General approach

Hi,

I’ve started a project to bring solar panels and laptops to villages in Africa and teach them to earn a living through the internet (http://africa-charity-project.org/). I was wondering if we could cooperate in some way or if you had any suggestions? Perhaps exchange links or something?

Thank you,

Karel

Hi,

I’m a Canadian who has started a project to bring solar panels and laptops to villages in Africa and teach them to earn a living through the internet (http://africa-charity-project.org/). I was wondering if we could cooperate in some way or if you had any suggestions? Perhaps exchange links or something?

Thank you,

Karel

Letter to classified ads

Hi, I’m starting an African charity project whereby I would like to provide villages with a solar panel and laptop and train them how to earn a living through the internet, like I have done myself for the past 15 years. More details at http://africa-charity-project.org/. I would like to place an advertisement looking for possible recipients for this equipment.

One of the ways to work through the internet is translations. I already have several clients looking for African translators and, if possible, I would like to place a second ad looking for African language translators.

Thank you,

Karel Kosman

KENAX

We have several clients seeking African translators. Please put “translation application” in subject and mention Craiglist Kenya in email.

giving away laptops and solar panels

Africa charity project (http://africa-charity-project.org/) is seeking recipients for laptops and solar panels. To remote villages to help them earn a living through the internet. Please put “Africa charity” in subject and Craigslist Kenya in email.

Seeking African translator hunters

As part of my ongoing efforts to achieve some progress with this project, it occurred to me to approach 7,000 translation agencies, inform them about my project, ask them if they would like to support it in any way, and enquire if they might have some interest for African translators once I get there and set up.

The interest was more than I expected, and I have been asked to round up more translators. Some of the agencies specialize in exotic languages and are very interested.

In which case it occurred to me that we can move forward in some respect even before I get to Africa.

If you are located in Africa or have a means of finding more translators, I would like to discuss this subject with you further.

I would propose the following cooperation, although other forms of cooperation are certainly possible subject to your suggestions.

– I have a limited budget and can pay you to help me find African translators

– I can pay something to post advertisements in your local area

– Because my budget is limited at the moment, a commission basis would be the most desirable, and I would propose it in the following manner.

Once you find some places to post ads, I would create a special email address, such as <your name/code>@kenax.net. Whenever someone responds to that advertisement and subsequently to that special email address, I would send them an auto-response asking them to fill in the translator application form at http://001yourtranslationservice.com/newsystem/cgi-bin/b.cgi?ref=<your name/code>

In this manner, once they are in the database, the Reference field will show your name or code, which means that whenever I assign them work in the future, you would get credit. My standard proposed markup for this type of work is 0.0025 cents (one quarter of one cent) per word, but we can negotiate whatever you like. I propose a maximum of 1 cent because the higher your markup, the more I have to charge for that translator, and the less likely it will be that they get work. At a markup of one quarter of one cent, this would translate into 6 dollars per 2,500 words. 2,500 words is about 10 pages of text and what an average translator can translate in one day. It is not a very large project. 6 dollars may not seem like a lot, but you would be receiving that for all work assigned to all your translators for all time. Which can eventually become rather lucrative considering your initial investment of time.

Another option is that you collect the email addresses yourself and you yourself act as an agency, keeping a higher markup per word translated, but this is less desirable for the following reasons:

– I like to know who I’m assigning a project to. I like to test my translators, and if I assign work to an agency I am never sure of the quality or who that agency uses;

– with a higher markup I in turn have to charge more for that translator, meaning that it is less likely I will be able to find work for him/her;

– because I would be dealing with you and not the translator directly, it adds an additional gap in communication (I write you an email, you write the translator etc.). Because a quick response is very important in the translation industry, this additional delay could lose the job. I am online all the time and have 15 years of experience managing projects. It requires a lot of work to email with the customer and translator, forward and manage files, etc. You cannot run an agency on a part time basis and without constant access to the internet/your email.

Or, like I said above, I simply pay you some flat rate to post advertisements.

If you would be interested in this position, please answer the following questions:

– what city and country are you located in:

– what countries and cities do you think you could post ads in:

– what languages do you think you could generate:

– what is your charge (markup per word translated or some flat fee):

It would be neat to already generate work for Africans before I even get there. That way, once I do manage to connect some villages, I will already have some work for them.

Looking forward to your feedback,

Karel Kosman

KENAX

Explanation to agencies about African language prices

Thank you for your interest in our African language translation services. At the moment the number of our African translators is not very robust, but you may take a look through

http://001yourtranslationservice.com/translation-prices.html

At the bottom left of the page you will find two links which focus on African languages only. The lists show how many translators we have in each language combination and their average charge. We charge a flat markup of 0.03$/word on top of whatever the translator charges, so our final price depends on which translator we choose for a particular project.

Right now we are placing ads on the African continent looking for African translators, so we hope to increase this list over time. I will make a greater effort to advertise for translators once I get down to Africa near the end of 2010, as part of my Africa charity project (http://africa-charity-project.org/).

Thank you,

Karel Kosman

KENAX

To translation agencies

African languages project

Hi, I found your website on the internet that you specialize in African languages. Are you in need of African translators? I recently started a project

http://africa-charity-project.org/

whereby I would help African villages set up solar panels with a laptop and teach them how to find work through the internet. Since I myself run a translation agency (http://001yourtranslationservice.com/) I thought one of the jobs I could help them earn money through is translations.

Do you think this is a feasible idea? Would you like to help my project somehow, such as by exchanging links or something?

Thank you,

Karel Kosman

KENAX

Hi,

I’ve started a project to bring solar panels and laptops to villages in Africa and teach them to earn a living through the internet (http://africa-charity-project.org/). But it may take time until they get internet to their village, until when they can use a memory stick I would provide them with so they can go to a city and internet café etc. Until then, I thought it would be nice to supply their laptops with a lot of wiki pages offline, to help them learn about the world and practice their English. Would something like this be possible?

And might you perhaps have some tips or suggestions to help me with my project?

Thank you,

Karel

to governments

Dear Sir/Madame,

I have recently started a charity project to bring solar panels and laptops to villages in Africa in order to teach them how to earn a living through the internet (http://africa-charity-project.org/). I was wondering if you had any suggestions how I could accomplish this in your country, or if you think there would be a need for such developments. I hope to make it to Africa by the fall of 2010 and am making preliminary arrangements at the moment.

Thank you,

Karel Kosman

KENAX

to forums

I have recently started a charity project to bring solar panels and laptops to villages in Africa in order to teach them how to earn a living through the internet (http://africa-charity-project.org/). Anyone have any suggestions or feedback for me regarding this? I hope to make it to Africa by the fall of 2010 and am making preliminary arrangements at the moment.

general ask in Kenya

Hello,

I have recently started a charity project to bring solar panels and laptops to villages in Africa in order to teach them how to earn a living through the internet (http://africa-charity-project.org/). I would like to start in Kenya and was wondering if you had any suggestions how I could accomplish this there, or if you think there would be a need for such developments. I hope to make it to Kenya by the fall of 2010 and am making preliminary arrangements at the moment.

Thank you,

Karel Kosman

KENAX

Africa charity project

Hi, I’ve recently started a charity project and was wondering if you could give me some input or advice. While in Africa I’d also be interested in starting a tree planting scheme in exchange for credits. I love trees and planted 600,000 of them in Canada (http://hardcoretreeplanters.com/). I would appreciate any input or advice you might have.

Details of my Africa project follow.

Thank you,

Karel

After three years on the road, surviving through internet on my mobile phone, internet café, wifi from marinas and so on, and solar panels on my roof, I started to think that this could be a feasible concept for Africa. I like to call it “One Laptop Per Village”, similar to the One Laptop Per Child concept. Except that this one laptop per village would come equipped with a solar panel and I would help the village find work through the internet (like I’ve been doing for myself for the past 10/15 years) so that it could buy a second laptop and balloon it from there. I figure Africa will be hit with an internet revolution over the next 5 to 10 years, many organizations are working on spreading internet from the top down, and I’d like to help from the bottom up. Full details at:

http://africa-charity-project.org/

It should also be a good means to help Africans ward off the upcoming devastating effects of global warning.

I started moving forward and approached all my African translators. Got some feedback and, although sounds pretty darn scary, have been assured that its safe and I’m starting to think about driving down to Kenya, even through Sudan and Ethiopia. Got people down there and we’re starting to communicate. Was thinking of stuffing my truck with laptops and solar panels, and while driving down there, set up a village base in Syria, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Kenya. One in each country and see how it goes.

Now my focus is turning to Europe and wondering how I could get some sponsors for the solar panels and laptops. Not a great investment but it would give me a base in each of those countries and an interesting place to start. Any ideas where I could find some sponsors? Maybe EU money? Will certainly be an adventerous drive! My plan is to pan out my stay in Bulgaria for a year, since I’ve signed up for a contract for mobile internet here, during which time I hope to start making good money and save up some. So we have some time. Leave here once it starts getting cold again, but this time drive through Turkey along the northern shore. Getting excited thinkin about it!

If you have any input how I could get some sponsors for this concept it would be muchly appreciated. As my website explains, I figure about a thousand Euro should be enough to kickstart a dirt poor village into the internet revolution.

I’m also helping one engineer who has about ten ideas how to respond to global warming (http://globalwarmingresponse.org/), such as using floating islands and a system of pipes to pump cold water from the deep at key points of the world’s ocean currents (http://globalwarmingresponse.org/GEO-engineering/ocean-cooling-co2-capture/) for a quick fix to regulate the world’s overall temperatures. Big projects I know, but he used to provide consulting for such large projects (before he sold his company to go into retirement) to governments and other large organizations. If you have any suggestions how to get his ideas out there that would also be muchly appreciated.

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