Akvo Track Day – What, why, how?

May 14th, 2013 by Mark Charmer

luukandsebastian480

It’s just 10 days until the first international edition of the Akvo Track Day. Here Sebastian Wafula talks with Akvo’s Luuk Diphoorn and Mark Charmer, at Akvo’s East Africa hub in Nairobi.

Sebastian Wafula: Imagine I’m a six year old. What is Akvo Track Day?

Luuk Diphoorn: It’s a place where people come together who use cool technology to make their work better, and to share experiences with each other. They all work in the field of trying to make the world a better place, and trying to help improve the lives of people. They have a common purpose but they do it in different ways.

SW: So, for a six year old, Akvo Track Day is a day when people from far distant places come together to share ways that technology – especially gadgets and gizmos – are making their lives just a bit better? While they work hard to make other people’s lives better.

Mark Charmer: Yes! We need to learn to explain it like that too.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Partners, Track Days.

The first international Akvo Track Day

May 7th, 2013 by Charlotte Soedjak

On 23 May 2013 we will be hosting the next Akvo Track Day. This will be the first international edition, with concurrent events running at our AmLab HQ in Amsterdam as well as in Nairobi and Washington DC.

With different programmes in each location, all three events offer a chance to learn about and discuss the latest ways people are implementing, reporting, monitoring and communicating development programmes, hear about how Akvo partners are using our tools in the field and catch up on all our news – including new product developments.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Partners, Track Days, Training and tutorials.

Go Three60!

May 3rd, 2013 by Frodo van Oostveen

Gothree60x480

There was an informal event here at the AmLab in Amsterdam last night to launch AmLab’s new identity and the first joint product from the group. It’s called Three60.

To recap, AmLab is not just the location of our headquarters, but also a physical hotspot for international development and innovation in the centre of Amsterdam. AmLab is an initiative of three partners – 1%CLUB, Text to Change and Akvo. It’s housed in a 370 year old building with a fascinating history – it was formerly the headquarters of the Dutch West Indies Trading Company.

Last November, the AmLab partners, led by 1%CLUB, were awarded a phase one grant, with the brief to “Show the world aid is working – let’s ask the crowd”.

On May 1, we submitted our AmLab Phase two proposal to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenge Explorations programme. Last night we presented our journey through phase one, a movie and website to everyone here. Afterwards there was plenty of opportunity to experience the website, share feedback and get together. It’s been a big team effort so we used the opportunity to say thanks to lots of people.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Partners.

Akvo printed stock

April 29th, 2013 by Linda Leunissen

header2 480x360

With Akvo staff in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America it is sometimes difficult to keep track of all the printed material we have in use. I am about to take stock at our main hubs to find out how much material we have got, so I thought it would be nice to do a quick round up off all the printed materials we are currently using.

As a technology foundation, we have always tried hard to keep the range and volume of printed material we produce to a minimum. Especially as we are working with people in many of the most remote parts of the world. But here’s what we do have.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Akvo development, Training and tutorials.

Akvo RSR – support partner manual v1

April 17th, 2013 by Kathelyne van den Berg

This is a guide for our support partners which outlines roles and responsibilities and what you need to know to use Akvo RSR and support your field partners to use it. We hope it helps you to get started with Akvo RSR.

Contents