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AGRICULTURAL MARKETING INFORMATION SERVICES-CAMEROON (AMIS) PROJECT
Challenges Entered:
This project is about delivering educative and informative SMS messages to farmers and consumers that would enable them connect directly and do business.It is intended to seek funds and expertise that will enable us fulfill the wishes of the rural populations within some isolated English speaking communities in Cameroon.
The rural community here in question are the farmers and consumers within the localities of Limbe and Buea. They need information and education on pesticides necessary for the health of their crops and the soil, and information about available markets and consumers demanding their products.
This approach would enable them improve their economic situation, fight poverty and promote responsible farming practices in areas not readily accessible by agricultural field workers.
We have chosen to exploit this idea because since this very approach has been used in the banking and transport sectors with success, we believe it shall be productive to replicate this simple idea. Basing it on existing infrastructures of mobile communication, these simple tools of Information and Communication Technologies would positively affect farmers and consumers as well.
This proposal is hinged on the premise that the lack of access to immediate information is the reason why farmers and consumers alike fall short of satisfying their quests. African farmers on the one hand strive to increase the continent's food production and make economic gains for themselves through farming in the expectation that consumers would just "stumble" upon their products "with pockets full of money". Unfortunately this has not been the case, as farmers work hard and end up either destroying their ecosystem through uninformed farming practices thereby unwittingly destroying their dreams to prosperity on the one hand, and on the other hand depriving consumers "with pockets full of money" the opportunity to avail themselves of these products, stay clear of famine and contribute towards fulfilling the farmers' quest to economic posterity.
The advent of the internet, websites and satellite technologies though very effective as tools of modern communications fall out of the range of these actors for two reasons: either farmers and consumers don't know how to exploit them, or that they cannot afford the cost of getting connected and finding the information they need. The proliferation of websites that document information about farm products and consumers therefore does little or nothing to remedy this situation. Therefore, this proposal reposes entirely on SMS messaging to all actors involved because it is more instantaneous than other applications in use.
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It is very important to
It is very important to connect consumers and farmers directly. Farmers also need to know the exact demand of their crops in the market. As said in this article they need information and education on pesticides necessary for the health of their crops and the soil. The information about available markets and consumers demanding their products are really important for the farmers. Also main source of communication fulfillment is not available for farmers because they can not exploit the new technologies.
Nice project! Thanks for
Nice project! Thanks for sharing with us. It's really great job which you done. Best wishese fo ryour future work. Interesting Post....
Regards
distributed fundraising
Valery, congratulations on your work at the NetSquared conference. I hope that you gathered many new valuable relationships that will help with your essential project.
Are you using any distributed fundraising tools?
I understand that money is your primary hurdle. Contact me through theCoup.org/contact if you would like to discuss a few ways you might raise money outside of Cameroon.
Good luck with all of your work!
- matthew
Re: Distributed Fundraising
Hi Matthew,
thanks for getting in touch, and thanks for acknowledging Valery's perfomance on behalf of AMISPROJECT at the just ended N2 challenges.
While I wasnt present at N2 with Valery , we look forward to you helping us with resources to Distrubuted Fundraising. For now We have non,and shall gladly exploit the one(s) you share with us.
Tambe Harry
Project Coordinator, AMISPROJECT
Earth Institute
I've sent information about your project to an aquaintance of mine connected to the Earth Institure at Columbia University. Hopefully you will gain a connection there for support.
http://www.earth.columbia.edu
 I look forward to
I look forward to connecting with this aquaintance of yours. We are in process of looking for as many collaborators as possible who would be useful towards our initiative and towards whom we shall ever be grateful.
online fundraising tools
Tambe, I'd recommend that you create an online page so people can easily make small donations. Ask everyone in your network to make a small donation and tell them to post a link on their blog or website. Also ask them to tell everyone they know to donate and post links in their blog.
There are several tools that you might use. Some will require that you have a nonprofit serve as your fiscal sponsor. Others tools will not require a nonprofit sponsor.
Pledgebank
Kiva
Fundable
First Giving
Facebook Causes
Field review?
First, and most important, congratulations on your great idea and follow-through.
Here is my question: When I enter this search term:
"information for farmers by SMS"
I am led to many listings of projects that have similar goals and approaches. In fact, the first entry is visible in the Project Gallery of N2
http://www.netsquared.org/projects/providing-business-opportunities-info...
Have you been in contact with similar projects? What do you see as the possibilities for collaboration, so that we can end up with an app that can have global impact?
AMIS for the farmers in Bangladesh
We are working on this issue since 2007 for the farmers in Bangladesh. You can have an essence of such effprt at http://electronicgovernment.se/AMIS/index.htm
Could you please consider to share the experience so that you can have some sustainable solutions for the rural people?
Re: AMIS FOR FARMERS IN BANGLADESH
Hi Islam,
Nice to read from you.I understand this project is ongoing in Bangladesh. We have done field studies in Cameroon with groups of farmers and we work with these groups closely for effective response rates. Overtime we broaden the group as our finances allow us. But so far we are satisfied with the feedback and response from farmers and our only regrets is that we cannot extend the success beyond our present group.
For example farmers are now informed more than before about loan possibilities, pest control and they willingly feel the need to share their own farming experiences with us so we in turn can inform their distant unknown colleagues.
hoping all is working well with your project .
Re: Field Review
Daniel,thanks for the nice comments and the suggestions. One uphill task AMISPROJECT is going to face at the Conference shall be the challenge of meeting successfully with similar projects for synergies. As the Main Coordinator of AMISPROJECT my visa application was turned down, so my partner shall find it very difficult balancing the challenges of preparing for the different symposia and meeting all other projects with similar objectives.
Is there something you can personally do to enable Valery Colong meet up these challenges? At the end of the day, even the winners of the cash prizes as well as the runners up shall need to benefit from these synergies and take back with them to improve how they work further with the communities.
As for the listings that lead to particular projects on N2 we have used different approaches in tagging our content so that the different conferencees can always find something that catches their attention.
But I think I will take your advice and tag "information for farmers by SMS" unto our project so that it can also come to the top of the search list.
Thanks for being there for us ALL
Giving Power to Mobile Technology
I have always used a mobile phone for calls and sending friendly mesages only. Your project has opened my mind so much. Now I know that what I have in hand is a mine of gold if only I can benefit from your services.
If we farmers can receive information and education, then even the threats of global warming and famine shall be limited.
Please bring your services to Tiko..dont forget us
Faminatou
simple and workable
Your tool is simple, and the idea very workable. While you dont actually need millions to start off, I believe your project is structured to succeed from the little that you have done so far..Goodluck
Jemaima
Foward you go
Hope you win so that you can help the other communities.
Vi ses
Good luck to you. Lucy
Good luck to you.
Lucy
my vote
I just read through your project. Beleive me, you have my votes. It makes so much sence and it's really great. That was so creative of you. Good work, Good luck
This idea is great from my
This idea is great from my point of view. It is like creating an affiliate network where everybody benefits. As we all know, information is power and a simple sms can save lives, especially in that area.
Suggestion
I wonder why you want to limit your services to just the farming sector.Has it occured to you that the same rural populations could benefit immensely if you provided them information about the visits by Medical Teams( especially during Vaccination season) so that they could bring their children and save the medical personnel the stress of coming again and again?
A boost for the rural communities
I grew up in a rural community where farmers get up as early as 5:00 am en route to their farms which has to take close to 3 hours or more treking depending on what is of interest in that season. The fact is that, it is a special zone or call it area which produces food of all categories at all seasons. And buyers come from within and in the neigbouring countries like Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African, Nigeria and you name them to buy food and either go and supply companies or go to their markets. If you have ever been to these areas then you will know what am talking about. And what you see at the close of a market day is like a wasteful effort which can be summed up to millions of FCFA.
I wish your project a success for its going to be a dream come true to these rural areas. This is first of its kind in Cameroon. Hope you have the necessary support to follow the project up then farmers in Cameroon will heave a sigh of relief and see the new dawn. It will even enable them to produce more as they will have to keep ever in touch with the agric. workers to follow up their farms and produce. They can even arrange for meetings for sensitization for a stubborn pests or where to get chemicals like pesticide for their farms.
All the best
One Step at a Time
Thanks Beboly,
While we hope to serve farmers, buyers and markets, we hope to go one step at a time. That means we shall want to concentrate our project within Cameroon, see how it works out, learn from the challenges encountered, and then with more resources we shall certainly want to extend our services to include countries from the regions you listed. We know we are the bread basket of Africa, but we want to go one step at a time.
Thanks again for your great contribution
you hit it
This is called hitting the nail on its head.....I will spread the word and you shall get the votes...and farmers will get their services..
Good job..we are behind you
Good job..we are behind you
Thats Great!
Such an idea is worth encouraging. Farmers have suffered too much. We hope your project succeeds.
good idea
i a perfect idea.keep it up.
This is such a great idea
This is such a great idea that should not be allowed to die but be kept up. Regardless of whether you win or not, I hope you are able to implement this project. I beleieve it shall bright bright smiles to the communities that benefit from it.
Great foresight!
Ahmed Meyaki (eGov expert, City of Helsinki Social Office)
You got it!
This is what we want ....in case you win, I will help you translate the project into French and make it available to a wider community.
all the best..
Hope u win
There ..get my vote
Lili
Excellent idea!! def gets my
Excellent idea!! def gets my vote! Good luck and keep up with the good work!!
Hey Tina!
Thanks for the vote..looking forward to more in coming days.
Hope the baby is doing just gr8!
Great project. And a natural
Great project. And a natural continuation of the pre-study from last year.
It has my wholehearted support.
Anders Avdic (professor Swedish Business School)
keep it up
When I read through this project , it reminds me of what almost every African farmer goes through.
I hope it works for you..but please in case you are nominated, dont think thats the end of the road..really set out and do what your project outlines.
Goodluck
Great Project
Wish you luck, hope you win the funding, even if you do not win still do not give it up find other means like you are doing to help farmers.
Good luck!!!
Tariq
GREAT PROJECT
you are right Tariq..in my University we have what we call a the science park..it encourages simple ideas that yield fabulous benefits to common people. We hope that those who vote do so for projects that are viable..we hope the initiators of this idea continue their good work
Daddycool
A growing interest among
A growing interest among producers to supply distinctive products to a specific segment of a small business is emerging. Organic and gourmet foods are gaining popularity among producers and consumers alike. A commitment to provide high quality specialty products fosters the recognition among consumers that agricultural products are the best of their kind. The project intends to create a new mechanism, which will enhance agriculture production while keeping market centred agriculture development in its sight.
RE: A growing interest amongst Us
Hi Josue,
reading through your post, I couldnt tell whether you wrote a review or just expressed the difficulty of small businesses, like small farmers to get funding. Maybe you could be more explicit..Thanks all the same for recognizing the fact that SMS messaging enhances agricultural production.
Looking forward to hear more from you.
Friendly urs, AMISPROJECT-CAMEROON