Articles by TMS Ruge
TMS Ruge (Teddy) is the co-founder of Project Diaspora.– an organization aimed at connecting the African Diaspora to socially-relevant development projects in Africa. Project Diaspora’s mission is to engage Africa’s 50 million-strong Diaspora population and their $40 billion in annual remittances to move Africa from an aid-dependent continent to an investment destination. Teddy is also a social entrepreneur currently assisting several indigenous farmers organizations in Uganda move from subsistence farming to large-scale commercial farming of aloe vera and moringa. Also, Teddy serves as an Organizational Development Consultant for socially-responsible enterprises with double-bottom lines looking to invest in East Africa. Teddy is a mobile technology enthusiast and blogs frequently about the African ICT sectors and it’s effects on development. He’s written several articles regarding the emerging push to connect Africa to broadband internet on the Project Diaspora blog. Teddy received a Communication Design degree from the University of North Texas and when he isn’t trying to save Africa, works as a professional photographer and graphic designer. His clients include the Dallas Cowboys, Haynes & Boone law firm, and MW Logistics. He is also the official photographer for the Entrepreneurs Foundation of North Texas, and the Dallas Chamber of Commerce. In his previous life, Teddy was a national record-holder in the decathlon and pole vault and, formerly, the high jump. He was also a one-time Ugandan Olympic hopeful in the decathlon. Teddy was born in Masindi, Uganda to a Sudanese father and a Ugandan mother. He grew up in Uganda, Kenya and Dallas, TX.
There’s been a dearth of posts on this site, not because there’s nothing to write about, rather we’ve been consumed with growing pains behind the scenes. That’s always a good thing but doesn’t excuse a …
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NOTE OF CLARIFICATION:
Just to clarify, while Grace gives varying answers on the video on how long it takes to put together that box of jewelry, it actually takes the women about 3 days to produce …
This is my quick response to Jimmy Kainja’s thought-provoking post and comments discussion about gay rights in Africa and the role of donor organizations.
The brouhaha over African gay litigation is simply overreaction to the very …
With the Women of Kireka slowly gaining international fame in Europe (thanks to the efforts of Ida Horner pushing their wares), I thought a product shoot was in order so we could really show off …
Back in the summer of 2009, (Man! How time flies!) I had a chance to chat with Ida Horner via Skype for the first time after being virtually introduced via Twitter & Facebook. Ida is …
According to Prof. Kigozi, the value addition manufacturing sector can tap into a cheap labor force and stimulate the economy. It is certainly an area where the diaspora can target their $780 million in remittance dollars.
This week finds me in Kampala, Uganda for the 3rd annual Diaspora Home is Best Summit. It’s been a gathering of some of the most visible Ugandan Diaspora in the West. Among them is my …
Living in Nairobi, Kenya these last few weeks has given me an opportunity to meet with hordes of freshly returned diasporans who made the decision to move back home from their various locales around the …
This just in, my talk submitted for SXSW Interactive 2010, Africa 3.0: A Look at the Future of a Connected Africa, has been accepted. If you were looking for a good reason to attend the …
It is a common practice that many Ugandans in the Diaspora trek home to cerebrate the Christmas festivals with the families. Therefore this year’s Conference code named “Home is the Best Summit -3” will be held in Lira on 23rd December 2009, Kampala on 29th to 30th December 2009, and Mbale on 4th January 2010. Home is the Best Summit – 3 because it will be the third Conference to organise under such a theme.
Yesterday I got a chance to talk to the team behind the upcoming BarCampAfricaUK [ SOLD OUT ]. BarCampAfricaUK is just another town hall meeting spurred by social media conversations and the subjects of ICT, development and Africa. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
PD Podcast: BarCampAfricaUK [ Audio | 45:44 | MP3 ] [ Music: Soundtrack: Disco Science by Mirwais ]
This weekend Cameroon will host the country’s first BarCamp in Douala on November 7, 2009 at Le Meridien Hotel. Be sure to check out their blog and Twitter streams for live updates on the nearly …
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As previously mentioned, team PD is packing up shop and heading to dreary London to brighten things up at Africa Gathering this weekend. We are planning on meeting up with these …
There are three major reasons why we are not engaged in development projects beyond mere remittances. By “mere” I don’t mean to belittle the estimated $40 billion in annual remittances we send to Africa. Only to say that $40 billion dollars can have a far greater effect on development, if it were structured differently. I am sure if you are inclined, you can contribute a litany of reasons why we aren’t, as a collective force, a lot more engaged on the ground. These three reasons, I believe are the major obstacles why the diaspora isn’t more involved in greater numbers and on bigger projects beyond remittances and personal wealth accumulation.
If you happen to be in London in October, make sure it’s on the 8th and 9th. The Project Diaspora team is gate-crashing the 2nd Africa Gathering event. If you have been procrastinating and haven’t bought your tickets yet, make sure to hit up the registration page and do so now, like right now. The last event in April sold out weeks before opening day.
A couple of weeks ago, I was I had an email correspondence with Francis O. Oghuma, one enterprising Nigerian, and co-founder of Naijaborn, a social network dedicated to the vibrant Nigerian diaspora community. He recently …
All For Africa Promo Video from allforafrica on Vimeo.
Just got word that on Thursday, the 24 of September from 7 – 11 pm, L’Altruist in New York is having a trés chic benefit event for …
This morning I had an opportunity to be featured on The Hugh Macken Live radio show. Actually should I say, Leila Charayath Janar—who I interviewed last year at the Facebook Developer’s Garage in Uganda, was …
Diaspora and the Cloud – Cloud Intelligence Symposium at Ars Electronica from TMS Ruge on Vimeo.
No longer is Africa’s rich cultural heritage, development and identity championed and hijacked by those from outside and treated as …
Although she left Senegal at the tender age of 2, Mariémme managed to retain that African connection and has responded to her heart string’s call to come back to Senegal and neighboring countries to share her knowledge by training generations of young men and women to be entrepreneurs.
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Esi Yankah, CEO of The Africa Mentor Network, Inc. contacted PD with information on an upcoming networking event for Ghana’s enterprising youth to be held this August. The event will offer selected youth a chance …
According to the press release, “the purpose of the show is to promote tourism and real estate in Africa by bringing together African-based businesses and tourism officials with Canadian and American consumers.”
We just got wind that The Development Economics Research Group of the World Bank is conducting a study on the role of Africans in the Diaspora. For those that would like to participate in the …
It would be an understatement to say that my article “Celebrity Stunts of Altruism are Killing Livelihoods in Africa,” didn’t get any link-love. It went beyond that. It kick-started a wide-ranging debate that touched on …
One of the cornerstones of our mission here at PD is to encourage the African Diaspora to do more with their remittances. Annually, it is estimated that Diaspora remittances to Africa are inching north of …
