In addition to the competition to select hosts for mobile applications labs under the Creating Sustainable Businesses program, infoDev is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) for Mobile Social Networking Activities in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. As the implementing agency for the program, infoDev is looking to identify one or more organizations to sustain social networking hubs, or establish new ones, in the following cities:

• In Africa: Nairobi (Kenya), Kampala (Uganda), Maputo (Mozambique) and Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania);

• In Asia: in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) and Kathmandu (Nepal)

• In Eastern Europe and Central Asia: (ECA) in Tbilisi (Georgia), and Kiev (Ukraine).

Although the call for EOI is open to all relevant proposals, infoDev is particularly interested in hearing from volunteer-based, community-based and non-governmental organizations.

The objectives of the mobile social networking component of the program are to support the creation of social networking hubs, or sustain existing ones, in the eight cities listed above; to develop a mobile applications community of practice, to foster a competition for ideas to encourage entrepreneurship, and to establish mentorship opportunities for developers, by linking them with mobile industry professionals in their own regions as well as internationally. The key deliverables of this component will include the hosting of social events, attracting local participants and animating the planned mobile applications community of practice. More information is available here.