SENEGAL: THE JOKO CLUBS
Senegalese witnessed in August the launch of an original concept in Internet and multimedia popularization, the Joko Clubs. The project is the brainchild of famous singer and composer Youssou N'Dour who surrounded himself with a very capable team to pull this technological and social experiment feat.
In partnership with Hewlett Packard (HP e-inclusion program) who donated time, hardware and money, Youssou N'Dour created an organization willing to bring
the benefits of Internet and IT to a wide and often poor population. Joko, which means "union" or "connection" in Wolof, one of Senegal's languages, seeks to create and train a virtual community capable of using digital technologies. A rarity in these types of organizations, the Joko Clubs are for-profit "in order to instil the entrepreneurial mindset which is a crucial precondition to achieving sustainability".