services sold and it will build a greater Internet
> market where none currently exists.
> 2) The actual cost of purchase of the kiosks are to be funded by development
> groups to pursue their information diffusion in the villages... for example
> Kenyans for Change wants to bring Kenyans internationally together for peace
> and reconciliation... they are base din the US and in Nairobi... there are
> few ways for them to impact the village without the RIK.
> 3) The RIK is meant to be owned by community based organizations, women's
> groups and youth groups. These groups have been formed as a result to issues
> in the community. These issues need funding to be alleviated. As of now with
> no access to the internet, to grant opportunities and networking, they often
> fall to pieces in a few years as they cannot find ways to sustain
> themselves. The RIKs provide access to networking.
> 4) The RIK are in themselves income generation tools. The groups have the
> ability to teach other villagers to use the Internet for a fee, sell
> Internet access, and as half of the kiosk is designed like a duka to sell
> products not currently available in the area such as solar powered
> lanterns.
> 5) The members of the community will be empowered to create their own
> content such as blogs and websites to sell what is locally made and is
> available. In addition the rural farmers will have greater access to markets
> to sell their goods as to reduce spoilage and to bargain for a better price
> without middlemen.
> 6) Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development provides volunteers, project
> management, monitoring and evaluation, and support to everyone in the chain
> from the decision makers in Nairobi to the village mamas in the field. For
> us, it is just about making sure that those who are supposed to benefit do
> indeed benefit and breaking even...
> I hope this answers your question. if we had additional investors there are
> numerous ways to make it income generating where it could earn a return.
> Otherwise we are looking for partners to finance the kiosks for the groups,
> angel investors, and those interested in getting their messages to the
> village.
> Many blessings,
> Crystal
>
> On Mon, Dec 28, 2009 at 12:21 PM, Brian Longwe <blongwe@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Crystal,
>> Is this sustainable? i.e is there a commercial angle to it? Is there any
>> return/profit to be made?
>> Best regards,
>> Brian
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> On Dec 28, 2009, at 12:05 PM, Crystal Watley Kigoni
>> <crystal@voicesofafrica.org> wrote:
>>
>> The best Christmas gift to me would be $20 million to roll out 5,000 Rural
>> Internet Kiosks throughout villages in East Africa...
>> Crystal
>>>
>>> On Dec 28, 2009, at 9:15 AM, Simon Mbuthia <simon.mbuthia@gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Google Phone!!
>>>
>>> 2009/12/28 [ Brainiac ] <arebacollins@gmail.com>
>>>>
>>>> This
>>>>
>>>> http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/giftsunder50/a446/
>>>>
>>>> Would make my next year.
>>>>
>>>> :-)
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Dec 28, 2009 at 8:23 AM, Calvin Omari <calvinebarongo@gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I already promised a free design (template for website) already five
>>>>> guys have reponded and I am gonna do the a free template
>>>>>
>>>>> Thought it would be an ideal chrismas gift
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, Dec 28, 2009 at 1:37 AM, Cynthia Wahome <cwahome@jambo.co.ke>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If i were to ask the skunkworks community?
>>>>>> What wud each person dream to hav as a christmas gift?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> just a thot
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ----------------------------------------------
>>>>>> This message has been scanned for viruses and
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>>>>>> believed to be clean.
>>>>>> ---------------------------------------------
>>>>>> "easy access to the world"
>>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Someone in Kenya cares about the environent.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.cra-africa.info
>>>>
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>>>
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>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Crystal "Naliaka" Watley Kigoni
>> Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development
>> crystal@voicesofafrica.org
>> http://www.voicesofafrica.org/
>>
>> "You must be the change you wish to see" - Gandhi
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Crystal "Naliaka" Watley Kigoni
> Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development
> crystal@voicesofafrica.org
> http://www.voicesofafrica.org/
>
> "You must be the change you wish to see" - Gandhi
>
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--
Crystal "Naliaka" Watley Kigoni
Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development
crystal@voicesofafrica.org
http://www.voicesofafrica.org/

"You must be the change you wish to see" - Gandhi