Mission: MAMAS offers to collaborate with people of Altai to co-design strategic communication systems and advanced technologies which are practical and innovative, crafted to advance public health, education and economic development.

Overview: MAMAS design has been adapted to needs of rural and refugee women in West Africa. Now, these same systems and partnerships can be customized for Altai as a model for ongoing analysis and replication in Russia and surrounding countries.

Need: (telemedicine example):
1) HIV/AIDS: to assist with communication support for university-to-community efforts to educate public and identify HIV/AIDS baseline and trends, to track, treat HIV/AIDS patients and develop policy for resource management, and to promote “talk radio” or radio drama to help reduce stigma and increase awareness for prevention, treatment, and awareness;
2) maternal mortality prevention: to provide communications which reduce isolation, increasing awareness of nutrition and obstetrical risk issues; to contribute to s afe delivery at each level of cause, with increased clinic/hospital preparedness and logistics for patient transport.

Objective: to help communities share critical information, track and report data, and increase impact of existing programs with combined uses of satellite technologies for sustainable development.

Key Programs:
- MAMAS HealthNet: a satellite-linked communication program for transmitting data, mapping, analysis, planning of health service, health worker training, community outreach and logistical support for policymakers and rural health clinicians.
- MAMAS CampusNet: Designed as portable distance learning for rural and refugee women, CampusNet includes systems and structure for ongoing analysis of impact, providing computers, satellite “picture” radio (WorldSpace) www.worldspace.com and video-based programs to establish a “campus” anchored in school or NGO-facilities for basic education, women’s rights, health and economic development programs.

Systems: Using solar energy, satellite, web and radio technologies, each MAMAS site will feature systems customized from participatory community design. Target populations can then be offered specialized training and professional development through partner universities, school and community based networks and international relief and development agencies.
- MAMAS WorldSpace Station: Formal and informal education—rapid ramp-up. Technology consists of receive-only radio equipment, coupled to an amplification system—for bringing broadcast programs via satellite to very remote communities. The principal components will be:
         - Low power (20 watts) audio amplifier
         - World Space satellite radio receiver
         - Subscription to the service (contents)
- DVB Station is a second level of service offering internet connection for email, and file transfer and sharing for a maximum of four (04) computers, using a very affordable shared bandwidth connection through a Ku-band satellite small dish. For this LAN (local area network) linking low speed PCs (Pentium III), the access will be given through a fast server (P4) configured as local cache.
         - Video Conferencing Station will consist of 3.8m VSAT with dedicated bandwidth, able to service up to 40 computers. This type of site will provide all the services offered by the predecessor but with video conferencing capability and better quality. A bigger antenna will lower operational expenses that are usually determined by bandwidth payment to the satellite operator. This will be recommended for the most important cities in the region.
- Centers for Basic and Specialized Computer Trainings: Technology transfer program features youth from Washington State (US) who bring large scale program to these centers for training youth as local trainers, technicians and end-users, refurbishing and distributing computers with appropriate software to specialized tasks.
- Centers for Appropriate Technologies: University-based, working labs for innovations to meet local challenges, linked to rural and refugee pilot programs
- Centers for Integrated Data Management: University-based lab systems coordinated by MAMAS Viseo-Data Program.
         - Broadband Wireless Station: is a 4.10 m VSAT coupled to 2.4/5.8 GHz wireless redistribution system.
         - “Radio-in-a-Box” music, sports and rural talk radio produced from clinics and market settings for public education and participation on key topics

MAMAS cooperates with Mercy Institute Health Data Integration Service to converge the benefits of web content management, document management and digital asset management in a unified Public Health Content Management solution. The MIH platform supports distance learning, virtual simulation, project management and offers:
         - An integrated user interface to enable all enterprise rich content to be accessible from within one unified system
         - Management of all unstructured rich content formats including documents, presentations, images, audio and video files
         - True cross-platform support between Mac and Windows file formats
         - Re-purposing and re-using legacy content on Web properties managed by Content Management Server
         - An open, standards-based development environment for easy integration and application development
MAMAS is proud to have, as chief data systems designer, Chuck Cheney, who can claim credit for designing integrated data management structure for Ford Motors-US.

Virtual Simulation
Virtual simulation will represent actual projects for the benefit of stakeholders who would like to understand more clearly how the technology will operate and benefit their work. Scenarios can be created that serve two purposes: anticipating and understanding risk, and discovering new options for action. The content will represent rural and refugee communities and include video and project schematics by sector (e.g. fishing, farming, health and education).

MAMAS, in cooperation with University of Washington, University of Tokyo and “What If?” Technologies in Ottawa, Canada, will support the GUS/Altai Mir program with a virtual simulation service which allows stakeholders to access information from their desktop computers via the internet and collaborate across distances. This structure will include a dedicated or shared server, security and management of integrated information, backups and recovery of files as necessary, model databases and client models.

This simulation will also include virtual decision support systems. These systems host, manage and maintain the various raw, original data from which can be drawn the selected segments to be used in a particular modeling or simulation exercise. Trainings and tools to bring grassroots participation and consideration “the big picture” helps ensure sustainability. This more holistic analysis and feedback will fit iteratively into guiding strategic plans which, in the long run, will prove more economically efficient.

Computer Transfer and Training
MAMAS, University of Washington and Seattle Public Schools provide a program in English and French which will support university- and school-based basic and advanced computer training. Seattle Public Schools’ Global Technology Academy (GTA) builds on the mission and experience of GTA to bridge youth in the US with youth in African communities where resources are few and young people need to both have access and training in order to compete in a global information technology based economy.

GTA receives and re-directs previously owned computers, software, networking technology and training. Training is defined as refurbishing information technology equipment, teaching processes involved, and learning how to be socially responsible and sensitive to environmental, economic and cultural issues of the community, in a sustainable and self sufficient manner. GTA has shipped about 1,000 computers to Africa over past eight years and along with these computers, has sent young people’s teams to teach each aspect of use and maintenance. Long term success for these computers’ sustainability is about 97%.

Contact: lindahi@earthlink.net