CAMBRIDGE, England, September 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- nGOmobile Initiative Highlights the Benefits of Mobile Technology 
in the Developing World

Mobile technology organisation kiwanja.net has launched its latest
non-profit mobile initiative - nGOmobile, a competition to help grassroots
NGOs take advantage of text messaging.

The explosive entry of mobile technology into the developing world has
opened up a raft of opportunities for the non-profit sector.

Text messaging has proved itself to be remarkably versatile, helping
remind patients to take their medicine, providing market prices to farmers
and fishermen, distributing health information, allowing the reporting of
human rights abuses and promoting increased citizen participation in
government.

While the list may be long, not everyone has been able to reap the
benefits.

nGOmobile is a competition aimed exclusively at grassroots non-profit Non
Governmental Organisations (NGOs) working for positive social and
environmental change throughout the developing world. "Behind the scenes, the
often unsung heroes of the NGO community battle against the daily realities
of life in developing countries, where it can take all day to fulfil the
simplest task," said Ken Banks, Founder of kiwanja.net. "These people don't
lack passion and commitment, they lack tools and resources," said Banks.

Grassroots NGOs around the world are invited to submit short project
ideas explaining how greater access to mobile technology - and SMS text
messaging in particular - would benefit them and their work.

The competition is open from today until 14th December 2007 with the
winners announced in January 2008.

The top four entries, chosen by a distinguished panel of judges, will
each win a brand new Hewlett Packard laptop computer, two Nokia mobile
phones, a GSM modem, kiwanja.net's own entry-level text messaging platform -
FrontlineSMS - and to top it all, a cash prize of US$1,000.

Sponsors of the competition include Hewlett Packard, Nokia, ActiveXperts,
160 Characters, Wieden+Kennedy, mBlox and Perkins Coie.

Panel of Judges

Ken Banks, Founder, kiwanja.net

Neerja Raman, From Good to Gold

Mike Grenville, Editor, 160 Characters

Micheline Ntiru, Nokia's Head of Corporate Social Investment for the
Middle East and Africa

Bill Thompson, Journalist/commentator

Renny Gleeson, Global Director of Digital Strategies at Wieden+Kennedy

The competition website can be found at http://www.ngomobile.org

About kiwanja.net: Since 2003, kiwanja.net has been helping local,
national and international non-profit Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
make better use of information and communications technology in their work.
Specialising in the application of mobile technology, it provides a wide
range of ICT-related services drawing on over 22 year's experience of its
Founder, Ken Banks.

kiwanja.net believes that all non-profits, whatever their size and
wherever they operate, should be given the opportunity to implement the
latest mobile technologies in their work, and actively seeks to provide the
tools to enable them to do so.

http://www.kiwanja.net

About 160 Characters: 160Characters.org publishes news about the
worldwide mobile messaging industry. It organises industry related seminars
as well as the annual Global Messaging Awards. http://www.160characters.org/

About From Good to Gold: With an initial focus on India, 'From Good to
Gold' brings together entrepreneurs, experts and investors to seed business
creation for social good. http://fromgoodtogold.blogspot.com/

About Wieden+Kennedy: Wieden+Kennedy is an independent, creatively led
advertising agency that creates strong and provocative relationships between
good companies and their consumers. http://www.wk.com/

About mBlox: Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, mBlox is the world's
largest mobile transaction network specializing in providing operator
connectivity and mobile billing capabilities to businesses around the globe.
http://www.mblox.com/

About Perkins Coie: Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm
offering a full spectrum of legal services. With more than 600 lawyers in 15
offices across the United States and in China, the firm represents clients
that range in size from FORTUNE 100 companies to start-ups, and has
historically represented market leaders in traditional and cutting-edge
technology industries. http://www.perkinscoie.com/

About Hewlett Packard: HP is a technology company which operates in more
than 170 countries around the world. HP explores how technology and services
can help people and companies address their problems and challenges, and
realize their possibilities, aspirations and dreams. http://www.hp.com/

About ActiveXperts: Headquartered in the Netherlands, Europe,
ActiveXperts Software B.V. is a software-development and software-consultancy
firm, dedicated to provision of top quality products and services for all
stages of software development and network management.
http://www.activexperts.com/

About Nokia: Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving
the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia
connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with
easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions
for imaging, games, media and businesses. http://www.nokia.com/

Enquiries
    Ken Banks
    Founder of kiwanja.net
    Email: ken.banks@ngomobile.org
    Tel: +1-650-245-7727