TakingITGlobal: Inspirar, Informar, Envolver

About OfokrnrnOfok for Human Development is an NGO that was established in December 2005. Its mission is to help communities empower themselves, and to enable individuals develop their careers and find employment. Ofok is self funded, working on a self sustainable model and taking full advantage...
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About OfokrnrnOfok for Human Development is an NGO that was established in December 2005. Its mission is to help communities empower themselves, and to enable individuals develop their careers and find employment. Ofok is self funded, working on a self sustainable model and taking full advantage of the opportunities presented by the development initiatives taking place in Egypt. rnrnOfok was established by 15 active members – all people with a passion for community development. Today Ofok is a regional academy for the “Cisco Networking Academy,” “Sun Microsystems Academic Initiative,” and “Microsoft IT Academy” in the Middle East and Africa through its Digital Academy Education Systems. We have worked and partnered with the “Global Education Initiative,” “Global Youth Action Network,” “Taking IT Global,” the “Egyptian Education Initiative” and the “Cyber Peace Initiative.” Ofok provides its students with high quality ICT and business education to help them into a profession, and also the right knowledge and support to enable them to start their own micro-enterprise or SMB. rnrnrnOfok Projects rnrnOfok has developed a number of initiatives: “Empowering the Youth,” “Youth for Africa,” “Ofok Centre for Development, Research and Innovation,” “Ofok Human Development Units,” “Ofok-Digital Academy Education Systems,” and “Ofok Entrepreneur Institute.” rnrnrn“Empowering the Youth” Project rnrn“Empowering the Youth” project is one of many projects that Ofok has established. Fifteen Ofok ambassadors are selected to promote ICT among young people with the mission to inspire others of their own age to gain ICT training. It encourages the development of young people through giving them the opportunity to fulfil their potential by developing their interpersonal and IT skills. The project offers: rnrn1) Specialised courses in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Through our Digital Academy we provide academy track courses for Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems and Microsoft, as well as a number of complementary soft skills and business courses. rnrn2) Student Activities. We provide workshops, human networking activities, scholarships, discounts on exams, and the right support to enable students to either find employment, or start their own micro-enterprise or SMB. rnrn3) Project Support. Students who wish to develop a project – such as a software product – are given support and funding to pursue this. rnrnrn“Youth for Africa” Project rnrnThis project has been established to enable young people to contribute to the development of their communities, country, and region using their acquired ICT knowledge and skills. The “Youth for Africa” project is divided into two main initiatives: the “Youth for Africa Scholarship Program” and the “Youth for Africa Network.” The “Youth for Africa Scholarship Program” provides scholarships to students in the African continent so that they may find employment through attaining high-level education and skills. The “Youth for Africa Network” on the other hand is intended as a network where young people in Africa can develop solutions to problems which they can share with one another. rnrnrn“Ofok Centre for Development, Research and Innovation” Project rnrnStudents who want to develop an idea will be given the necessary support to do this. The “Ofok Centre for Development, Research and Innovation” provides the opportunity for individuals to come together and contribute to technological development in a range of fields. rnrnrn“Ofok Human Development Units” rnrnOfok seeks to spread its success by sharing its model with others. By setting up “Ofok Human Development Units”, other NGOs will be able to become local academies and provide essentials ICT and business skills training to their members. In this way Ofok intends to create a ripple effect that will empower all local communities. rnrnrn“Ofok-Digital Academy Education Systems” Project rnrnAll ICT courses offered by Ofok are delivered through its Digital Academy Education Systems. The Digital Academy provides high quality courses at an affordable price, as well as instructor training to those seeking to become IT teachers. rnrnrn“Ofok Entrepreneur Institute” Project rnrnMany people aspire to some day owning their own business. Becoming an entrepreneur is hard work, but it also offers the vision of an exciting life full of possibility. Anyone thinking of starting their own business should know that there is much to understand about the realities of running a successful enterprise. rnrnOfok supports entrepreneurial success by providing its members with the best in current business knowledge. Learning about the right business practices can give potential entrepreneurs a much needed competitive advantage. Through the Ofok Entrepreneur Institute business workshops, mentoring networks, and technology resources, students can gain both academic knowledge and expertise that is highly relevant for doing business in today’s world. rnrnrnOFOK AwardsrnrnOfok has received a number of awards for its outstanding performance in making ICT training affordable to all, and helping those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. As a member of the Egyptian Education Initiative (EEI), Ofok trained the youngest group of IT Essentials 1 students worldwide and provided 10,000 scholarships to children between the ages of 12 and 16 years as part of its agreement with Cisco Systems. Ofok is currently involved in the Cyber Peace Initiative (CPI) with Cisco Systems to open 10 CCNA lab bundles for local academies, train 100 CCNA students and 20 CCNA instructors completely free.rn rnOfok has received the following awards: rn rn• Academy Outreach Award, from Cisco Systems in 2008 rn• Best Cisco Systems Local Academy in 2007 rn• Outstanding Performance from the Egyptian Education Initiative (EEI), which was sponsored by the World Economic Forum in 2007. rnrnrnOrganizational StructurernrnOfok has a board of five people that includes a Chairman, a General Secretary, and a Chief Financial Officer. An executive committee ensures the smooth day-to-day running of the organisation’s activities, as well as providing support to Ofok projects. The Chairman of Ofok is Sharawy Abdel-Baky. rnrnThe organisational culture within Ofok is non-bureaucratic and informal in style and communication, with little emphasis on hierarchy. The environment is one where every person has a say, and team cohesion is a strongly valued. Our belief is that, in pursuing any strategy successfully, it is important that decisions are made through dialogue and consensus rather than authority and command.
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About the Digital Academy-Education SystemsrnrnEver since its establishment in 2006, the Digital Academy has become one of the leading academies in Egypt in the field of specialist training and human development. The Digital Academy is a regional academy for Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems,...
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About the Digital Academy-Education SystemsrnrnEver since its establishment in 2006, the Digital Academy has become one of the leading academies in Egypt in the field of specialist training and human development. The Digital Academy is a regional academy for Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems, Microsoft and Intel in the Middle East and Africa. It functions as a training and support center for local academies by teaching and training both instructors and students.rnrnThe main aims of the Digital Academy are:rnrn•To provide high-quality education to all students. rn•Have courses designed to suit the needs of students at all levels. rn•Provide students with continuous support in education and in projects they wish to develop.rn•Build relationships with employers and potential clients who seek qualified staff.rnrnrnEquipment, Facilities and E-LearningrnrnThe Digital Academy provides all the necessary equipment and facilities for students to learn.rnrn•We provide up-to-date lab equipment to all our students. rn•We offer instructor-led and long-distance based learning.rn•Our curriculum comprises of a global E-Learning solution which offers:rn–In-depth course materialsrn–Comprehensive hands-on exercisesrn–Practice sessionsrn–Quizzesrn–The ability for students to share ideas or ask questions in online discussion forumsrn–Progress trackingrnrnrnrnDiscounts on International Certificates for All StudentsrnrnAll students are eligible to receive a discount for exams aligned with the courses they have studied. Vouchers are currently available to those students meeting the criteria for voucher discounts on the following programs: rnrn•Cisco Networking Academy Programrn•Sun Microsystems Academy programrn•Microsoft IT Academy Programrn•Intel Innovative Education ProgramrnrnrnInstructor TrainingrnrnThe Digital Academy provides training to those aiming to become academy instructors. Certified instructors gain access to the Digital Academy curriculum delivery platform, a global support network, and instructional aids such as class guides, lab manuals, and interactive tools.
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Ofok has developed a number of initiatives: “Empowering the Youth,” “Youth for Africa,” “Ofok Centre for Development, Research and Innovation,” “Ofok Human Development Units,” “Ofok-Digital Academy Education Systems,” and “Ofok Entrepreneur Institute.”