From the blog FabFi (HT to blog Whirled Citizen)
{A} World Bank funded infrastructure project to bring internet connectivity to Afghanistan began more than SEVEN YEARS ago and only made its first international link this June. That project, despite hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, is still far from being complete.
{Meanwhile} the Fabbed Long-Range Wireless Antenna Project, … as of December 2008 is working on an installation in Jalalabad Afghanistan.
today (Feb 4, 2010) marks a new peak in the size of Jalalabad’s Fabfi network–26 simultaneous live nodes.
Pictured above is a makeshift reflector constructed from pieces of board, wire, a plastic tub and, ironically enough, a couple of USAID vegetable oil cans that was made today by Hameed, Rahmat and their friend “Mr. Willy”.
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This raises the inevitable question — do you fund the big projects that may or may not ever impact the average local, or do you help to plant the seeds of entrepreneurism? Given the opportunity — which is often elusive to the local populace — natural entrpreneurial spirit takes hold and can set the stage for true (and lasting) growth in the economy. I’d rather see us help people like Hameed, Rahmat and their friend “Mr. Willy” . . . those are the types of people who represent the future of the Afghan economy.
Too bad they didn’t know about Geekcorps Mali’s much more efficient Bottlenet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBBK2xkuCGY