Geekcorps Mali’s LMI Blog

Cybertigi Bamako has arrived! As an extension of the Cybertigi pilot in the Ouelessebougou and Kangaba regions the Geekcorps Bamako office has begun offering digital printing services to local residents as part of the Cybertigi initiative. Since such a core element of the overall Cybertigi project is the photo printing component, Geekcorps has begun testing this part of the model close to home. The idea is to offer digital photo printing services to whomever in Bamako needs quality prints. At present there are few if any places to have your digital photos printed in Bamako. The same can be said in Ouelessebougou and Kangaba. Although there are digital cameras in both areas, camera utility is diminished because their owners can only use the photos when connected to a computer.

With Cybertigi we are aiming to create a sustainable enterprise with auxiliary benefits for the host community and Cybertigi’s participants. We are also looking to build into the model symbiotic relationships with community members already in place to increase each other’s real benefit from the project. One case mentioned in a previous entry was with the local photographer, where he gains increased revenues through delivering higher quality products to his constituents with lower loss rates, while we gain through augmented revenue streams from a higher degree of photo printing activity.

We see this Bamako extension as a precursor to the finished photo printing model. Here we are using the same technology we will be using at the site to offer the same relative type of services, open to the public at large, to create a revenue stream for one of the project’s enterprises while also offering a needed service for those interested. Our goal in this case is not as much a symbiotic relationship, but instead to gauge demand for the service.

So far it has been well received, with the ink cartridge and paper already paid for with roughly 60% of their capacity remaining. Thesurprising element is that we haven’t even begun advertising the service yet.

We are offering 6 types of prints – Classic, Bordered, 2 per page, Wallets, ID cards, and novelty prints:

All proceeds generated from the experiment will be reinvested in the project.