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After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Orphan Cybergateway Project - Zimbabwe

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Orphan Cybergateway is a project implemented by a 19-year-old young man living in Zimbabwe named James Mlambo, who helps poor AIDS orphans between the ages of 15 and 25 send email messages. The purpose of the project is to enable young orphans to use technology to access and exchange knowledge rapidly and to develop income-generating activities related to the problems that they face. Future programme goals include providing communications facilities specifically dedicated to these young orphans so that they may access online resources to educate themselves and to find employment opportunities on the Internet. An additional goal of the programme is to involve these orphans in AIDS awareness programmes that encourage other youth to protect themselves against AIDS. This project operates in a black low-income community called Glen view in Zimbabwe, Africa.
Communication Strategies

This project involves providing orphans with free email access so that they can share or obtain information quickly. Specifically, the founder of the project created an email address at Yahoo!. Orphans who wish to send messages give him the text of the messages; Mr. Mlambo then sends the messages from an internet cafe in town. If an orphan receives a reply to his or her messages, Mr. Mlambo prints out the message and delivers it.


In addition, orphans may access academic information such as tutorials and past exam papers downloaded from the internet by Mr. Mlambo.

Development Issues

Youth, HIV/AIDS, Education, Technology, Economic Development.

Key Points

James Mlambo, the founder of Orphan Cybergateway, studies telecommunication engineering. It is his father, a caregiver at a voluntary organisation that takes care of AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe (but that does not provide support for email), who finances the project.


James Mlambo sold an article he wrote on the hardships facing orphans to Radio Netherlands; he was able to purchase two computers. He hopes to find the financial support needed to set up a computer centre where orphans can send email messages themselves and use these two computers in accessing information contained on CD ROMs. He also seeks donated materials like diskettes; CD ROMs containing information or software suitable for use by high school students; used or new computers, printers, and scanners; and bond paper and ink cartridges.

Sources

Letters sent from James Mlambo to The Communication Initiative on December 23 and 24, 2002; and Orphan Cybergateway website (no longer online).