With the arrival of new submarine fibre optic cables in Africa, enabling broader internet access at lower cost, the website Pratiks is keen to offer Africans more opportunities.
Pratiks.com is the first video encyclopaedia on practical issues. More than 2,000 practical videos posted on its website provide solutions, know-how, instructions and tips on almost everything.
Gael Polles, Pratiks’ director said: “Africa is in the starting blocks of high speed internet access. As a provider of innovative audio-visual content, we want to be among the first to offer our online videos to Africans so that they can benefit from tips that will save them time and money. Africans also have many talents to teach the world. They are already very strong in many areas on the international scene and many have a lot of imagination; Creative, resourceful, some Africans are kings of recycling. Thanks to Pratiks, they will be able to share their knowledge…and get more exposure. “
Anyone can freely access Pratiks’ videos by visiting www.pratiks.com but it is also possible to submit your own videos to freely share knowledge and enhance it.
“Westerners should stop believing they have nothing to learn from Africa; Africans will surely bring some surprises,” says Polles.
Current Pratiks’ members are from across the Francophone world – France, Canada, Belgium of course – but also Senegal, Ivory Coast, Gabon and many other African countries. The intention is to introduce more English content.
“It is not necessary to be Spielberg to make a short film: keep your camera steady, speak slowly and repeat your scene in front of your friends before filming so that people will understand your message. Then send your video in just a few minutes after opening a free member account,’ says Polles.
Pratiks members and companies who have their own website can use Pratiks to enrich it: an active link referring the video on their site is easy to set up.
Videos on topics such as “travel’ and “cuisine’ await videos from Africa on a dish, a place, a restaurant, a beach, a village or a monument to discover, says Polles.
Pratiks also offers broadcast TV channels in Africa the “best Pratiks videos’ and a contest for African countries.
