|  The
programs in Sergiev Posad focus mainly on small business and micro
credit. The Foundation is currently developing a new business-training
program expected to launch this year. The Foundation will continue
tomeet the town's capital
The Foundation plans to complement these initiatives with education
and healthcare programs that take a similar form. The network already
includes all the town's schools and youth centers, as well as the
library of the local monastery. Expansion of these projects will
bring schools and hospitals access to education libraries and healthcare
resources in the Russian language.
The Sergiev Posad local network resides at http://www.tsinet.ru/
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 Local
Partner Organization
The Foundation’s local partner is the Fund
for Social Programs. The Fund’s board of directors includes
two members of the Initiative Foundation’s board and will
include a member of the local government, a representative of the
local Orthodox monastery, the head of the chamber of commerce, an
educator, and member of the healthcare establishment.
The Fund for Social Programs
is also working with other local groups in a project called City
of Masters. It will redevelop a sector of Sergiev Posad into a tourist
center where craftsmen can sell their wares, and maintain workshops
and demonstration areas. The network installed by the Foundation
has proven instrumental in facilitating the efficient use of City
of Master’s resources.
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 Results
While the life cycle of this project is only just beginning, we
already see signs of concrete results and independent initiative
sparked by the availability of resources.
• The original network has grown from ten computers to almost
thirty.
• Constituents include the mayor’s office, the library
at the local monastery, a number of schools and soon, the local
hospital.
• The town’s main area has been rewired to enable faster
access.
• An Internet café was opened during the summer, generating
long waiting lines.
• Communities outside of Sergiev Posad are looking to become
part of the network.
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The Initiative Foundation is a US
non-profit 501(c)3 organization incorporated in the Commonwealth
at Massachusetts in 1999.
The Initiative Foundation Ltd is a registered UK
Charity, number 1087908 established in 2000. |
